Biomedical subjects

F Tartaglia

Publications and source records attributed to F Tartaglia.

25 records · Page 2Linked to original sources

PubMedDate not supplied

Tumor-induced hypophosphatemic osteomalacia associated with tertiary hyperparathyroidism: a case report.

BACKGROUND: Tumor-induced hypophosphatemic osteomalacia is a syndrome characterized by urinary phosphate wasting related to the presence of a slowly-growing tumor of mesenchymal origin. The characteristic laboratory findings are normal serum calcium, marked hypophosphatemia, increased serum alkaline phosphatase, markedly reduced renal tubular reabsorption of phosphorus and inappropriately low levels of 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D [1,25-(OH)2D]. CASE PRESENTATION: A 65-year-old woman presented with a 17-year clinical history of musculoskeletal pain, muscular weakness in the pelvic girdle, spontaneous fractures and difficulty in walking. Over the ensuing years the patient suffered other multiple spontaneous fractures, surgically treated, and the muscular pains worsened until she became bedridden. During the years before hospital admission the patient received treatment with clodronate, oral calcium salts and vitamin D therapy. Standard laboratory, ultrasonography and scintigraphic findings provided a "convenient" diagnosis of primary hyperparathyroidism, but the low plasma level of phosphorus induced to perform an Indium111-octreotide scintigraphy. Scintigraphy visualized an area of pathologic increased signal uptake in the left groin, consistent with a mass containing a high density of somatostatin receptors. After surgery, histologic examination and immunostaining of the resected specimen indicated an hemangiopericytoma. Nevertheless, the persistently low blood phosphorus level, in association with the increased serum calcium and PTH levels, were attributed to the prolonged phosphate therapy the patient underwent over the years, and the persisting abnormal laboratory indexes indicated the development of a tertiary hyperparathyroidism. We performed a subtotal parathyroidectomy and intraoperative assay of serum PTH showed that levels had diminished by more than 80% from preoperative values. Over the ensuing months Ca+2, PTH and serum phosphorus values returned to normal, and the pain symptoms disappeared. CONCLUSIONS: Tumour-induced osteomalacia is a very rare syndrome associated in 5% of cases with tertiary hyperparathyroidism due to long-term therapy with phosphorus and vitamin D. The initial diagnosis of primary hyperparathyroidism, confirmed by the parathyroid MIBI-scintigraphy, would lead us to an inappropriate surgical treatment. Therefore we want to stress the importance of In111-octreotide scintigraphy in detecting tumours, rich in somatostatin receptors, in presence of an hypophosphatemic syndrome.

Aged↗

PubMedDate not supplied

[Lateral cervical metastases from unknown primary].

The authors report their experience about cervical metastasis of unknown primitive neoplasms. Epidemiology, histological type and topography are exposed. Primaries which are responsible, in a high incidence, of the preceding cervical localizations are described. Diagnostic iter, non-invasive/low-price clinical and instrumental procedures, advanced endoscopic and radiologic procedures are discussed. 64 patients were treated. Only in one case we could diagnose the primitive site of the neoplasm with non-invasive procedures. The other cases (63 patients) underwent the excision-biopsy of the cervical nodes. In 52 cases we have been able to define the primitive site of the neoplasm. 11 patients, in which the primary was unknown, underwent the radiotherapy of the cervical nodes and the eventual primitive "foci"; we had no survival, on the average, after six months for the diffuse dissemination of the neoplastic disease.

Aged↗

PubMedDate not supplied

[Surgical treatment of differentiated thyroid carcinomas: results in 440 cases operated between 1970 and 1994].

The authors report their experience and surgical treatment of 440 patients with differentiated carcinoma of the thyroid (DCT) from 1970 to 1990 in the III Surgical Dept. at the University of Rome "La Sapienza". Considering 305 cases of papillary carcinoma, 103 Total Thyroidectomy (TT), 118 TT with Functional Regional Lymphadenectomy (FRL), 32 TT with Node-Picking, 51 TT with curative FRL and one TT with Radical Neck dissection were performed. In 135 cases of follicular carcinoma TT associated with Node-picking were performed on two patients, TT associated with FRL on 8 patients and TT associated with RND on 2 patients. Overall survival to 10 years was 90%; 98% for N- papillary carcinoma and 66% for N+ follicular carcinoma. There were no permanent recurrence of disease. Out of the patients who did not undergo cervical lymphadenectomy 30% developed temporary hypocalcemia; 53% (mediastinal lymphadenectomy) to 87% (FRL) of the patients submitted to lymphadenectomy developed temporary hypocalcemia with permanent hypoparathyroidism in 0.9%-23% of the cases. On the base of what has been observed by Pasieka and Grant, the Authors believe TT as the absolute solution for patients with DCT because it allows the removal of both the original tumor and the possible neoplasms in the residual gland tissue, and enables early identification of other metastases which can be treated efficaciously with I131.

