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M Melato

Publications and source records attributed to M Melato.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed2005

808-nm laser with exogenous chromophores for the treatment of benign oral lesions.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to verify the effectiveness and safety of the 808-nm wavelength for use on benign lesions of the oral cavity that are stained with toluidine blue solution. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The toluidine blue solution according to Mashberg is used in stomatology for the detection of leuko-erythroplasic lesions. In our experience, we have used it to stain even serous cysts, angiomas, and fibromas. We chose a 808-nm wavelength emitted from a power diode laser, because it is well absorbed by the blue color and barely by the healthy mucosa. The non-contact photocoagulation kept the surrounding borders intact when we used the pulsed-emission, 50 ms 7 W, without anesthesia. No sutures were needed. The leukoplasic borders of the lesions were histologically examined before and after the treatment. RESULTS: The vaporized lesions healed completely in about 5-7 days without any kind of treatment, leaving some slight elastic white scars. A mild edema-erythema followed the treatment for 5-7 days. CONCLUSIONS: The selective results confirm the effectiveness of this therapeutic procedure on pigmented benign lesions, pre-treated with exogenous chromophores and photocoagulated without bleeding, with a minimum energy 808-nm laser.

Condylomata Acuminata↗
PubMed2003

Oral and intraperitoneal acute toxicity studies of yessotoxin and homoyessotoxins in mice.

The acute toxicity of yessotoxin (YTX), homoyessotoxin (homoYTX) and 45-hydroxy-homoyessotoxin (45-OH-homoYTX) has been studied in comparison to that of okadaic acid (OA), the main diarrhogenic toxin, both after intraperitoneal (i.p.) and oral administration. After i.p. administration, homoYTX and YTX showed similar lethality (LD(50)=444 microg/kg and 512 microg/kg), higher than that of OA (LD(50)=225 microg/kg), while 750 microg/kg of 45-OH-homoYTX did not cause death. OA induced the already known toxic signs: before death, mice were motionless and cyanotic; small intestine and liver damage were shown at post-mortem. Mice treated with YTX and homoYTX were restless and jumped before death; necroscopy did not show major changes. After oral treatment, 2 mg/kg of OA induced diarrhoea and body weight loss, causing 4/5 deaths; necroscopy and/or histology revealed degenerative lesions to small intestine, forestomach and liver (confirmed by increased plasma transaminase), but no myocardium alterations. On the contrary, the oral treatment with YTX (1 and 2 mg/kg) and its derivatives (1 mg/kg) did not cause any death or signs of toxicity, except some ultrastructural myocardiocyte alterations, adjacent to capillaries, such as cytoplasmic protrusions (YTX, 1 and 2 mg/kg), fibrillar alteration (YTX, 1 mg/kg) or mitochondria assemblage (45-OH-homoYTX). Altogether, our data show that YTX and its derivatives are less toxic than OA after acute oral and i.p. treatments, at doses which may represent up to 100 times of the possible human daily intake.

Administration, Oral↗
PubMed2003

Cytomorphological variations, proliferation and angiogenesis in the prognosis of cutaneous melanoma.

Depth of invasion and stage of the disease are well known prognostic indicators in cutaneous melanoma (CM). However, the role of other parameters, such as the variations in cytomorphology of melanocyte tumours, mitotic activity and angiogenesis is still open to question. The aim of this study was to analyse proliferation by mitotic activity index (MAI) and immunostaining of proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA), and the intensity of neovascularization (microvessel density; MVD) in CM clinical stage I in relation to epithelioid, spindle and nevoid cell type, histological type (superficial spreading melanoma and nodular melanoma), Clark's level and Breslow thickness. Finally, the role of all parameters in the prognosis of CM was evaluated. Statistical analysis demonstrated that cytological characteristics of CM correlate only with Clark's level, while histological types correlate with MAI, PCNA and MVD. MAI and PCNA also showed correlation between groups according to Clark's level and Breslow thickness. Finally, tumour cell PCNA was found to correlate with MVD. Survival of patients with CM correlated significantly with MAI. These results suggest that cytological variation, histological type, PCNA and MVD alone are not independent prognostic parameters, whereas MAI is a potentially important prognostic marker in CM.

Biomarkers, Tumor↗
PubMed2003

Two-year follow-up results of copper bromide laser treatment of striae.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of our study was to follow-up 15 patients with stretch marks treated positively with the CuBr laser (577-511 nm) in 1998-99 and followed-up for 2 years. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The patients were Italian women, young to middle age (average 30 years old), with skin coloration classified as Fitzpatrick II-III. Biopsies were taken on some patients before the treatment and 1 month after the first treatment. Double-blind histological, histochemical and photographic evaluation was performed. Results obtained as well as to the contradictory effects reported elsewhere in the literature were compared. RESULTS: On average, the results were positive and there were some pathogenic considerations that justified the use of laser.

Adult↗
PubMed2003

[Odontogenic myxoma recurring after 11 years: case report and observations on this unusual neoplasm].

