Biomedical subjects

S Carrà

Publications and source records attributed to S Carrà.

6 recordsLinked to original sources

PubMed2001

Budesonide but not nedocromil sodium reduces exhaled nitric oxide levels in asthmatic children.

Exhaled nitric oxide (ENO) has been proposed as a marker of airway inflammation in asthma and could be useful to evaluate the response to anti-inflammatory treatment. We investigated the effect of budesonide and nedocromil sodium on ENO levels and lung function in asthmatic children. Twenty stable steroid-naïve asthmatic children were randomized in a single blind, cross-over study to receive inhaled budesonide (group A) or nedocromil sodium (group B) for 6 weeks. ENO was measured with a chemiluminescence analyser at baseline and at the end of each treatment period. Repeated-measures ANOVA was carried out. In asthmatic baseline ENO levels [mean 32.5 ppb, 95% confidence interval (CI) 26.4 to 38.7] were significantly higher compared to reference values (8.7 ppb, 95% CI 8.1 to 9.2, P<0.001). There were no treatment-order effect, no carry-over effect and in both groups the response pattern was the same: budesonide significantly lowered ENO levels from 41.0 ppb to 22.8 ppb in group A (mean, P<0.01) and from 22.6 ppb to 13.0 ppb in group B, (mean, P<0.05), while nedocromil did not reduce ENO values (from 24.4 ppb to 22.6 ppb in group B and from 22.8 ppb to 38.0 ppb in group A, mean, P = NS and P<0.01 respectively). After budesonide treatment ENO values of asthmatics were still significantly higher than in healthy children The baseline values of FEV1 and FEF(25-75) were normal in both groups and no significant changes were observed during the study. In conclusion, our study shows that budesonide, but not nedocromil sodium, significantly reduces ENO levels in stable asthmatic children even in absence of changes in the lung function.

Adolescent↗

PubMed2001

Clear-cell meningioma in a 22-month-old male: a case report and literature review.

We report a case of spinal clear-cell meningioma occurring in a 22-month-old male who presented a right limp and then refused to walk. Spinal magnetic resonance imaging demonstrated a large, intradural tumor from T(11) to L(4), which was totally excised. The patient's postoperative recovery was uneventful and 5 months after surgery he began walking again. The latest follow-up magnetic resonance imaging of the brain and spine, obtained 42 months after diagnosis, was negative for tumor recurrence. Though clear-cell meningioma is a rare form of meningioma, it should be considered in the differential diagnosis of any space-occupying lesion of the spine arising in very young children. Complete surgical removal is necessary because it is potentially aggressive and may recur. After surgery, an accurate follow-up is warranted.

Humans↗

PubMed1998

Effect of topical steroids on nasal nitric oxide production in children with perennial allergic rhinitis: a pilot study.

It has been hypothesized that concentrations of exhaled nitric oxide (NO) may be related to the extent of cytokine-mediated airway inflammation. Recent findings indicate the nasal airways as an important site of NO production. Our objective was to evaluate whether children with allergic rhinitis show different nasal NO levels when compared with normal healthy subjects and the effect of topical steroids and anti-histamine therapy. We have measured the concentration of NO drawn from the nose of 21 children (5-17 years old) affected by perennial allergic rhinitis (house dust mite) out of therapy for at least 3 weeks. Thirteen children were then treated with nasal beclomethasone dipropionate (BDP) (400 micrograms daily) and eight subjects with nasal anti-histamine levocabastine (200 micrograms daily). Measurements were performed before and after 10 days of treatment. As a control group we evaluated 21 healthy children aged 5-15 years. To measure NO we used a chemiluminescence analyser. Before treatment the whole group of children with allergic rhinitis showed a mean (+/- SEM) nasal NO concentration of 267 +/- 18 ppb, significantly higher (P < 0.01) than the control group (186 +/- 15 ppb). The group of children treated with BDP showed, after 10 days of therapy, a significant (P < 0.05) decrease of nasal NO concentration (271 +/- 21 ppb vs. 212 +/- 20 ppb). Indeed, in the group treated with levocabastine, nasal NO concentrations did not present a significant difference (P not significant) compared with baseline (261 +/- 33 ppb and 252 +/- 31 ppb, respectively). These data suggest that (1) children with allergic rhinitis have higher levels of nasal NO than non-atopic controls and (2) intranasal steroid therapy significantly reduces nasal NO production in children with allergic rhinitis. We speculate that the allergic inflammatory response may influence the nasal NO levels and that NO measurements may be a useful marker of nasal inflammation.

Adolescent↗

PubMed1992

Pupillary reactivity in children with recurrent abdominal pain.

Electronic pupillometry before and after phenylephrine instillation in the right eye was carried out in 18 children aged 10 to 16 years suffering from recurrent abdominal pain (RAP) and 15 age-matched controls. Before stimulation the pupillary diameter was almost equal in the two groups. After phenylephrine eye drops iris dilatation was greater in RAP patients than in controls, even though the difference was not statistically significant. These results seem to suggest children with RAP have a chronically disturbed receptor sensitivity in their iris neuromuscular junction caused by a sympathetic hypofunction, similar to that already reported in migrainous patients.

Abdominal Pain↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Macrocephaly and chromosome disorders: a case report.

We report the case of a young patient with macrocephaly. After excluding the most frequent causes of macrocephaly (hereditary disorders, degenerative, osseous and metabolic diseases, neurocutaneous syndromes and cerebral malformations), the likelihood of a chromosome disorder was investigated, revealing an unbalanced de novo translocation: 46,X,der(X),t(X;7) (q13 or q13.2; q11.23 or q21.11), i.e., a partial trisomy of the long arm of chromosome 7, associated with a partial monosomy of the long arm of chromosome X. Though this chromosome disorder is relatively rare, it should be considered in the differential diagnosis of patients under one year of age presenting with macrocephaly, scoliosis and non-progressive psychomotor retardation.

Brain↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Use of fiberoptic bronchoscopy in asthmatic children with lung collapse.

Segmental atelectasis during asthmatic attacks as a consequence of bronchospasm and hypersecretion are very frequent in children. The collapse of a lung instead is a very rare occurrence. We report two patients with acute exacerbation of asthma, showing an in complete response to bronchodilatory therapy. The clinical findings and chest X-ray were suggestive for collapse of a lung. An urgent fiberoptic bronchoscopy revealed obstruction of a stem main bronchus caused by sticky mucopurulent secretions. The aspiration improved dramatically the respiratory distress and the radiological picture. In these cases we recommended to perform an immediate bronchial aspiration by means of a flexible instrument without waiting a further deterioration of respiratory function before taking this decision.

Asthma↗