PubMed Health⌕ Search

Biomedical subjects

M Gafà

Publications and source records attributed to M Gafà.

40 records · Page 3Linked to original sources
PubMedDate not supplied

Cholesterol crystals in biliary microlithiasis.

A recent study put forward the hypothesis that microlithiasis may represent an early stage in the development of biliary calculi. It is an established fact that cholesterol crystals are the product of an inevitable stage in the sequence leading to gallstone formation. To test the hypothesis stated above ten patients affected by gallbladder cholesterol microlithiasis (CM) were examined in the lipid composition of the bile, the cholesterol saturation index and the presence of cholesterol crystals being calculated. The results were compared with those of 14 patients affected by pigment microliths, 24 with larger stones (LS) and ten control patients. The cholesterol saturation index was above one in all CM patients, whereas in some LS patients the gall-bladder bile was not supersaturated. Cholesterol crystals were observed in the gallbladders of all CM patients and seven LS patients. These results would seem to provide support for the hypothesis of microcalculi as being "young stones", with the bile of CM patients maintaining the conditions leading to gallstone formation.

Adult↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Gallstones and risk of colonic cancer: a matched case-control study.

The aim of the research was to verify the existence of an association between neoplasms in the colon and cholelithiasis, treated surgically or non-surgically. The case-control study was carried out on 109 patients operated on for cancer of the colon, and on 109 control patients operated on for benign pathology. Matching was carried out according to sex, age, region of origin and dietary habits of the patients. Results showed a significant association of cancer of the colon with concomitant cholelithiasis (odds ratio = 2.42) but not with previous cholecystectomy. This correlation was more evident in female patients (odds ratio = 3.2), over 65 years of age (odds ratio = 3.6), with neoplasms in the right colon (odds ratio = 5). Observations suggest cholecystectomy has a protective role as regards an increased risk of cancer of the colon in cholelithiasic patients. A confirmation of this association might also be beneficial in terms of early diagnosis of cancer of the colon, thereby allowing identification of a large population of risk patients to be submitted to monitored screening.

Aged↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Biliary microlithiasis and acute pancreatitis.

Forty-two patients with homogeneous biliary microlithiasis were studied to assess the incidence of the various clinical and anatomopathological characteristics of secondary acute pancreatitis resulting from this condition. The findings confirm that the risk of acute pancreatitis is particularly high in these patients and that the steatonecrotic form is the most common. Consequently, the authors stress the importance of thorough pre- and intraoperative investigations whenever the presence of biliary microlithiasis is suspected, and confirm their preference for the radical treatment of this disease.

Acute Disease↗