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Biomedical subjects

R Laurini

Publications and source records attributed to R Laurini.

At least 37 records · Page 2Linked to original sources

Doppler blood flow changes and placental morphology in pregnancies with third trimester hemorrhage.

Combined real-time ultrasound and pulsed Doppler ultrasound examinations were performed in 67 patients with third trimester hemorrhage and other symptoms related to placental abruption, starting from the onset of symptoms to delivery. In 52 of the cases, placental morphology was investigated by light microscopy. Thirteen patients were ultimately given the diagnosis abruptio placentae. None of the morphological placental changes considered had any statistical relationship to placental abruption. Patients with placental centrocotyledon hemorrhages and infarction more often had abnormal umbilical artery flow velocity waveforms at the onset of symptoms, and more frequent abnormal arcuate artery flow velocity waveforms were found among those with placental infarction alone. Abnormal flow velocity waveforms in the umbilical and arcuate arteries were associated with placental abruption, both at the onset of symptoms and at the final examination before delivery. The results indicate an increased risk for placental abruption if the arcuate and/or umbilical artery flow velocity waveforms are abnormal in patients with third trimester hemorrhage.

Adolescent↗

Infected teratoma of lower posterior mediastinum in a six-year-old boy.

A six-year old boy presented with prolonged unexplained fever caused by an infected teratoma of the lower posterior mediastinum. Modern imaging, combining ultrasonography with computed tomography, enabled the correct diagnosis of topography, extension and nature of this rare lesion to be made and explained the clinical features. Follow-up CT showed regression of the abscess after antibiotics thus permitting elective surgery.

Child↗

Imaging of neonatal arterial thrombosis.

The case of a neonate who presented with symptoms of upper limb ischemia related to spontaneous multiple arterial and venous thromboses that were demonstrated by colour Doppler sonography and digital subtracted angiography is reported. The presentation of limb ischaemia at birth may be the warning sign of simultaneous cerebral infarction.

Angiography, Digital Subtraction↗

[Menkes disease. Report of a case with pronounced involvement of connective tissues and changes in epidermal desmosomes].

The authors describe a patient who presented from birth on a severe involvement of connective tissues with pathological fractures, lack of auricular cartilage, hyperlaxity of fingers and cutis laxa with deep folds, all suggestive of derangements of collagen and elastin. Hypothermia at 24 hours of age should have already indicated the possibility of Menkes' syndrome. From the 3rd month on, the patient presents a neurological deterioration and a myoclonic epilepsy which is resistant to treatment. Craniocerebral tomodensitometry revealed, with time, a cerebral atrophy and subdural hematomas. Angiodysplasia of a coronary artery was seen at cardiac echocardiography. Undetectable levels of serum copper and ceruloplasmin, and an increased uptake of copper by fibroblasts in vitro confirmed the diagnosis of Menkes' syndrome. Electron microscopy of a skin biopsy disclosed a desmosomal anomaly in the epidermis. Desmosomes stay apart suggesting an alteration of the interdesmosomal cement.

Brain↗

Perinatal mortality in a Swedish county 1973-1978. Time trends revealed by perinatal audit.

The decline in perinatal mortality in a Swedish county during a six year period is examined and analyzed by use of perinatal audit. The decline coincided with an increased rate of in utero transfers of infants, particularly those with low birth weights, to the specialized county hospital. The perinatal audit revealed that the proportion of deaths which were classified as potentially avoidable, decreased significantly over the study period.

Birth Weight↗

Double-tracer scintigraphy with 67Ga-citrate and 99mTc-sulfur colloid in the diagnosis of hepatic tumors.

A method of liver scanning based on a subtraction technique with simultaneous use of two tracers, 67Ga-citrate and 99mTc-sulfur colloid, is described. The subtraction technique isolates radiogallium uptake by the space-occupying hepatic lesions by subtracting interference due to tracer uptake by healthy hepatic tissue. In 82 patients, the method yielded a correct result in 94.7% of the positive scans and in 97.7% of the negatives. Two false positives and one false negative occurred. Very poor results were obtained in the same patients using conventional technetium and gallium scans: only 20.7% of these interpretations were correct. The method proved very helpful in differentiating malignant from benign lesions.

