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P De Faucal

Publications and source records attributed to P De Faucal.

13 recordsLinked to original sources

[Primary localized amyloidosis of the urinary tract. A case series of five patients].

PURPOSE: To describe the clinical and radiographic features of patients with primary localized amyloidosis of the urinary tract. METHODS: We report a case of localized amyloidosis of the ureters and bladder. The medical records of four other cases from the French Register of localized amyloidosis were reviewed. RESULTS: The mean age of three men and two women was 53 years. All patients presented with gross hematuria, four patients presented with renal colic, only one patient had irritative lower urinary tract symptoms. Ureter and bladder were involved in three patients, both ureters in two patients and the bladder only, in one patient. Clinical and radiographic presentations mimicked a neoplasia excluded by histologic analysis. Immunohistochemical study was performed in only two cases and revealed lambda light chain amyloidosis. The median follow-up was eight years. Various treatments were performed, and recurrences occurred in two cases. None of the five patients developed monoclonal gammapathy or systemic amyloidosis. CONCLUSION: Primary localized amyloidosis of the urinary tract is a rare disorder and can easily be confused with a neoplasm. The physiopathology is unknown, the prognosis is usually good. There is no specific treatment, and repeated work-up for systemic amyloidosis is unnecessary as local recurrences appear to be the main complication.

Adult↗

[Disclosure of Behcet disease by concomitant dental infection].

BACKGROUND: Behçet's disease can be aggravated by chronic infection. Our case illustrates how the disease can be disclosed during an acute activation of a chronic infectious focus. CASE REPORT: A 40-year-old man had Behçet's syndrome associating fever, bipolar aphtosis, cutaneous pseudo folliculitis, anterior uveitis, and meningitis following an acute episode of a dental infection, with periapical granuloma. Antibiotic therapy was ineffective in calming this first flare-up of Behçet's disease. Corticosteroid and colchicine therapy were effective. DISCUSSION: Clinical and experimental work would implicat buccal streptococcal flora in the pathogenesis of Behçet's disease. Antibiotics offer interesting perspectives but further studies are needed to define their role in the treatment of Behçet's disease.

Adult↗

[Diagnosis of venous thrombosis. Evaluation of immunoscintigraphy with 99M technetium labelled antifibrin].

OBJECTIVES: We evaluated the interpretation, reliability and usefulness of 99m technetium labelled antifibrin immunoscintigraphy for the diagnosis of deep vein thrombosis in the lower limbs. METHODS: The diagnostic value of 99m technetium labelled antifibrin immunoscintigraphy was assessed in 44 patients with suspected venous thrombosis. The reference examination was bilateral ascending phlebography; 40 patients had doppler ultrasonography of the veins; 0.5 mg of antibody labelled by 17.5 mCi on average of 99m technetium were injected intravenously, and serial scintigraphic images were collected 1 min, 90 min and 18 hours after injection. RESULTS: The best results were obtained by comparison between the 90 min and the immediate post-injection images, with 86 percent sensitivity, 73 percent specificity and 81 percent accuracy. Heparin therapy and past history of phlebitis had no influence on the results. The doppler ultrasonography/immunoscintigraphy combination had a 100 percent specificity. 99m Technetium labelled antifibrin immunoscintigraphy had about the same diagnostic value as 111 indium labelled antifibrin immunoscintigraphy. CONCLUSION: The introduction of 99m technetium as isotopic marker will make immunoscintigraphy easier and available in numerous nuclear medicine centres. Antifibrin immunoscintigraphy can be an additional diagnostic tool for the difficult diagnosis of deep vein thrombosis.

Adult↗

99Tcm-labelled anti-fibrin Fab' fragment for evaluating the course of venous thrombosis in the rabbit.

