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Biomedical subjects

P Toussaint

Publications and source records attributed to P Toussaint.

13 recordsLinked to original sources

[Creation of a planned autologous transfusion unit in a hospital distinct from a transfusion center].

Autologous blood predonation now widely used for programmed surgery has been recently regulated by a law from january 9 1992. It establishes that the procedure must be performed under the responsibility of an accredited blood transfusion center. This work discloses that the establishment of an autotransfusion unit in a hospital endowed with an active surgical program is feasible, the major objective being improvement of the quality of life of elderly patients with invalidating diseases. We report the one year experience of a collaboration between the Braine-l'Alleud-Waterloo hospital and the Red Cross Erasme-Brabant Wallon blood transfusion center. Eighty patients enrolled in programmed surgery consisting mostly in orthopedic surgery have given 187 units of packed red blood cells and fresh frozen plasma. Sixty two patients (83%) were transfused solely with autologous blood. Tolerance was excellent as only 4 slight malaise episodes were observed. Our study also indicates that programmed predonation should be proposed mainly to patients for whom the prescribed blood is effectively transfused. Creation of such autotransfusion units in hospitals distinct from a blood transfusion center is feasible with the deep collaboration between physicians in charge of the patients, the hospital laboratory and the blood transfusion center.

Adult

[Preoperative autotransfusion for elective surgery].

In order to eliminate the risk of transmission of infectious diseases and of alloimmunisation, a pre-deposited autologous blood program for elective surgery has been started at the Erasmus Hospital. In 8 months, 51 patients have given 111 units of packed red cells and 111 units of fresh plasma. Two vasovagal reactions were observed. Four patients were withdrawn from the program in view of a hematocrit decreasing below 34%. Out of these 51 patients, 27 (53%) were transfused with only autologous blood. The autologous blood not distributed to these patients was given to other patients (10% of packed red cells and 24% of plasma). This pre-deposited autologous program has allowed to operate more than 50% of patients, undergoing elective surgery, only with autologous blood and to save homologous blood. The pre-deposited blood appears to be an interesting tool in transfusion safety and in the reduction of blood demand.

Blood Preservation

[Aspects of the tilted disk syndrome].

4 cases of tilted disc syndrome are reported. Two were associated with sellar or endocrine pathology, one had a particular aspect of chorioretinal atrophy, and the last had a thrombosis of the central vein of retina. The most commonly aspects of tilted disc syndrome are reported.

Adult

[Descending ocular myopathy--apropos of a case].

Descending ocular myopathy is a rare progressive disease characterized by bilateral ptosis, external ophthalmoplegia and progressive dystrophy of the proximal skeletal muscles. A case of descending ocular myopathy with post-operative corneal ulceration is reported. Mitochondrial abnormalities are found on skeletal muscle biopsy. Nosologic classification of this case is discussed.

Adult

Gallium67 scintigraphy in the diagnosis of glomerulonephritis.

To assess the role of gallium-67 (67Ga) scintigraphy in the diagnosis of glomerular diseases, we performed the following technique in 39 patients with glomerulonephritis (GN) who underwent simultaneous Ga scan and histologic examination. 72 hours after IV injection of Ga citrate (2 mCi), isotopic kidney activity (normally undetectable) was compared to the activity of the liver and quantified as follows: less than (1+), equal to (2+) or greater than (3+) that of the liver. Renal biopsy was performed at the same time to evaluate the type of the GN and to quantify interstitial cellular infiltration. Proteinuria, serum albumin and creatinine were measured. There was a significant correlation between the level of 67Ga kidney activity and the degree of proteinuria and hypoalbuminemia. On the contrary, no correlation was found between isotopic activity and the degree of renal failure or the degree of interstitial cellular infiltration. Increased kidney 67Ga activity did not appear characteristic of a specific histologic type of GN. Increased glomerular permeability may alter renal uptake of Ga; therefore 67Ga scanning does not appear to contribute significantly to the diagnosis and the follow-up of either primary or secondary GN.

Biopsy

[Pulmonary metastasis of meningioma of the falx cerebri].

We report the case of a woman who had been operated upon for a recurrent meningioma of the falx cerebri which, 22 years after it was discovered, produced pulmonary metastases. Metastases from meningiomas are extremely rare; they affect the lungs in 60% of the cases or, less frequently, the liver or lymph nodes. The factors predictive of secondary dissemination are the site of the tumour, the quality of excision, the histological type (haemangiopericytic meningioma) and the presence of cell necrosis, hypercellularity and strong mitotic activity.

Adult

[Non-discal sciatica secondary to a cystic lesion of the posterior longitudinal ligament. 10 cases].

Cyst of the longitudinal posterior ligament of the spine is a new entity described here on the basis of 10 cases. This is a lesion, perhaps of traumatic origin, which occurs in young, athletic subjects suffering from classical lumbosciatica. Computerized tomography showed an image resembling nucleus pulposus herniation. In one of our cases magnetic resonance imaging provided the preoperative diagnosis. Following surgery the outcome was favourable, with less postoperative complications than with discal herniation. The macroscopic and histological findings were the same in all cases, making the anatomico-pathological diagnosis easy.

Adult