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Biomedical subjects

A Orlando

Publications and source records attributed to A Orlando.

At least 73 records · Page 4Linked to original sources

Early detection of hepatocellular carcinoma associated with cirrhosis by ultrasound and alfafetoprotein: a prospective study.

A prospective surveillance of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) associated with cirrhosis, using alfafetoprotein (AFP) and real-time ultrasonography (US) was carried out in 157 patients with histologically proven cirrhosis. During a two-year follow-up, 15 asymptomatic HCCs were identified. HCCs detected by these methods were at a relatively early stage, as most tumors were small (13 out of 15 less than 5 cm). US was more sensitive than AFP in the diagnosis of HCC when values greater than 400 ng/ml were considered. Patients with initial AFP values greater than 20 ng/ml developed HCC within two years more frequently than patients with values less than 20 ng/ml. A combined approach using US and AFP is suggested in our geographical area.

Carcinoma, Hepatocellular↗

HLA antigens in ulcerative colitis: a study in the Sicilian population.

HLA antigens were investigated in 41 Sicilian patients with ulcerative colitis and in 151 healthy controls. Frequencies of HLA-B5 and DR2 were increased in the group of patients with ulcerative colitis whereas the DR3 antigen frequency was decreased. However the corrected p values were not significant. Thus, present results indicate that in ulcerative colitis HLA linked genetic factors play a marginal role, if any.

Colitis, Ulcerative↗

Augmented labor.

Explore the source record for details and available documents.

Cesarean Section↗

[Treatment with chimeric monoclonal antitumor necrosis factor (infliximab) of patients with active steroid-dependent/resistant Crohn's disease and fistulas].

30 patients--13 with active steroid-dependent/resistant Crohn's disease (CD), 8 with active steroid-dependent/resistant disease complicated by fistulas and 9 with fistulas only (perianal or abdominal)--were treated with infliximab. "Clinical response or remission" were defined as the reduction by 70 or more points or below 150 points of the CDAI score, respectively. As regards fistulas, "response" was defined as the reduction of 50 percent or more from baseline in the number of draining fistulas or of the quantity of drainage, "remission" as their closure. At 8 weeks 13/21 (61.9%) patients treated for active disease went on remission and 6/21 (28.5%) had a clinical response; 6/17 (35.2%) patients treated for fistulas went on remission and 8/17 (47%) had a response, while 3/17 (17.6%) didn't have any response. At 24 weeks, 9/12 (75%) patients treated for active disease and 13/16 (81.25%) treated for fistulas had a recurrence in a median time of 18.3 weeks (range, 1-36 weeks) after the first infusion.

Adolescent↗

[Propofol and alfentanil in total intravenous anesthesia].

We studied 22 patients undergoing total intravenous anaesthesia for both abdominal and superficial surgery. Anaesthesia has been induced and maintained with propofol (1 mg/kg in 20 seconds; 10 mg/kg/h for 10 minutes; 8 mg/kg/h for 10 minutes; 6 mg/kg/h until the end of the operation) and alfentanil (15 mg/kg before the induction and boli of 10-30 mg/kg in the presence of insufficient surgical analgesia). All the patients have been intubated after the administration of vecuronium 0.1 mg/kg, and artificially ventilated with air and oxygen (FiO2 0.4). We observed: 1) haemodynamic stability after the intubation and during surgery; 2) easy control of surgical analgesia; 3) early postoperative recovery, with no correlation with the doses of propofol and alfentanil; 4) absence of postoperative respiratory depression; 5) intraoperative amnesia; 6) low incidence of postoperative side effects. We conclude that, by virtue of the pharmacokinetic characteristics of propofol and alfentanil, most limitations of total intravenous anaesthesia have been overcome.