Adenocarcinoma, Follicular↗

PubMedDate not supplied

[Total thyroidectomy technique: suggestions and proposals of surgical practice].

Total thyroidectomy at present depicts a diffuse surgical procedure in the management of benign and malignant disease of thyroid gland. It is followed by a low incidence of iatrogenic damages (nervous lesions or permanent hypoparathyroidism), just like subtotal thyroidectomy and lower than surgery for nodular recurrences. Authors present the surgical technique they follow to perform total thyroidectomy, used in over 400 cases of benign thyroid diseases operated since 1986. The most important points of this surgical procedures are represented by exposure and sparing of inferior laryngeal nerve and by preservation of parathyroid function. Parathyroid glands can be exposed to direct surgical trauma but, more often, they are injured by damage of their vascular supply. To avoid this complication, vascular ligations of inferior thyroid artery have to be done never on the trunk of the artery, but on its branches just near the glandular capsula. Sparing of inferior laryngeal nerves comports the exposure of this structure for all its cervical course especially in the terminal edge, when the nerve is nearest to the gland. Systematical application of illustrated procedure has produced no operative mortality, no inferior laryngeal nerve permanent palsy, transient hoarseness in 0.5%, and transient symptomatic hypocalcemia in 2.7%.

Goiter, Nodular↗

PubMedDate not supplied

[Small cell carcinoma of the esophagus: a case report].

The authors present the case of a primitive small cell esophageal carcinoma. It is a rare and biologically aggressive neoplasm which occurs mainly in the elder male. The case observed concerns a 69 year old female treated with surgical therapy consisting in esophagectomy and intrathoracic esophagealgastrictype plasty. Diagnostic problems either histological or immunohistochemical and the choice of the following treatment are discussed. The cases of patients treated in other Surgical or Oncological centers are reported. Therapeutic orientation adopted by our group is stressed. In this case we have chosen surgical therapy because a sure diagnosis come be given only on the base of the attent histological examination of the entire specimen (endoscopic biopsies are not sufficient); survival data reported are in favour of surgical treatment where secondary metastases are not evident in the respect of antiblastic therapy and/or radiotherapy. Neoplastic recurrence occurred ten months after and a metallic endoscopic esophageal prothesis was positioned. The patient died 1 year after surgery by mediastinal syndrome.

Aged↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Surgical treatment of paragangliomas of the neck.

Of a total of 5,700 surgical procedures on the neck performed at our Institution between 1984 and 1995, 13 operations (0.22%) have been done on 11 patients with 16 cervical paragangliomas. A woman underwent resection of synchronous bilateral carotid body tumours and of an intravagal paraganglioma. Ten years later, after preoperative angiographic embolization, she underwent resection of a paraganglioma of the left hypoglossal nerve. Her sister, at age 21, underwent resection of a carotid body tumour and, respectively 19 and 20 years later, of a right and left intravagal paraganglioma. An interposition graft for replacement of the carotid bifurcation was necessary in one patient only. During resection of a left carotid body tumour, acute hypotension occurred resulting in an ischemic lesion of the right temporal lobe. Postoperatively, she also complained of respiratory distress that responded to medical therapy with difficulty. The related neurologic symptoms completely resolved three months after surgery. The operation for a paraganglioma of the left hypoglossal nerve resulted in a temporary motor deficit of the tongue and in permanent considerable difficulty in swallowing. Unilateral recurrent nerve palsy occurred in two patients. No patients during the postoperative follow-up showed signs of local recurrence or metastatic disease. In conclusion, surgery is an effective treatment for cervical paraganglioma, but because of the high surgical complication rate, an experienced and skilled surgeon is called on to optimize outcome. An adequate perioperative care is advisable.

Adult↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Total versus subtotal thyroidectomy in the management of multinodular goiter.

BACKGROUND: The choice between subtotal and total thyroidectomy for multinodular goiter is controversial. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Subtotal and total thyroidectomy have been respectively performed in 108 and 451 euthyroid patients with multinodular goiter. RESULTS: After subtotal and total thyroidectomy, transient recurrent laryngeal nerve (RLN) palsy occurred in 1 patient (0.9%) and 3 (0.6%), transient asymptomatic hypoparathyroidism in 27 (25%) and 131 (29%), and transient symptomatic hypoparathyroidism in 2 (1.8%) and 13 (2.9%), respectively (P = NS). After subtotal thyroidectomy, recurrence occurred in 27 patients (26%) Re-operation in 14 patients resulted in transient RLN palsy in 2 patients (14%), transient asymptomatic hypoparathyroidism in 6 (43 %) and transient symptomatic hypoparathyroidism in 2 (14%). CONCLUSIONS: The failure to demonstrate any 'hormonal advantage' in preserving thyroid tissue by subtotal thyroidectomy, and the low morbidity rate and no need for re-operation after primary total thyroidectomy, make the latter the procedure of choice for the management of non-toxic multinodular goiter.

Adult↗