Search PubMedSearch

Biomedical subjects

F Bosquet

Publications and source records attributed to F Bosquet.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

[Heart involvement in diabetic patients].

Diabetic cardiomyopathy appears to be due to "premature ageing" of the myocardium which loses some of its compliance and becomes less sensitive to catecholamines. The condition seems to be severe mainly in those frequent cases where it is associated with hypertensive and/or ischaemic cardiomyopathy. Neuropathic denervation of the heart, usually partial and predominantly affecting the parasympathetic system, might play a part in the myocardial dysfunction. It has been held responsible for sudden death, but its real consequences in diabetic patients remain to be assessed. Coronary artery disease is the most common cardiac complication of diabetes mellitus: it accounts for 50 per cent of deaths among noninsulin-dependent, and 25 per cent among insulin-dependent diabetic subjects. Its incidence does not seem to decline and its severity, notably in women, is demonstrated by a mortality rate that is twice as high as that observed in the non-diabetic population; hence the importance of primary prevention and treatment of risk factors. However, the specificity to abnormal lipid metabolism, notably hypertriglyceridaemia, the potentiation by chronic hyperglycaemia of the harmful effects of arterial hypertension, and the possible responsibility of coagulation disorders and hyperinsulinism are points that have not yet been elucidated. We still do not know whether the objectives to be attained in terms of plasma cholesterol, triglycerides and fibrinogen levels, as well as of blood pressure values, should be different in diabetic and non-diabetic subjects. In any case, the treatment of risk factors should be accompanied by a systematic search for silent ischaemia which is 2 to 3 times more frequent among diabetic patients. Detection of silent ischaemia by electrocardiography during exercise and/or Holter recordings, and by echocardiography and/or thallium scintigraphy should be performed not only in diabetic patients with coronary artery disease but also to those with other risk factors or albuminuria.

Albuminuria

Unawareness of hypoglycemia by insulin-dependent diabetics.

After several years of insulin therapy, about 20% of insulin-dependent diabetics have little or no perception of hypoglycaemia because of a loss of the adrenergic warning symptoms. This defect, poorly correlated with the presence of autonomic neuropathy, has been classically explained by a defect in the catecholamine secretion. We compared the hormonal counterregulation during hypoglycaemia induced by subcutaneous injection of insulin in 7 insulin-dependent diabetics with poor perception of hypoglycaemia and experiencing repeated episodes of severe hypoglycaemia (group A) and 7 insulin-treated diabetics with very good perception of hypoglycaemia and not experiencing severe hypoglycaemia (group B). Groups A and B were similar in terms of age, duration of diabetes, HbA1c level and degenerative complications. The glucagon levels were identical and non-reactive in the two groups. The basal levels and secretion peaks of adrenaline, noradrenaline, growth hormone and cortisol were similar between the two groups, but there was a significant delay in secretion in group A with a blood glucose threshold of adrenergic secretion of between 3.1 +/- 0.5 and 1.6 +/- 0.2 mmoles/l in group A and between 4.6 +/- 0.3 and 3.2 +/- 0.2 mmoles/l in group B (P less than 0.05). This delayed secretion could be explained by desensitisation of the hypothalamic glucostat and could be due to the frequency and/or severity of hypoglycaemic episodes.

Adult

[Severe lesions of the petrous bone caused by pseudomonas aeruginosa].

Pseudomonas aeruginosa is often isolated in infections of the ear cleft. In some circumstances, this organism can cause serious petrous or peri-petrous lesions. Two pictures are seen: Malignant external otitis with severe headaches, signs of external otitis, and usually pseudomonas aeruginosa is isolated. This is usually seen in an elderly diabetic patient. Nerve paralysis is the main risk. The other complications, very grave in the past, are rare nowadays with the use of selective antibiotic treatment. Pseudomonas aeruginosa is also the causative organism in extensive osteitis of the skull base. Diagnostic problems are seen in case of specific infections or tumoral lesions. The treatment includes the same medications as for the malignant external otitis, as well as complete surgical excision.

Aged

[Diabetic microangiopathy. Role of capillaroscopy].

In order to evaluate the significance of ungual and conjunctival microvascular abnormalities observed in diabetics prior to retinopathy, nailfold and conjunctival capillaroscopy was performed in 20 controls and 40 insulin-dependent diabetics of the same age. The diabetics were divided into 4 groups according to their state of retinopathy: absent, incipient, non-proliferative and proliferative. No difference was found between controls and diabetics and between groups of diabetics in the frequency of conjunctiva microaneurysms and specific nailfold microangiopathy, nor even in that of the so-called characteristic "fish shoal" image. The percentage of abnormalities detected was concordant with the results of previous studies in diabetics (12.5 per cent of non-specific organic microangiopathy), but it was 2 to 4 times higher than the frequency usually found in non-diabetic controls. This discrepancy could be due to the method used, since in contrast with earlier studies the operator did not know whether the subject was diabetic or not and was unaware of the patient's retina state. In the absence of other blind and prospective studies, capillaroscopic examination for diabetic microangiopathy should be reserved strictly to clinical research.

Adolescent

[Surgical reduction of the external ligament for chronic instability of the tibio-tarsal joint. Apropos of 58 reviewed cases].

Between 1975 and 1986, 75 cases of surgical tightening of the lateral ligament have been performed for chronic instability of the ankle. 58 of them have been reviewed with a mean delay of 36 months (extremes of 6 months to 6 years). Surgery corrected completely the instability four out of five times. In six patients there still remained more or less incapacitating pain. Talo-navicular movements were constantly preserved, as well as that of the sub-talar joint, except in six cases where it was slightly diminished. The results have been excellent in 18 cases; very good in 18 cases; good in 6 cases; mild in 8 cases and poor in 4 cases. Furthermore, four patients who originally had an excellent or very good results have subsequently presented with a recurrence of joint laxity and instability following a new severe ankle sprain. X-ray results were less satisfactory as the joint laxity was only partially controlled (average tilt of 7 degrees). But all joint laxities except one have been improved by this type of surgery. After failure of proprioceptive rehabilitation which must be performed systematically, surgical tightening of the lateral ligament can be proposed, and should be preferred to peroneus brevis ligamentoplasties, which are more traumatic and less physiological.

Adolescent