Biomedical subjects

B Martina

Publications and source records attributed to B Martina.

61 records · Page 4Linked to original sources

PubMed1988

[Sclerosing mesenteritis].

A patient with an inflammatory fibrous tumor of the mesenteric fat tissue is reported. Clinical signs were epigastric pain, weight loss and palpable abdominal mass. diagnosis was by abdominal CT and surgical biopsy. The histological feature was diffuse fibrosis. Isolated mesenteric fibrosis is a rare variety of systemic idiopathic fibrosis, a disease entity including fibrosis of the retroperitoneum and other sites. Among possible etiological factors an autoimmune origin, drugs (methysergide) and lymphatic obstruction are discussed. Our patient had congenital hypoplasia of the lymphatic drainage system of the legs. She recovered rapidly and spontaneously and the tumor regressed on CT. Fatal courses are exceptional and medical therapy usually is not required.

Adipose Tissue↗

PubMed1987

[Hypokalemia in acute heart infarct].

Serum potassium in 20 patients with acute myocardial infarction (AMI) measured 2 to 6 hours after the beginning of chest pain was 3.8 +/- 0.4 mmol/l. This was lower than the value of 4.1 +/- 0.2 mmol/l of 29 controls admitted for elective evaluation of coronary heart disease. In patients with AMI there was a negative linear correlation between serum potassium and lymphocyte count. The hypothesis that AMI induces a decrease in potassium concentration by accompanying epinephrine secretion is supported by this correlation. In addition, respiratory alkalosis may play a role because it also induces hypokalemia and lymphocytosis. In view of the arrhythmogenic effect of hypokalemia, measures which reduce the epinephrine increase and hyperventilation, such as analgesic therapy and sedation, should be of potential antiarrhythmic value.

Aged↗

PubMed1987

[Selective surgery of rectal carcinoma].

Operative treatment for rectal carcinoma has two aims, locoregional cure and sphincter preservation if possible. In a consecutive series, patients were selected for anterior resection, abdominoperineal excision, local tumor excision, and sphincter-preserving resection with anastomosis performed by a transsphincteric or transanal approach. Results with respect to local recurrence and survival rates were comparable to those obtained with conventional radical surgery.

Female↗

PubMed1987

[Use of various surgical procedures in rectal cancer].

In a consecutive personal series of rectal carcinoma treated for locoregional cure (n = 125) various surgical procedures were employed. 21 patients with a pT1 tumour remained without recurrence with local excision in 17, and with a major restorative excision in the remainder patients. Though only 7 (20%) of the pT2 tumours were selected for local excision, secondary amputation became necessary in 3 instances for nodal involvement. Nodal staging was successful in one third of the local excisions performed. Extension of low anterior (n = 54) to abdominotranssphincteric (n = 11) and abdominotransanal (n = 16) resections was useful for preservation of continence and for performing a major procedure instead of local excision, with satisfying results of locoregional cure. Abdominoperineal excision was the treatment of choice for large tumours lying below 6 cm (n = 15) or in patients with a patulous anus (n = 5).

Aged↗

PubMed1984

[Pre- and postoperative thyroglobulin secretion into the blood in nodular goiter].

Serum thyroglobulin was measured in patients with a euthyroid, preclinically hyperthyroid or toxic uni- or multinodular goiter (n = 72) prior to and/or 3-12 months following selective resection of the nodular goiter tissue. A sharp decrease in the mean and individually elevated serum thyroglobulin values was observed postoperatively, with normal or undetectable values in 92% of the patients. The pre- and postoperative thyroglobulin levels in multinodular goiter patients with hyperthyroidism, preclinical hyperthyroidism and euthyroidism were 102 +/- 79 micrograms/l vs. 10 +/- 7 micrograms/l; 77 +/- 62 micrograms/l vs. 16 +/- 22 micrograms/l; and 76 +/- 82 micrograms/1 vs. 18 +/- 26 micrograms/1 respectively. The pre- and postoperative values in uninodular goiter patients with TRH-TSH unresponsiveness and with a normal TSH response were 84 +/- 60 micrograms/l vs. 10 +/- 8 micrograms/l, and 105 +/- 115 micrograms/1 vs. less than 6 micrograms/1 respectively. Thus, the elevation of serum thyroglobulin proved to be unrelated to TRH-TSH responsiveness and to thyroid hormone secretion, but to be related to the presence of nodular goiter tissue. Follicular nodules lack normal TSH dependence with respect to goiter maintenance and growth. The results suggest that serum thyroglobulin may represent a marker of autonomous thyroid growth.

Goiter, Nodular↗

PubMed1984

[Complete removal of the rectum with preservation of continence in rectal cancer].

Restorative complete rectal excision with coloanal anastomosis was performed in 14 patients (12 cases with rectal carcinoma, i.e. 12% of a consecutive series). The pathologic stages were Dukes D in 3, Dukes C in 5, Dukes B in 2 and Dukes A in 2 patients. A simple technique of hand-sewn end-to-end endoanal anastomosis, following mobilization of the whole left colon in most cases, was employed. The postoperative course was uneventful in 11 of 14 cases, with protective colostomy in 1 patient only. 3 patients developed a presacral infection with a primary colostomy in 2 cases, and with early abdomino-perineal excision in 1 case. 1 patient with a doubtful distal margin and later recurrence refused amputation; salvage amputation became necessary in a patient with a large tumor situated 9 cm above the anocutaneous junction, who developed a locoregional recurrence by tumor implantation. Normal or satisfactory continence was recovered in all patients after a few weeks or months. Presupposing proper selection of cases and surgical technique, complete rectal excision with coloanal anastomosis is regarded as a very useful curative or palliative procedure in the treatment of rectal cancer.

Aged↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Monk seal mortality: virus or toxin?

During the past few months, more than half of the total population of about 300 highly endangered Mediterranean monk seals (Monachus monachus) on the western Saharan coast of Africa, died in a mysterious disease outbreak. Epizootiological and postmortem findings were reminiscent of similar outbreaks amongst pinniped and cetacean species in recent years, which were caused by an infection with newly discovered morbilliviruses (for review see osterhaus et al.). Virological, as well as toxicological, analysis performed on tissue samples collected from relatively fresh carcasses during the outbreak indicate that infection with a virus closely related to dolphin morbillivirus (DMV), possibly originating from affected dolphins in the same area, was the primary cause of the outbreak. Therefore it is concluded that vaccination with a safe and effective non-replicating vaccine should be considered as a management tool in the conservation of Mediterranean monk seals.

Africa, Western↗