Odontogenic myxoma is usually a benign neoplasm, although it has the ability to infiltrate surrounding tissues thus becoming locally invasive. Furthermore, it has a moderately high recurrence rate and can sometimes display a really aggressive behaviour. An unusual case of a 48-y-old woman in whom odontogenic myxoma recurred 11 years after excision of the primitive lesion is reported. Although rare, the possibility of malignant evolution led us to consider which was the most appropriate management of both the neoplasm and the recurrence. A careful assessment of the clinical, radiographical, tomographical, histological and, if necessary, immunohistochemical features of the lesion allows a distinction to be made between lesions that are only locally invasive and the rarer, more dangerous aggressive lesions. In the first case we suggest that, where possible, a conservative treatment should be preferred, followed by close monitoring of the lesion over time. Since odontogenic myxoma is limited to the facial bones, excision may be uselessly disfiguring, above all in young patients. More aggressive surgical treatment should be reserved for lesions for which there is a strong suspicion of malignant transformation.

Female↗
PubMed2002

[The Pathology museum of Trieste. From medical arachaeology to revitalization].

Abandoned in the attic of Trieste's Ospedale Maggiore--which since 1872 housed the hospital's Department of Pathological Anatomy, then known as the Prosettura--is a "museum" of pathology that comprises a heterogeneous collection of anatomic specimens: traumatic, inflammatory and neoplastic lesions, as well as specimens of tattooed skin and hymens. All this material, most of which dates back to the end of the nineteenth and to the start of the twentieth century, will soon be recovered and displayed in a museum. Because this operation has given rise to an interesting discussion on the very significance--both present and past--of this kind of museum, we believe it necessary to extend the debate to those in charge of similar collections and to all our colleagues in the medical profession. It is our opinion that this operation may be justified and meaningful, provided that each specimen is presented with adequate reference to its historical and scientific context.

History, 19th Century↗
PubMed2001

Diabetes mellitus and oral disease.

The oral complications of diabetes mellitus are generally considered to be no more than inevitable annoyances and, as such, have been the subject of relatively few scientific and clinical studies. This review highlights both the known correlations between oral disease and diabetes mellitus, such as those involving supporting tissues and oral mucosa, and those that are still a matter of debate, such as dental caries. In all cases, we carefully analyzed the pathogenesis of the disorder with a view to establishing a possible therapeutic approach, an aspect that currently appears to be overlooked. In view of the fact that the treatment of certain oral conditions, in particular periodontal disease, has been reported to improve metabolic control in diabetic patients, we conclude that diabetes mellitus-related oral diseases deserve adequate recognition and further investigation.

Dental Caries↗
PubMed2001

The histopathology of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug induced gastroduodenal damage: correlation with Helicobacter pylori, ulcers, and haemorrhagic events.

AIMS: The spectrum of microscopic lesions resulting from the chronic use of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), known as chemical gastritis, remains unclear, and the variable prevalence reported in different studies makes this issue a matter of lively debate. The aim of this study was to evaluate the prevalence and importance of chemical gastritis in patients regularly taking NSAIDs. Owing to the high prevalence of Helicobacter pylori infection, particularly in subjects over 60 years of age, and in view of a possible association with damage, the presence of H pylori infection in the same tissue sample was also determined in all patients. METHODS: One hundred and ninety seven subjects were enrolled, 118 of whom were receiving chronic treatment with NSAIDs and 79 of whom were controls, pair matched for age, sex, and clinical symptoms (ulcer-like dyspepsia or upper digestive tract haemorrhage). Antral biopsies taken during upper gastroduodenal endoscopy were assessed for chemical gastritis according to a modified version of Dixon's score, and for Helicobacter correlated chronic active gastritis, according to the updated Sydney system. RESULTS: Chemical gastritis was identified in 11 patients taking NSAIDs (9%) and in four controls (5%) (p < 0.05). Helicobacter pylori was detected in 53 patients taking NSAIDs (45%) and in 34 controls (43%). Patients taking NSAIDs had a significantly higher number of erosions and ulcers and worse endoscores than controls. The presence of H pylori did not appear to increase histological damage, ulcer prevalence, or haemorrhagic events. CONCLUSIONS: Chemical gastritis is present in a limited number of patients regularly taking NSAIDs, and is not strongly correlated with NSAID induced damage. In many cases of peptic ulcer or upper gastrointestinal bleeding in patients taking NSAIDs, the presence of chemical gastritis or H pylori infection cannot solely account for the development of mucosal damage.

Adult↗
PubMed2001

Carl von Rokitansky and the Italian translation of the Handbuch der Pathologischen Anatomie: a linguistic and doctrinal enigma.

