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Biomedical subjects

P Gillard

Publications and source records attributed to P Gillard.

14 recordsLinked to original sources

[Glanzmann's thrombasthenia and pregnancy: a case and review of the literature].

Glanzmann's thrombasthenia is a thrombopathy due to a qualitative or quantitative abnormality of glycoproteins GP IIb-IIIa. Pregnancy is uncommon and dangerous. Delivery often results in important haemorrhage, which is treated with HLA compatible platelet and packed red blood cells transfusions. Platelet transfusion may produce antibody that render transfusions ineffective. Newborn thrombocytopenia is occasionally severe, but is always transitory. Caesarean section has no proven advantage. We report a case with caesarean, which was successfully managed by platelet transfusion over seven peripartum days, with no adverse event. Literature is discussed.

Adult↗

[Hand, foot and mouth disease, a not so benign affection: clinical reminder and potential complications].

Hand-foot-and-mouth disease is an infection appearing in epidemics and due, in most cases, to Coxsackie-virus A16 and/or Enterovirus 71 or, less often, to other Coxsackie-virus serotypes. The symptomatology mostly consists in vesicular eruption of the anterior part of the buccal mucosa as well as of hands and feet. Its evolution, although often benign, can include cardiopulmonary and neurological complications. The latter complications require a quickly detection and treatment, and prevention of virus transmission to other people must be adequate.

Cardiovascular Diseases↗

[Induce or not induce labor in gestational diabetes].

The most serious hazard of gestational diabetes is shoulder dystocia, which sometimes is complicated by Erb's palsy and maternal lacerations. This risk is linked to fetal weight, and is more frequent in cases of diabetes. So, a caesarean section performed when macrosomia is present is required and an induction of labor before severe macrosomia is proposed. Unfortunately, estimation of fetal weight is imprecise in spite of formulas from fetal parameters. Abdomen circumference (AC) alone is as effective as complex formulas. So, it is proposed to perform an elective section when AC is equal or above 38 cm, and to induce labor, after 38 weeks of gestation, for limiting the risk of macrosomia when AC is between 35 and 38 cm. Induction is also proposed when pregnancy is complicated by hypertension or when fetal heart septal hypertrophy occurs. The management of gestational diabetes means a strict control of glycemia, which can reduce macrosomia and the need for cesarean section or induction of labor.

Birth Injuries↗

Relationships between placental GH concentration and maternal smoking, newborn gender, and maternal leptin: possible implications for birth weight.

The control of fetal growth depends on multiple hormones, including both IGF-I and placental GH (PGH) in the mother, and IGF-I rather than pituitary GH (pitGH) in the fetus. Leptin, which is produced by adipocytes and syncitiotrophoblast cells, has also been thought to influence fetal growth by an as yet unknown mechanism. This study assessed the relationships between the GH-IGF-I axis in mothers and newborns, and maternal smoking, neonate gender, and maternal and fetal leptin. We collected blood in 87 mothers at the onset of labor and cord blood immediately after birth in their 87 healthy full-term newborns. GH concentrations were log(10) transformed, and data were expressed as the geometric mean (-1, +1 tolerance factor). PGH was lower in the 30 smoking mothers, as compared with the 57 nonsmoking mothers [18.2 (11.5; 28.6) vs. 27.0 (15.1; 48.2) microg/liter, P < 0.01]. Cord blood IGF-I was lower in neonates from smoking mothers (90 +/- 44 vs. 135 +/- 65 microg/liter, mean +/- SD, P < 0.01), consistent with their lower birth weight percentile (P < 0.01). A gender effect was observed for PGH, which was higher when the newborn was female, and for newborn pitGH and newborn leptin, which were, respectively, lower and higher in females, even after adjustment for birth weight and maternal smoking category (P < 0.05 for all comparisons). Multiple regression analyses identified maternal leptin as a negative predictor of PGH (P < 0.05) and newborn leptin as a positive predictor of newborn IGF-I (P < 0.05). Maternal smoking is associated to decreased maternal PGH and cord blood IGF-I concentrations. A sexual dimorphism for PGH, newborn pitGH, and newborn leptin exists at the time of birth, but its physiological significance remains to be studied. The relationships between maternal leptin and PGH and between cord blood leptin and IGF-I are consistent with the hypothesis that leptin could contribute to the control of fetal growth.

