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Biomedical subjects

B Pelet

Publications and source records attributed to B Pelet.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed1996

[Chronic meningococcemia and IgA deficiency in an adolescent].

BACKGROUND: Chronic meningococcemia, defined as a meningococcal septicemia without meningeal symptoms with persistence of fever for at least one week prior to any antibiotics, is uncommon. Its pathophysiology remains unclear and a defect in host immunity has been suggested. CASE REPORT: A 15 year-old adolescent was examined because he suffered from fever for 6 days, headache, arthralgias. A disseminated erythema led to consider the diagnosis of vascularitis that was confirmed by skin biopsy. At day 9, blood culture yielded Neisseria meningitis group B that was confirmed by a second blood culture; the CSF was normal and sterile. The patient was given ceftriaxone plus penicillin for 14 days and completely cured. A detailed analysis of the complement system was negative but the patient was found to be deficient in IgA. CONCLUSION: This is the first reported case in which chronic meningococcemia is associated with complete IgA deficiency.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1993

Pericardial effusion as a sign of acquired hypothyroidism in children with Down syndrome.

In three children with Down syndrome and acquired hypothyroidism echocardiography was performed before and after the start of L-thyroxine treatment. Initial studies revealed pericardial effusions which resolved during treatment suggesting that they were caused by hypothyroidism. The incidence of hypothyroidism in Down syndrome is high, but the diagnosis is often missed for lack of specific clinical criteria. The finding of pericardial effusion by echocardiography may be essential in discovering thyroid dysfunction. The cases illustrate that regular thyroid function tests are important in Down syndrome.

Child↗
PubMed1987

Haemoglobin and iron deficiency in healthy one-year-old Swiss children: a study in private practice.

Haemoglobin (Hb) was measured in 348 full-term one-year-old infants in 7 private paediatric offices. In 36 (10.3%) subjects, the Hb value was less than 110 g/l, and in 7 (2.0%) less than 100 g/l. In 11 of 212 (5.2%) subjects, MCV was less than 70 fl. Twenty-six infants with an Hb below 115 g/l showed an increase of Hb of +10 g/l or more after a therapeutic trial with oral iron. No relationship was found between Hb levels and early introduction of whole cow's milk into the diet. It is concluded that screening for iron deficiency is justified in healthy Swiss infants: Hb and MCV measurements may be the initial step.

Erythrocyte Indices↗
PubMed1986

Luteinizing hormone (LH) and prolactin-releasing pituitary tumor: possible malignant transformation of the LH cell line.

A pituitary tumor was diagnosed in a prepubertal 13-yr-old girl, who had elevated plasma LH (58 mIU/ml) and PRL (93 ng/ml) levels; decreased GH, ACTH, and FSH secretion; and diabetes insipidus. After surgery, plasma LH and PRL declined, but not to normal levels. Conventional external radiotherapy to the pituitary was immediately followed by a decrease in LH to prepubertal values (0.7 mIU/ml), while PRL levels became normal only after a long course of bromocriptine therapy. The pituitary tumor was composed of two distinct cell types: small polygonal cells, which were PRL positive by immunohistochemistry, and clusters of pleomorphic large frequently mitotic polynucleated cells, which were LH positive, some of them also being positive for the alpha-subunit or beta LH but not for beta FSH. Four years after surgery and radiotherapy, the patient deteriorated neurologically. Computed tomographic scan showed widespread frontal and periventricular tumor, which had the histological features of a poorly differentiated carcinoma. No PRL, LH, or alpha- or beta-subunits were detectable on immunocytochemistry. While the PRL-positive cells of the pituitary tumor displayed the histological and clinical features of PRL adenomas, the morphological characteristics of LH cells and the sharp decline of plasma LH levels after radiotherapy were suggestive of malignant transformation. In this context, the later brain tumor could have been the result of subependymal spread of the pituitary tumor after it lost its hormone-secreting capacity.

Adenoma↗
PubMed1984

[Skin tests, RAST and provocation tests with a purified acarian extract (Pharmalgen) in respiratory hypersensitivity].

The diagnostic value of a purified and standardized extract of the house dust mite Dermatophagoides pteronyssinus (Pharmalgen, Pharmacia) has been tested by nasal or bronchial allergic provocation tests (PT). 50 patients (31 with rhinitis and 19 with asthma) who had a skin test and RAST positive for D. ptero. were tested: all had a positive PT. 47% of the patients with asthma had a late phase of bronchial obstruction. PT were negative in 18 subjects not allergic to D. ptero. It is concluded that, although specific, PT are not necessary if the diagnosis has already been established by the association of a positive skin test and RAST.

Adult↗
PubMed1982

Congenital neutropenia associated with phlebectasias and persistent fetal circulation.

Neutropenia with abnormal mobility of neutrophils is described in 3 related patients. All presented generalized phlebectasias; 2 had also persistent fetal circulation. One patient died at the age of 2 days from severe pulmonary hypoplasia and bilateral pneumothorax. It is speculated that the defective neutrophil mobility and the vascular abnormalities could be due to a common, genetically inherited, basic defect.

Agranulocytosis↗