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Biomedical subjects

A J Ferrari

Publications and source records attributed to A J Ferrari.

6 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed1997

Dialysis arthropathy: identification and evaluation of a subset of patients with unexplained inflammatory effusions.

OBJECTIVE: Rheumatic disorders have been reported in patients with chronic renal failure treated with hemodialysis. We identified and evaluated 9 patients undergoing hemodialysis with inflammatory joint effusions not explained by known causes such as gout and bacterial infection. METHODS: Forty-nine consecutive synovial fluid (SF) analyses on 41 dialysis patients were reviewed. Nine with unexplained inflammatory arthritis were studied in detail. SF analysis included polarized light examination, alizarin red S stain, Congo red stain, cultures, transmission electron microscopy, and electron probe elemental analysis. RESULTS: SF leukocyte counts ranged from 4550 to 36,000/mm3 with 44-98% neutrophils. No infections were identifiable in these patients. Findings evaluated as possible factors in the joint inflammation included apatite crystals, iron, lipids, amyloid, and difficult to diagnose nonbacterial infections such as hepatitis C. CONCLUSION: Some highly inflammatory joint effusions in patients undergoing chronic hemodialysis are not due to pyogenic infections and may be attributable to other factors.

Adult↗
PubMed1990

Panoramic nailfold capillaroscopy: a new reading method and normal range.

Current interpretation of nailfold capillaroscopy is largely based on qualitative and subjective parameters. These parameters make the accurate assessment of the extent of the nailfold microangiopathy difficult. The authors present a comprehensive method in which several quantitative or semiquantitative parameters are used to assess the main microangiopathic features, such as microhemorrhage, plexus visibility, devascularization, and morphologic anomalies of the end row loops. The method is checked for reproducibility and applied to a sample of 800 healthy people to establish the normal range. The influences of extrinsic variables, such as gender, ethnicity, age, and local nailfold conditions are also included.

Adolescent↗