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V Di Giacomo

Publications and source records attributed to V Di Giacomo.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed1987

Kaposi's sarcoma following corticosteroid treatment for temporal arteritis--a case report.

After three months of corticosteroid treatment, a sixty-nine-year-old man, suffering from temporal arteritis, developed a Kaposi's sarcoma (KS) initially located on the left ankle and subsequently spread over both feet and hands. Laboratory data showed a deficiency of both humoral and cellular immunity and constant positivity in the tests for cytomegalovirus. The onset of KS during corticosteroid treatment of temporal arteritis is an extremely rare occurrence, this case being only the second one reported in the literature. In our case the development of this neoplasm can be related to an immunodeficiency that led to a deficit in the immunological surveillance, along with an activation of oncogenic viruses.

Giant Cell Arteritis↗
PubMed1986

An uncommon systemic arteritis--a case report.

A 26-year-old male shortly after an acute respiratory disease was affected by a thrombophlebitis of the left leg. After a few days he had two syncopal attacks. Later on, a myocardial ischemia was diagnosed. Subsequently the patient began to complain of a bilateral claudication of the calves; after an attack of fever, the ischemia of the lower limbs worsened with recurring pain at rest. At the same time, in absence of any symptom, a myocardial ischemia occurred again and the presence of a thrombus was observed in the right atrium. After surgical removal of it, the ischemic troubles of the lower limbs once again began to worsen with the occurrence of bilateral gangrene of the feet. An amputation of both the legs was promptly performed at the level of the thighs. The histological examination of the arteries of the amputated legs showed segmental arteritis with partially recanalized thrombi of the popliteal, left femoral and tibioperoneal arteries. In the meantime, the titres for Coxsackie virus B2 and B6 were found slightly increased. One month later, the left radial pulse disappeared for a few days. The histopathological findings may relate this arteritis to a form of Buerger's disease even if a systemic thromboangiitis obliterans is not commonly accepted. In case that the acute respiratory infection represented the true onset of the sickness, it seems conceivable that the hypothesis of a viral infection gave raise to arteritis with morphological features recalling those of Buerger's disease.

Adult↗
PubMed1985

Takayasu's disease in middle-aged women. A clinicopathologic study.

Of ten patients with Takayasu's disease (TD), all women, hospitalized in our Service in the last 5 years, seven were more than 38 years old. In these subjects the mean age at diagnosis was 41.2 years. These findings confirm that, in Italy as in other Western countries, including the United States, the diagnosis of TD is usually made later than in Asia and Latin America. This circumstance is probably related to actual later onset of the disease. In most of our cases both the anamnestic data and the angiographic findings demonstrated an evolution of the disease with further involvement of other arteries. Several arterial biopsies consistently showed, within a diffuse sclerosis, more or less extensive inflammatory aggregates characterized by a lymphoplasmacellular infiltration often associated with giant cells. Such a pattern testifies to the persistence of an active arteritis even a long time after the onset of the disease - "persistent active arteritis" instead of "residual arteritis." Pointing out such an evolution of the TD in every stage, our clinicopathologic study emphasizes the importance of a careful followup of the patients; it also advises continuous treatment with corticosteroid drugs, sometimes associated with immunosuppressors, to attain a reduction of the inflammatory process.

Adult↗
PubMed1984

Polymyalgia rheumatica and systemic giant cell arteritis. Bioptic findings of the subclavian arteries in a case of aortic arch syndrome.

A 64 year old woman complained of aches and stiffness of the neck and the shoulders with fever and E.S.R. increase. A nonsteroid anti-inflammatory treatment was unsuccessful. A clinical examination revealed absence of both radial pulses and presence of murmurs at level of the carotids. The angiographic findings confirmed an aortic arch syndrome with severe stenosis of the subclavian and axillary arteries. The diagnostic approach, in spite of a negativity of the temporal artery biopsy, was for systemic giant cell arteries with general manifestations of polymyalgia rheumatica. The biopsies of both subclavian arteries, performed during a surgery revascularization, showed a typical giant cell arteries in acute stage. The histopathological pattern of extratemporal giant cell arteries obtained by means of a surgical biopsy is really uncommon, being the previous reports performed on necroscopic findings only. In addition this case confirms that polymyalgia rheumatica implies a systemic arteries even if the clinical and histopathological signs of temporal arteritis are lacking. Therefore the temporal artery should be only considered as a particular and inconstant localization of this vasculitis.

Aortic Arch Syndromes↗
PubMed1984

A case of Takayasu's disease occurred over two hundred years ago.

