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Biomedical subjects

A Grimaldi

Publications and source records attributed to A Grimaldi.

At least 163 records · Page 9Linked to original sources

Stage I-II melanoma: the value of metastatic work-up.

A total of 116 asymptomatic patients with malignant skin melanoma entered a multiple staging work-up including chest X-ray, multiple nuclear scans and abdominal ultrasonography. All 116 chest X-rays and 68 brain scans performed gave negative findings. Liver scans resulted in 1/66 false-positive findings. Out of 73 bone scans, 5 gave false-positive results. Only 2 out of 66 abdominal ultrasonographies showed abnormal findings and were found to be true-positive on surgical exploration. Due to the low yield in detecting silent metastases, such a multiple staging work-up would not be regarded as a routine staging program.

Adolescent↗

Simultaneous cisplatin and 5-fluorouracil as second-line treatment of head and neck cancer.

Between November 1983 and January 1986, 70 patients with recurrent squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck were treated with simultaneous cisplatin (20 mg/m2 for 5 consecutive days) and 5-fluorouracil (400-200 mg/m2 by iv push for 5 consecutive days) every 3 weeks. Sixty-seven patients were fully evaluable. The major toxic effect was myelosuppression, and two patients died from septic or hemorrhagic complications. Other toxic effects were moderate and quite rare, including nausea and vomiting. All of the patients were treated in the outpatient clinic. The overall response rate was 52.2% (14 complete responses +21 partial responses). The worst prognostic factor in the present series was the persistence of disease after front-line therapy. This treatment has shown an acceptable toxicity and its antitumoral activity seems to be in the range of the higher activity reported by literature in these kind of patients.

Adult↗

Metastatic malignant melanoma treated with procarbazine, vincristine and lomustine (POC).

Fourteen consecutive melanoma patients with evaluable metastatic disease were treated with combination chemotherapy including procarbazine, vincristine and lomustine (POC). All but two patients had been previously treated with single agent chemotherapy (dacarbazine 11 patients, melphalan plus hyperthermia 1 patient). One transient partial response and 4 stable disease were noted. Median overall survival was 5 months. In our experience POC seems unlikely to improve the response rate compared with other chemotherapy combinations. Patient characteristics can partially explain the contrasting results reported in the literature.

Adult↗

[Role of the polyol pathway in the occurrence of degenerative complications of diabetes].

The activity of the polyol pathway--a non insulin-dependent metabolic pathway of glucose--is increased in diabetic patients. Polyol accumulation is involved, by a myoinositol-dependent mechanism, in the pathogenesis of some degenerative complications of diabetes. Thus, sorbitol accumulation in the eye lens and in nerves seems to be an important factor in the development of cataract and in the slowing down of nerve conduction. Recent studies suggest that the polyol pathway may play a role in early structural abnormalities of retinal and renal microangiopathy. Synthetic aldose reductase inhibitors could be used for a physiopathogenic treatment of these complications, but the first trials in diabetic neuropathy proved disappointing. Further studies, prolonged and well controlled, are necessary to pronounce on the future of this new category of drugs.

Aldehyde Reductase↗

Decreased beta-adrenergic sensitivity in insulin-dependent diabetic subjects.

To study beta-adrenergic sensitivity in diabetes mellitus, we performed isoproterenol sensitivity tests in 34 insulin-dependent diabetic patients and 10 age-matched normal subjects. beta-adrenergic sensitivity [defined as the dose of isoproterenol required to increase the resting heart rate by 25 beat/min, (I25)] was significantly higher in the diabetic group (4.07 +/- 1.4 micrograms, mean +/- SD) than in the normal group (2.02 +/- 1.49 micrograms). A comparison of I25 of normal subjects and diabetic patients as a function of age showed that the latter were significantly less sensitive to beta-adrenergic stimulation at all ages (P less than 0.01). In diabetic patients, beta-adrenergic sensitivity also increased with the duration of diabetes (r = 0.64, P less than 0.0005), but the correlation was stronger when the age of the patients and the duration of the diabetes were both taken into consideration (r = 0.72, P less than 0.0005). We conclude that beta-adrenergic sensitivity is diminished in patients with type I diabetes mellitus of all ages.

Adult↗

[Innocuousness of the limited reuse of injection materials by insulin-dependent diabetics].

A survey was conducted in 120 insulin-dependent diabetics to determine their routine daily procedure for insulin injection and the possible reuse of the material employed. Aseptic precautions were usually sufficient, half of the diabetic patients (51.6%) conforming with the overall rules for hygiene generally recommended. Spontaneous reuse of injection material was rare (10/120), and local incidents as a result of reuse infrequent: pain from the 3rd injection in 2 patients and an abdominal abscess in a third case due to total lack of asepsis rules. Insulin injections in 37 insulin-dependent diabetics admitted to hospital care were administered throughout their stay by means of plastic syringes and needles used 3 times consecutively. The mean number of needles-syringes used per diabetic was 7.3, representing a total of 813 injections. Infectious sequelae were not observed and minor local incidents (pain, pruritus) were rare and unrelated to the reuse of equipment. Limited reuse, under satisfactory conditions of asepsis, of material termed for "once only use" appears to be free from risk particularly with respect to infection. Generalization of this practice will provide substantial economy in the treatment of diabetes.

Diabetes Mellitus, Type 1↗