Adult↗

The role of calprotectin in predicting endoscopic post-surgical recurrence in asymptomatic Crohn's disease: a comparison with ultrasound.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Faecal calprotectin is predictive of clinical relapse in inflammatory bowel disease and ultrasound is sensitive in detecting its post-surgical recurrence. However, no data regarding the role of calprotectin in predicting post-surgical recurrence in asymptomatic Crohn's disease are available. The aim of this study was to prospectively evaluate the role of calprotectin as a predictive marker for one year post-surgical endoscopic recurrence in comparison with ultrasound in patients with asymptomatic Crohn's disease. MATERIAL AND METHODS: We consecutively enlisted 50 patients who had undergone a resection for Crohn's disease. Faecal calprotectin was analysed and ultrasound were performed at the third month, and a colonoscopy after one year. The sensitivity and specificity of these two techniques were evaluated using endoscopic findings as a golden standard. A Receiver Operator Curve (ROC) curve was plotted, in order to identify the best-cut off value for calprotectin. RESULTS: 39 out of 50 patients were evaluated by performing a colonoscopy after one year; 19 patients had an endoscopic recurrence after one year. Calprotectin sensitivity and specificity were calculated for 5 different cut-off values; the best cut-off value for calprotectin sensitivity (63%) and specificity (75%) was > 200 mg/L. The US sensitivity and specificity at the third month were 26% and 90% respectively. CONCLUSIONS: When performed three months after surgery ultrasound is more specific than calprotectin in predicting endoscopic recurrence. Faecal calprotectin at a dosage > 200 mg/L seems to have a better sensitivity than ultrasound. Values of calprotectin > 200 mg can be an indication to colonoscopy in the group of patients with negative ultrasound in order to detect early recurrence.

Adolescent↗

[Prevention of oral cancer: practice patterns in a dentists' group].

Annually, 3000 people in our country die for oral cancer. Contrarily to other forms of cancer that require the use of instrumental diagnostic tools, the oral cavity is easy to examine and the cancer is usually preceded by precancerous conditions. The problem of the diagnostic delay can be explained through a underestimation of the lesions of the oral cavity by patients and a lack of sensibilization to prevention topics from dentists. Our work has inquired in the activity of a group of dentist with more than ten years than experience on accuracy of the anamnesis, objective exam and appropriate of the resource to specialists, and that with the aim not to measure the clinical abilities but to estimate the attitude towards the Prevention topics, in special way in the field of the malignant tumors of the oral cavity.

Female↗

Prognostic value of serum thymidine kinase and beta 2 microglobulin in subjects affected by multiple myeloma.

The authors, using a radio-enzymatic and a radio-immunological method, investigated the serum levels of Thymidine Kinase (TK) and Beta 2 Microglobulin (Beta 2M) in 24 subjects affected by Multiple Myeloma (MM) and in 10 controls. The data obtained confirm the good prognostical significance already reported for TK and Beta 2M in subjects with MM. First of all, the results indicate higher levels of TK compared to the controls (9.31 U/l vs 2.9 U/l - p less than 0.005). Similarly, also the levels of Beta 2M indicate a significant increase compared to the healthy subjects. Both TK and Beta 2M levels increased with the progression of the stage of the disease (6.69 mg/ml vs 1.67 mg/ml - p less than 0.005). After therapy there was a significant decrease of TK and Beta 2M levels in responders. Finally, TK demonstrated to be able to detect during the follow-up a possible relapse of the disease.

Adult↗

[Scleronodular retrosternal Hodgkin's disease with cervical protrusion].

The case of a retrosternal localization of Hodgkin disease is a very infrequent one, and its presentation as an inflammatory tumor is exceptional indeed. This case report of a young woman affected by a cervical tumour projecting in front of the sternal bone, both with fever and tenderness, gave a mistaken address toward a diagnosis of suppurative thyroiditis. But the rare evenience of this thyroidal affection made the diagnosis very improbable and the patient was treated by partial exeresis of the cervical mass and drainage of its apparently suppurative content. At the pathologic study the mass revealed its true nature, also if very unusual: the appearance of the specimen, studied also with immuno-chemical methods, revealed its true nature of scleronodular Hodgkin disease probably born on a thymic cyst remnant. Also the possibility of a suppurative evolution from a pyriform laryngeal sinus is discussed, but simply on a differential diagnostic basis for the original hypothesis of an inflammatory mass. The correct diagnosis instead offered the patient the possibility of the correct chemo-radio-therapeutic treatment and of final cure.

Adult↗