Immunoscintigraphy was performed using the Fab' fragment of 99Tcm-labelled T2G1s anti-fibrin monoclonal antibody in a rabbit experimental model of venous thrombosis of known and increasing age (1, 3 and 7 days). Scans were positive in 3/7 cases for 1-day thrombosis (fibrin-poor network) and in 7/7 cases for 3-day thrombosis (fibrin-rich network). In rabbits with 7-day thrombosis, the scan was positive (2/4 cases) only when connective tissue was not present in the clot. Scintigraphic results were concordant with those of biodistribution studies showing the mean percentage of injected dose per gram 99Tcm-T2G1s present in the thrombosed vein wall (0.043, 0.082 and 0.07 for thrombi at 1, 3 and 7 days, respectively). Mean thrombosed vein wall-to-blood ratios were 1.027, 2.291 and 1.301, respectively. Immunoscintigraphy with T2G1s anti-fibrin monoclonal antibody thus enabled hematological status to be evaluated.

Animals↗

Primary Raynaud's phenomenon. Age of onset and pathogenesis in a prospective study of 424 patients.

Many authors consider that late onset is a suspect criterion for differentiating primary Raynaud's phenomenon (Raynaud's disease, RD) from Raynaud's syndrome (RS). However, many cases of late-onset Raynaud's phenomenon in patients over forty years of age remain without etiologic diagnosis and therefore deserve the designation "late-onset RD." One hundred and ninety-four patients with RD (143 women, 51 men) were selected among 424 patients with Raynaud's phenomenon, according to Allen and Brown's criteria with negative serologic investigations and normal capillaroscopy. The purpose of the study was to consider the possible discriminant value of age of onset in distinguishing between RD and RS. The following epidemiologic features were studied: age of onset, sex, family history of Raynaud's phenomenon and migraine, and smoking and working habits. Microcirculation was assessed by capillaroscopy and strain-gauge plethysmography. Maximal digital flow at 45 degrees C and reactivity to cold were determined for each patient. Results were related to age of onset. The existence of true cases of late-onset RD in patients over forty years of age was confirmed (prevalence 27%), showing a correlation with a family history of Raynaud's phenomenon inferior to that found in early-onset cases (p < 0.0001). Microcirculation studies generally indicated a strong correlation between reactivity to cold, familial RD, and early onset, whereas no correlation was found with migraine or smoking. Nor was there any clinical or plethysmographic evidence for arteritis as a possible pathogenetic factor in late-onset RD. These results indicate that late-onset RD is a valid designation and that its pathogenesis seems less dependent on genetic sensitivity to cold than that of early-onset cases. In the absence of underlying arteritis, neurovascular dysfunction or a hemorheologic mechanism may be suggested as plausible causes of late-onset RD.

Adult↗

[Septic Campylobacter fetus thrombophlebitis: a new case].

The diagnosis of septic thrombophlebitis is difficult and often delayed, but it must be borne in mind in all cases of venous thrombosis accompanied by signs of local and/or systemic infection, or deteriorating under heparin therapy. We report a case of septic thrombophlebitis caused by Campylobacter fetus subspecies fetus. The characteristic features, obtained from the literature, of septic thrombophlebitis caused by Campylobacter spp are presented.

Campylobacter Infections↗

[Value of echography in the diagnosis of post traumatic pathology of the ulnar artery, in manual workers].

Three cases of hypothenar hammer syndrome are reported in manual workers who experienced repeated traumatism of the palm of the hand either because of personal habit or the use of professional tools. Hemodynamic examination of the upper limb was performed by plethysmography (Perivein Etna) and Doppler ultrasound (8 MHz) complemented by angiography by direct puncture of the humeral artery. Ultrasonography was performed using a 7.5 MHz probe (Sononranger) for exploration of the ulnar artery at the wrist and in its course through the palm. The 3 patients presented aneurysmal dilatation of the ulnar artery in the palm, complicated by postembolic thrombosis of the collateral arteries of the fingers. The ulnar artery lesion was permeable 1 time, already thrombosed 1 time and thrombosed secondarily 1 time. Ultrasonography of the palm showed suspected aneurysm of the ulnar artery in 2 patients: one case was confirmed by angiography, whereas the other remained only suspect since the thrombosed ulnar artery was not opacified. The third patient presented an ulnar artery thrombosis without true aneurysmal dilatation. It may be concluded that ultrasonography can show suspected aneurysmal dilatation of the ulnar artery and be complementary to arteriography when the ulnar artery is thrombosed.