Carcinoma, Hepatocellular↗

Inverted follicular keratosis.

Attention is drawn to a benign skin tumour which has escaped recognition in the British lieterautre. Inverted folliculr keratosis can be mistaken clinically for basal cell carcinoma and a variety of benign skin lesions. Pathologically it is easliy confused with squamous carcinoma, a serious error because this lesion occurs dominantly on the face. The lesion is thought to arise from the infundibulum of hair follicte.

Adult↗

Abnormal karyotype in the chorion, not confirmed in a subsequently aborted fetus.

An abnormal fetal karyotype, containing a del 16(q21-qter) as an extra chromosome, was diagnosed in all 14 metaphases examined in a sample of chorionic villous biopsy material. After elective abortion a mosaicism for this cell-line together with a normal one was detected in the chorionic tissue. Fibroblast cultures from several fetal skin biopsies all revealed a normal karyotype.

Abortion, Eugenic↗

Transposition of the great arteries, pulmonary atresia, and multiple ventricular septal defects associated with multiple cardiac rhabdomyomas in a case of tuberous sclerosis.

Multiple cardiac rhabdomyomas are frequently associated with tuberous sclerosis. However, very few cardiac malformations have been described with tuberous sclerosis. We report an unusual case of tuberous sclerosis with cerebral and renal lesions associated with dextrotransposition of the great arteries, pulmonary atresia, patent ductus arteriosus, multiple ventricular septal defects, and parachute mitral valve deformity. After reviewing other cases of congenital heart diseases associated with tuberous sclerosis, emphasis is made on the potential influence of multiple rhabdomyomas developing very early during fetal life on final cardiac structures.

Abnormalities, Multiple↗

Expression of matrix metalloproteinase-2 and mutant p53 is increased in hydatidiform mole as compared with normal placenta.

Matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) are group of enzymes thought to play an important role in trophoblastic and tumor invasion. The aim of our study was to investigate the trophoblastic expression of MMPs and p53 in normal trophoblast and hydatidiform moles (HM). Paraffin sections of 45 specimens, including 14 complete hydatidiform moles (CM), 15 partial hydatidiform moles (PM), 8 atypical partial hydatidiform moles (aPM), and 8 controls were selected. Classification of HM was established on histologic criteria and supported by the DNA ploidy results. Tissue sections from each case were immunostained with monoclonal antibodies, cytokeratin-7, MMP-2, MMP-9, tissue inhibitors of metalloproteinases (TIMP)-1, and p53 wild type (p53wt) and mutant types (mutp53). Staining for cytokeratin-7 revealed a positive reaction in 93% of the samples. MMP-2 was mainly expressed in the syncytiotrophoblast of HM and found in 62% of aPM, 60% PM, and 93% CM. The mutp53 was mainly and focally expressed in syncytiotrophoblastic cells and was found in 63% of aPM, 80% PM, and 93% CM. Expression of MMP-2 and mutp53 was both significantly greater in HM vs control group (P < 0.05) and greater in CM vs PM and aPM (P < 0.05). No significant difference was observed for cytokeratin-7, MMP-9, TIMP-1, and p53wt between the HM subgroups and between HM and control group. MMP-2 and mutp53 are overexpressed in HM as compared with normal trophoblast and might participate in the invasive behavior of the HM.

Adolescent↗

Clinical correlation between adenosine deaminase activity and pre-eclampsia severity.

This study evaluated the relationship between the activity of the inflammatory indicator adenosine deaminase (ADA) in placental tissue and maternal and fetal (umbilical cord) plasma and the severity of pre-eclampsia. Maternal and umbilical vein whole blood and placental tissue samples were collected from women with normal pregnancies (n = 33) and patients with mild (n = 12) or severe (n = 17) preeclampsia. ADA activity was measured spectrophotometrically. Significantly increased ADA activity was detected in maternal and fetal plasma, and placental tissue in patients with mild and severe pre-eclampsia compared with normal pregnancies; there were no significant differences between the mild and severe cases. The presence of increased ADA activity in pre-eclampsia is consistent with activation of the inflammatory system in this condition. The increased ADA activity was related to the presence of the disease but not the severity of clinical symptoms. Neonatal outcome did not significantly correlate with observed ADA activity.

Adenosine Deaminase↗