Birth Weight↗

[Body changes during pregnancy].

Pregnancy induces numerous changes in the physiology of the woman. Those changes are necessary for the embryo and fetus to have a normal growth, and for the woman to adapt to that physiologic event. A 50% raised cardiac flow is the consequence of increased systolic flow and cardiac frequency. Blood volume is about 40% larger than in non-pregnant woman. It is the consequence of enlargement of the plasmatic volume (50%), and the red cells mass (30%). Those different changes explain the physiologic anemia of pregnancy. The main part of the blood volume increase corresponds to an enlargement of the venous system, but without any change of the central venous pressure. Arterial pressure remains unchanged throughout the pregnancy, or sometimes gently decreases (10%). Those changes are more important during an effort, particularly during the labor. Increase of cerebral blood flow (as a consequence of a raised cardiac flow) is limited by the cerebral autoregulation. As a consequence, there is no evidence for dramatic cerebral hemodynamic changes during pregnancy. Nevertheless, autoregulation is less effective for arterial pressure over than 150 mmHg, what can induce an hemorrhagic stroke. Blood levels of steroïd (progesterone, oestrogens) and peptidic (HCG, HPL) hormones are increased. Oestrogens are said to make capillary fragile, and progesterone is responsible for the enlargement of the venous system. In order to prevent an hemorrhagic accident, pregnancy induces a lack of fibrinolysis, and an excess in coagulation. The consequence is the ability of the pregnant and post-partum woman to develop venous thrombosis.

Blood Physiological Phenomena↗

[Rendu-Osler-Weber disease and intracranial hemorrhage during pregnancy. A case report].

A 24-year-old woman with Rendu-Osler-Weber disease presented an intracranial hematoma during pregnancy. The main localizations of the Rendu-Osler-Weber disease, an inborn disease, are discussed. Neurological complications are rare. Vascular malformations are more fragile during pregnancy. The obstetrical attitude depends on the organ involved and the severity of the complications.

Adult↗

Compassionate use of Gemzar in advanced pancreatic cancer: a Belgian experience.

Gemzar is a nucleoside analog that has been shown to be superior to 5-fluorouracil for the treatment of advanced pancreatic cancer in terms of both clinical benefit and survival. This open label program enrolled 214 patients. Patients eligible for this program had advanced or metastatic pancreatic cancer, received up to one previous chemotherapy, a baseline Karnofsky performance status (KPS) of at least 50, measurable or evaluable disease, adequate organ function defined as: absolute leucocyte count > 3 x 10(9)/L, platelet count > 100 x 10(9)/L, hemoglobin > 9 gr/dL, total bilirubin < 2 x upper limit of normal (ULN), creatinine < 2 x ULN, ALT and AST levels < 5 x ULN and were at least 18 years. A 1000 mg/m2 of Gemzar was administered weekly up to 7 weeks followed by a week of rest, then once weekly for 3 weeks out of every 4 weeks. The median age at inclusion was 64 years, 52% of the patients were male, 27% were 70 year or older, 66% had stage IV disease, 66% had a KPS of 80 or higher and 34% had received no prior chemotherapy. The overall response rate is 7%. A time-to-first-serious-event analysis was performed since only a limited number of dates of death were available. The first serious event (FSE) was considered as the earliest of the following: increase by at least 2 of the pain score, deterioration of KPS of at least 20, documentation of progressive disease or death. The median time to FSE was 4 months, the free FSE rate at 1 year was 14%. We conclude that the results observed in this program confirm the established efficacy of Gemzar in pancreatic cancer.

Adenocarcinoma↗

[Vulvar lichen sclerosus].

Vulvar lichen sclerosus is a frequent mucocutaneous disease especially affecting 50 to 60 year-old women but with a possible onset at very young age. Symptoms are most disabling including pruritus and dyspareunia. Vulvar mucosa gradually becomes more white and atrophied. Degeneration into epidermoid carcinoma is possible. Treatment only consists of topical corticosteroids.

Adrenal Cortex Hormones↗