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Biomedical subjects

P Boccato

Publications and source records attributed to P Boccato.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed2000

Treatment of conjunctival squamous cell carcinoma with topical 5-fluorouracil.

AIM: To evaluate the efficacy of topical 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) alone, without concurrent surgery or radiotherapy, for the treatment of conjunctival squamous cell carcinoma. METHODS: Eight patients affected by conjunctival squamous cell carcinoma (three recurrent cases, three incompletely excised, and two untreated cases) were treated with 1% 5-FU eye drops. Topical 1% 5-FU was administered four times daily for 4 weeks (one course). Clinical examination (biomicroscopy and photography) and morphological evaluation of conjunctival cytological specimens were used to monitor the efficacy of local chemotherapy, side effects, and recurrences. RESULTS: All patients showed clinical regression of conjunctival carcinoma after topical 1% 5-FU treatment. Neoplastic conjunctiva was completely replaced by normal epithelium within 3 months. Mean follow up was 27 months. One patient needed two courses of local chemotherapy for recurrent disease. An acute transient toxic keratoconjunctivitis was observed in all treated cases; it was easily controlled with topical therapy. No long term side effects were found. CONCLUSIONS: Topical 1% 5-FU is effective in the treatment of recurrent, incompletely excised, and selected untreated conjunctival squamous cell carcinomas. Topical 1% 5-FU has no major complications. This study suggests that topical conjunctival chemotherapy with 1% 5-FU may be useful, at least as adjunctive therapy, in the treatment of conjunctival squamous cell carcinoma.

Administration, Topical↗
PubMed1995

A simple exam to screen superficial masses: fine-needle aspiration cytology.

Fine-needle aspiration cytology (FNAC) is now considered a useful tool in the evaluation of adult patients with mass lesions. We reviewed the experience with FNAC in our Paediatric Surgical Department. One hundred and eleven FNACs were performed in children with a superficial mass and no definite diagnosis. All the exams were done by the same physician using a fine needle and no anesthesia. We routinely used May-Grüwald-Giemsa and Papanicolaou staining. Patients age ranged from 20 days to 17 years, with a mean age of 6.5 years. A clinically benign pathology was cytologically confirmed in 90 cases (81%). All children did well at follow-up. Malignancy was diagnosed in eight cases (7.2%) and in all was confirmed with a surgical biopsy. In nine children (8.1%) the specimen was considered insufficient for definite diagnosis. In four cases (3.6%) the pathologist diagnosed a possible malignancy that was excluded at surgical biopsy. The sensitivity was 100% and the specificity was 96%. Our experience confirms that FNAC is a fast, cheap, simple, and accurate diagnostic method and should be used for screening in all children with doubtful superficial masses.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1993

[Primary mesothelioma of the pericardium: diagnostic methods. A case report].

Clinical picture and diagnostic methods in a patient with primary pericardial mesothelioma are described. Echocardiography shows an intrapericardial mass in direct continuity with left ventricular wall. Magnetic resonance imaging is essential to define mass dimension and extension and show cardiac wall and contiguous tissues infiltration. The histological characteristics are defined by using TAC-guided needle biopsy and needle aspiration.

Biopsy, Needle↗
PubMed1992

Spontaneous regression of subcutaneous metastasis of cutaneous melanoma.

A case is presented of a 44-year-old Caucasian man who was operated on in October of 1988 for a cutaneous melanoma in his trunk and who in the space of 1 year manifested a single subcutaneous nodule compatible with a metastasis of melanoma by fine-needle aspiration biopsy. No other abnormal findings were revealed by physical and instrumental examinations. During the subsequent hospitalization, we witnessed (in conjunction with the occurrence of painful symptoms in the hands of an inflammatory nature) the total, progressive, spontaneous regression of the metastasis, which was confirmed by the clinic and the tests. After 15 months of follow-up, the patient has not shown any further signs of illness.

Abdominal Neoplasms↗
PubMed1991

"Cyto-assisted", ultrasound-guided biopsy in the diagnosis of focal disease of the abdomen.

From May 1988 to June 1990, 260 patients with abdominal focal disease underwent ultrasonically guided percutaneous fine needle biopsy. The technique of so-called "FNAB-CYT" is described. The procedure entailed very few complications: the mortality rate was 0% and the morbidity rate was 1.5%. The specificity of the technique was 100%, and sensitivity was 93.43%. False-negative diagnoses were made in 8 cases, and in 5 patients the cytologic diagnoses were uncertain. There were no false-positives. The possibility of an immediate control of the collected material by the pathologist avoids the risk of inadequate samples and reduces the number of biopsies for the patient. Comparison among diagnoses on rapid and definitive preparations and histologic ones was carried out to evaluate the diagnostic efficiency of the cytologic procedure. In our experience, a rapid staining of the smears allowed a correct cytologic diagnosis in 87.7% of the cases within approximately 5 min of the biopsy. On the basis of our experience, the authors recommend FNAB-CYT as a routine first-level (less invasive) procedure for diagnosis of abdominal focal disease.

Abdominal Neoplasms↗
PubMed1988

Acquired myeloperoxidase deficiency of neutrophils in a patient with aplastic anemia (idiopathic marrow aplasia).

A case of aplastic anemia is described, in which bacterial and fungal infections were coincidental with a sudden development of an almost complete myeloperoxidase deficiency of neutrophils. The discrepancy on the differential white cell count between the logic and oscilloscopic finding of the autoanalyzer (Technicon H6000) and the results of the microscopic examination of the slides allowed a correct diagnosis of the enzymatic anomaly.

Anemia, Aplastic↗