Carl von Rokitansky was the author of a treatise that came out between 1842 and 1846 with the title Handbuch der Pathologischen Anatomie. A historical milestone in pathological anatomy, Rokitansky's work represented the first attempt to systematically classify pathological specimens. Its publication inevitably made a great impact on Vienna, at that time the major European medical centre. The Italian translation of Rokitansky's masterpiece, Trattato Completo di Anatomia Patologica, published in Venice in 1852, was carried out by Ricchetti and Fano: the former a philologist and the latter a Triestine physician who, in 1873, had worked at Simon Pertot's side, the first prosector to be assumed in Trieste. From the start, the two translators not only made no secret of the linguistic obstacles they came up against, but also how unconvincing Rokitansky's doctrines were; a scepticism emerged from their words that inevitably contributed to the realization of a translation difficult to read. Undoubtedly, Rokitansky elaborated a theory of disease containing a certain degree of unclarity and in this respect it is interesting to emphasize that even the English translation, Manual of Pathologic Anatomy (1849-1854), demonstrated similar conceptual problems. A convinced supporter of gross pathology, Rokitansky put forth a theory of disease, the so-called Krasenlehre, resting upon humoral doctrines. This new knowledge inevitably exerted a great influence over Viennese, as well as German, medicine. Rokitansky's humoral pathology survived until the 1850s, when it was attacked by young Virchow, the future, universally recognized, father of cellular pathology, who definitively extinguished speculative humoral pathology.

Anatomy↗
PubMed1999

Diatom test with Soluene-350 to diagnose drowning in sea water.

The authors tested the Soluene-350 method to detect diatoms in three cases of sea water drowning. The negative results obtained in all three cases prompted us to re-test the method on samples of fresh water and sea water microalgae. The experiment showed that the siliceous frustule of sea water diatoms is solubilized by Soluene-350 while that of fresh water diatoms is resistant to the treatment. The method, which is effective in cases of drowning in fresh water, should therefore be used with caution in sea water drowning.

Diatoms↗
PubMed1999

Determination of the time of death in a homicide-suicide case using flow cytometry.

The study of the biologic processes involved in determining the postmortem interval also can be useful for determining the time of death. In this instance, we investigated the time of death in a case of homicide-suicide using circumstantial findings and thanatochronological and flow cytometric data. The flow cytometric data confirmed the time of death as calculated from the police investigations. This method has proven more reliable than thanatochronological techniques and can be used to supplement these observations. This case indicates that the use of flow cytometry "on the spot" is useful and reliable; however, more evidence is needed to support this new, although to date very sound, method of investigation.

Adult↗
PubMed1998

The lectin-binding sites for peanut agglutinin in invasive breast ductal carcinomas and their metastasis.

Peanut agglutinin (PNA) lectin-binding site patterns in primary invasive breast ductal not otherwise specified (NOS) carcinomas are related to aggressiveness of the tumor. The present study was designed to compare the expression of PNA-binding sites in the primary tumor and in local lymph node metastases. The expression of lectin-binding sites was studied using the avidin-biotin complex/immunoperoxidase technique and analyzed in relation to age of the patient and size of the breast cancer. Breast cancers and their metastases showed negativity or positivity, the latter being divided into "apical" and "non-apical" (i.e. membrane and/or cytoplasmic) depending on the main localization of staining in tumor cells. No correlation was found between primary tumors and metastases as regards PNA-binding patterns, which confirms the opinion that advanced primary tumors are polyclonal and that selected subclones of malignant cells give rise to metastases. Furthermore, the fact that primary tumors with PNA non-apical expression, a feature related to aggressiveness and poor differentiation, may have lymph node metastases with apical expression, suggests that this pattern, although no longer evident in the primary tumor, is involved in the process of cell metastasis.

Adult↗
PubMed1998

Surgical cleansing of varicose ulcers of the leg using a CO2 laser with rotating mirror scanner.

OBJECTIVE: Our purpose was to evaluate the effectiveness of cleansing by CO2 laser with a rotating mirror scanner in accelerating ulcer granulation and reducing sensitization, bleeding, and the need for painful medications. SUMMARY BACKGROUND DATA: Cleansing, the first step in treating phlebostatic ulcers, may be performed with a defocussed CO2 laser, but laser-to-target distance, technique, and duration of the procedure may vary. METHODS: We studied 20 patients, ages 38-85, with "common" phlebostatic ulcers showing a tendency not to granulate. The patients were divided into two groups by sex (7 females and 3 males) and by size of ulcer. The first group was treated using the CO2 laser and rotating mirror scanner; the second was treated surgically with scissors and tweezers. In both groups debridement was followed by mobile and fixed elastocompressing bandage, mobilization, and phlebotonics. Six patients in the first group and four in the second subsequently underwent short stripping to correct the incompetent saphenous circulation. RESULTS: Ulcer cleansing was achieved in all 20 cases. In the laser group, the treatment was well tolerated by 9 patients and granulation was achieved in 10 days on average; in the second group, cleansing was very painful in 5 cases and granulation was achieved in 25 days on average. Both groups had good cicatrization at 3 months after elastocompression, zinc dioxide medication, mobilization, and phlebotonics. The 6-month follow-up revealed only one recurrence--a small ulcer at a different location--in the first group and no cases of recurrence in the second. CONCLUSIONS: Cleansing by CO2 laser and rotating mirror scanner allows the acceleration of ulcer granulation and reduces sensitization, bleeding, and the need for painful and costly medications.

Aged↗