Adult↗

Evaluation of indium-111-labeled antifibrin monoclonal antibody for the diagnosis of venous thrombotic disease.

The potential advantage of using 111In-antifibrin (111In-AF) monoclonal antibody for the diagnosis of deep venous thrombosis (DVT) was studied in 44 patients with suspected DVT (27 underwent heparin therapy before 111In-AF injection). All patients had contrast venography (considered as the gold standard) and 111In-AF scintigraphy within 24 hr. Two to 3 mCi of 111In-AF were injected intravenously, and planar scintigraphy of the limbs was recorded within 10 min (17 times), 3 hr (44 times), and 18 hr (39 times). Indium-111-AF images were then interpreted without knowledge of the results of the other examinations. The DVT diagnostic accuracy of 111In-AF was greater when interpretation was based on images recorded at different time periods after injection. Indium-111-AF sensitivity for diagnosis of DVT was 85% (29/34) and was not apparently decreased by heparin therapy. None of the 10 patients with negative contrast venography had a positive 111In-AF scan. The results demonstrate the importance of recording serial images and the excellent accuracy of 111In-AF for diagnosing DVT.

Antibodies, Monoclonal↗

Comparison of technetium-99m aerosol and krypton-81m in ventilation studies for the diagnosis of pulmonary embolism.

A new method of producing aerosols (technegas) in which 99Tcm is bound to carbon atoms (99Tcm-C) was evaluated by comparing 99Tcm-C images with those obtained with 81Krm in the same patients. Twenty-five patients with suspected pulmonary embolism (PE) were studied. Immediately after the last 99Tcm-C view, the patients remained in supine position and inhaled 81Krm at tidal volume. Immediately after the 81Krm ventilation views were recorded, 4-7 mCi of MAA were injected IV. The same four views (ant, lop, rop, post) were recorded after inhalation of 99Tcm-C and 81Krm (200 kcounts) and 99Tcm MAA injection (400 kcounts). The mean penetration index of 99Tcm-C (0.91) was lower than that of 81Krm (1.04) (P less than 0.03). The apex to base lung distribution of 99Tcm-C and 81Krm appeared to be similar. The mean heterogeneity of 99Tcm distribution was 23, greater than that of 81Krm (14) (P = 10(-4)). The 99Tcm-C ventilation image quality was considered very good for 16 patients and good for 6 others. Significant foci of high bronchial uptake were infrequent. Interpretation of the examinations performed after inhalation of 99Tcm-C and 81Krm was concordant in all cases. No patient had an 81Krm/99Tcm MAA examination suggestive of PE when 99Tcm-C/99Tcm MAA indicated a low probability of PE, and vice versa. 99Tcm-C aerosols enable good quality ventilation images to be obtained in nearly all cases. Thus 99Tcm-C aerosols could be used in preference to 81Krm in ventilation studies for the diagnosis of PE.

Administration, Inhalation↗

[Value of digital plethysmography in the positive diagnosis and prognostic evaluation of digital arteriopathies].

Maximal digital pulse (M.D.P.) is measured by digital plethysmographic technic with strain gauge. Our normal values are: 0.19 +/- 0.06% delta V. Diagnostic and prognostic significance of this parameter were studied on ten patients with digital necrosis. An arteriography of the hand was performed in each case. We have demonstrated that any value of P.D.M. below 0.10% delta V was always correlated with digital arteriopathy and with high risk of trophic complications. A normal value didn't exclude an arteriopathy. However, in these cases, the risk of trophic complications was get off.

Adult↗

[Increased serum IgA levels in alcoholic polyneuropathy. Pathogenetic discussion].

Increased serum IgA in patients with direct toxic alcoholic peripheral neuropathy was studied prospectively in 33 patients with an obvious clinical polyneuropathy confirmed by electrophysiological investigations. The average concentration of IgA in this group (450 mg/100 ml) was significantly higher than in a group of 24 matched alcoholic control patients without peripheral neuropathy (306 mg/100 ml), p less than 0.0001. The authors discuss possible direct and indirect modifications of the humoral immune response due to the peripheral neuropathy.

Alcoholism↗