Biomedical subjects
Publications and source records attributed to M Rocca.
Authors present the results of an experimental research to evaluate the effectiveness of a slow resorbable suture (Polyglactyn 910) in arterial microsurgery. Healing of vascular wall, histologically evaluated, showed good reliability, compared to other suture materials.
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Twenty pregnant women with greater than or equal to 36 weeks gestation and Bishop score of less than or equal to 4 were subjected to either intracervical injection of PGE2 (0.25 mg) every 4 h to ripen the cervix and induce labor (study group n = 10) or injection of only the diluent (control group n = 10). PGE2 cases showed significant increase in Bishop score and were successfully induced. The mean induction-establishment and induction-delivery intervals were 4.3 +/- 0.1 min and 6.07 +/- 1.7 h, respectively. The control group showed no response. PGE2 cervical injection is a safe and effective method for cervical ripening and labor induction.
The injected latex method was used to study the anatomy of the intramural segment in ten uteri. Another ten uteri were used for its histological evaluation. The intramural segment had an S-shaped course with double curves. Its length ranged between 0.9 and 1.7 cm. The lining epithelium showed variations at different levels with increase in cell density and number of cilia as the isthmus was approached. At the uterotubal junction, there were mucosal folds of endosalpinx directed towards the tubal lumen.
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Pulmonary mesenchymatous chondrosarcoma was revealed in two 3-year-old boys by hemi-thorax opacities on standard images and a heterogeneous mass on CT scanning. A favorable course was obtained after chemotherapy and total excision. These are the first two cases of pulmonary localizations of mesenchymatous chondrosarcoma reported.
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The site of gonadotrophin inhibition in long-term users of injectable contraceptives is still debatable. The pituitary response to LHRH (50 micrograms, I.V.) was assessed in 32 women. Sixteen cases were using either medroxyprogesterone acetate (DMPA; n = 8 150 mg I.M. every three months) or norethisterone enanthate (NET-EN; n = 8, 200 mg every 2 months) for at least 18 months. The remaining cases (n = 16) were normal fertile females not using any hormonal contraceptive (control group). The pituitary response to LHRH injection in both injectable subgroups was nearly identical to that in the control group. Neither the basal levels nor the net increase in gonadotrophins following LHRH injection were significantly different in the study groups from those of the control group. Long-term use of DMPA or NET-EN does not affect the pituitary responsiveness to LHRH injection and the pituitary is not a primary site for ovulation inhibition in these cases.
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A clinical and epidemiological study on ALS was conducted in the province of Parma, Italy, in the period 1960-1980. A total of 78 cases was collected from hospital records. The average annual incidence was 0.93 per 100,000 with no difference between rural and urban areas. On prevalence day (October 24, 1971) a prevalence rate of 2.27 was found. Mean age at onset was 59 years, with no sex difference. In 70% of cases the onset was between 50 and 70 years, this datum being statistically significant (p less than 0.001). Mean duration of the disease was 30.4 +/- 20 months, with no difference for sex and age at onset. A comparison was then made between two decades (1961-70 vs 1971-80), in order to verify the clinical impression of a worsening of some ALS parameters in recent years. Although statistical evaluation did not show any significant data, a tendency to a worsening of some parameters of the disease may be postulated.
Two groups of children with severe diabetic ketoacidosis were treated with 2 different insulin regimens: the first with conventional intermittent intramuscular insulin injections (0.5-1.0 U/kg/3-4 hrs), the second, with continuous low-dose insulin infusion (0.05-0.1 U/kg/hr). Therapeutic effects were compared. Compared to the conventional regimen, low-dose insulin infusion showed several advantages: 1) better control of blood glucose level, 2) no risk of hypoglycemia and hypokaliemia, 3) rapid decrease of urinary ketone bodies and 4) gradual acidosis correction. When associated with a proper replacement of fluids and electrolytes, low-dose insulin infusion appeared to be a simple and effective regimen in the treatment of children with diabetic ketoacidosis.
Clinical features, urocytogram and gonadotropin response to LHRH (100 microgram/1,73 m2 i.v.) were evaluated in 10 girls with premature thelarche and 4 girls with precocious puberty to purpose to describe the differences between the two diseases. The subjects with Premature Thelarche showed peculiar clinical and endocrinological characteristics which allowed their discrimination from patients with Precocious Puberty: 1) breast development of mild degree without any modification of nipples and areolae and not accompanied by pubic hair or morphologic changes of genitalia; 2) spontaneous regression of thelarche more or less complete (6/10 cases); 3) not anticipation of puberal maturation; 4) growth rate not accelerate (only a mild advancement of statural age was observed); 5) LH/FSH ratio at prepuberal levels; 6) mean LH peak values overlapping to those obtained in normal infants under 1 year of age. Our findings confirm that: 1) the girls with Premature Thelarche showed different growth pattern and clinical features than those observed in the girls with Precocious Puberty; 2) LHRH test and urocytogram are further valuable parameters for the differential diagnosis between Premature Thelarche and Precocious Puberty; 3) the isolated breast enlargement in girls under 8 years of age is likely to originate from a protracted gonadotropin hyperstimulation as in early life; 4) it is a variant of the normal, not difficult to asses, which merits, however further follow-up.
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76 patients (prepuberal, puberal and adults) who had undergone surgery for monolateral (35) or bilateral (41) cryptorchidism in childhood were studied. Testicular volume (76 cases), seminiferal function (18 cases) and pituitary gonadotropin reserve (51 cases) were evaluated. We obtained the following results: 1) the prepuberal patients had a normal testicular volume, while 70% of the puberal and adult patients had a mean testicular volume below normal levels. 2) 55.6% of the adults who underwent spermiogram had a pathological seminiferal function. 3) The number of patients whith exagerated gonadotropin response to GnRH-test increases with increasing puberal stage and reaches its highest significance after complete puberal development. These data confirm that: 1) the long permanence of one or both testis out of their natural position has a negative influence on their trophism; 2) the long-term prognosis of the tubular function of the testis after orchidopessis is poor in a high percentage of cases. 3) the endocrine anomalies which follow the early morphologic and functional changes of the cryptorchid testis are more easily detected during puberty as a reduced hypothalamic feedback of the gonadotropin secretion.
Serum cystine-animo-peptidase (CAP) is a valid test for placental function. We found it interesting following up the variations of CAP during induced labour and early puerperium; with this aim in view we determined the values of the enzyme in 33 pregnant nullipares. Six blood samples were taken from each woman. (174 determinations in all): 1) before labour; 2) at 5 cm. dilatation of the uterine neck; 3) immediately after the expulsion of fetus; 4) two hours after delivery; 5) first day of puerperium; 6) in the fourth day of puerperium. Statistical analysis -- Wilcoxon's test and rank bivalent variants analysis of Friedman (X2r) -- show that the variations of values in the first four groups are not statistically significant; values from 1th and 4th day of puerperium show a mean reduction in level of CAP which is remarkable and statistically significant.