The author refers to a case described in 1761 by G.B. Morgagni, in which there were all the clinico-pathological features of aspecific aorto-arteritis, as it was pointed out in this century by some Japanese authors. Morgagni's case was a woman 40 years old, whose radial pulses were never perceived for many years before her death; the necroscopic examination showed severe aortic alterations, characterized by ectasias, aneurysms and stenosis, with subclavian obstruction at the origin. The radial arteries, on the contrary, were found unaffected. This case, as well as another reported by Savory in 1856, demonstrates that an obstructive disease of the aorta and its branches had been already noted and described long before in the European Countries in spite of the rarity of this sickness.

Aortic Arch Syndromes↗
PubMed1984

Conversion of longstanding atrial flutter to sinus rhythm and transient complete A-V block following oral administration of verapamil. Report of a case.

In a patient with ischaemic heart disease chronic atrial flutter reverted to sinus rhythm during treatment with oral Verapamil, given at dosage of 240 mg once a day in order to prevent spontaneous angina. Such an unexpected event was accompanied by a remarkable sinus node depression and by a transient complete a-v block, that gradually subsides leaving a slight permanent a-v conduction delay. Either a higher bioavailability of the drug or an extremely increased sensitivity of the receptors can explain such a marked electrophysiological effect at a moderate drug dosage.

Aged↗
PubMed1983

[Polymyalgia rheumatica and giant cell arteritis, clinical and histopathological study of three cases].

We report three patients with giant cell arteritis but no clear clinical signs of temporal artery involvement, during an episode of polymyalgia rheumatica. In the first case a biopsy performed upon an apparently normal temporal artery showed a typical hortonian arteritis. The same finding was obtained from a pulseless right temporal artery in the second patient, who suffered a sudden blindness of right eye after a trigeminal neuralgia. In the third case the polymyalgic symptoms developed together with a syndrome of the aortic arc. The histologic findings of the temporal artery were normal, whereas the biopsy performed on both the subclavian arteries during surgical revascularization demonstrated a typical giant-cell arteritis in the acute stage. The cases mentioned above confirm that there is a close relation between polymyalgia rheumatica and Horton arteritis. In the latter the temporal localization could be inconstant.

Aged↗
PubMed1981

[Immunological implications in the pathogenesis of Horton arteritis].

Fragments of temporal artery obtained by surgical biopsy from 3 patients suffering from Horton arteritis were employed for immunopathologic studies by direct immunofluorescence. In 2 of the cases, granular deposition of IgM, C1q and C3 but not of albumin were observed in the wall of vasa vasorum of the temporal artery. Elution techniques determined the disappearance of the immunoreactants. In one case in which biopsy fragments of temporal artery were obtained prior to and after steroid treatment it was observed that IgM and complement, previously present, disappeared after such treatment. The data reported indicate that indeed immunologic factors play a role in the pathogenesis of the disease and that the immunoreagents present on the wall of vasa vasorum are not evidence of increased vascular permeability but indicate an active immunologic process which takes place in them.

Albumins↗
PubMed1980

[Syphilitic aneurysms of the abdominal aorta. Considerations on 2 cases].

Abdominal aortic aneurysm have been considered in the modern literature only arteriosclerotic, apart from any possibility of superimposed bacterial infections. In 2 cases, after the hystological study on the aneurysmatic wall the Authors have found typical syphilitic lesions. both didn't have positive historical data and in one only serological tests were positive. This observation calls the attention on the importance of such an insidious pathology which is still present in spite of the decrease of the luetic epidemiology. It happens mainly in patients ignoring to be carriers of a remote infection or in those inadequately treated for it. Even it anamnestical and serological data are negative not only in presence of a thoracic aortic aneurysm but also in presence of an abdominal one, physicians must take syphilis into account in their diagnosis. The mistake comes often from an associated arteriosclerotic process present in elderly patients developing the aortitis a long time after infection. Therefore it is necessary to perform a careful hystological test of the aneurysmatic wall even if macroscopical examination suggests only arteriosclerotic lesions. An hystological evidence of syphilitic aortitis advises a long-term treatment aimed to avoid other localizations.

Aged↗
PubMed1980

[Recording of His bundle potentials by means of non-invasive computerized and high-resolution electrocardiographic technique (author's transl)].

Recording of His bundle potentials by means of non invasive technique was first obtained in 1973. The Authors used a computerized, high resolution cardiograph to study 26 patients, 17 males and 9 females, mean age 57.15 +/- 21.79 years. H wave could be identified and therefore H-V interval could be calculated in 19 patients (73%). H wave identification is based on its morphological differentiation from other bioelectrical signals present in P-Q interval and on its repeated presence in all, or at least in the largest number of the six available leads. This technique, based on averaging process, is very useful in depistage of acute and chronic A-V conduction troubles.

Adolescent↗