Biomedical subjects

Fabrizio Consorti

Publications and source records attributed to Fabrizio Consorti.

3 recordsLinked to original sources

PubMed2002

Sharing clinical information. principles and task-oriented solutions.

Increasing cooperation among health professionals--within and across organizations--require a suitable sharing of clinical information from heterogeneous (electronic) documentation. Information originates from healthcare activities and may be organized within record systems in relation to health issues, episodes of care, episodes of illness, etc. Implementation of record systems depends on tasks and attitudes within each particular healthcare environment, that determine (i) the balance among functions of the record system, e.g. supporting human memory and decision making, supporting workflow management, recording circumstances about stored data, (ii) the particular organization of a record, (iii) the details of clinical statements that should be explicit or understood. In this paper we present a set of features of record systems and of their context that affect sharing of clinical information.

Confidentiality↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Clinical value of calcifications in thyroid carcinoma and multinodular goiter.

BACKGROUND: To confirm the predictive value of calcifications in thyroid nodules as a risk factor for malignancy and to detect aspects specific for tumours. MATERIALS AND METHODS: In a set of 196 patients (33 differentiated thyroid carcinoma, 9 follicular adenomas and 154 multinodular goiters with dominant nodule) calcifications were detected by ultrasound scan. RESULTS: Calcifications were significantly more frequent in differentiated thyroid carcinoma (DTC) than in benign diseases (DTC 39.4%, adenoma 11.1%, goiter 20.1%) but their considered characteristics (size, number, position, location in the gland, sonographic features of the nodule) did not show any particular difference between DTC and benign diseases. The frequency of calcifications in our series was higher in older patients (mean age 59.4 +/- 13.7 vs. 52.1 +/- 13.1 in patients without calcifications, p < 0.001) and this could imply that their onset is time-dependent. CONCLUSION: Calcifications can be a useful indicator of enhanced risk, to be considered in the overall diagnostic process.

Adenoma↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Phenotypic and functional characterization of lymphocytes in autoimmune thyroiditis and in papillary carcinoma.

BACKGROUND: Infiltrates of lymphocytes are found in both autoimmune thyroid disease and papillary cancer and are responsible for thyroid destruction in autoimmune disease. Their role in neoplastic transformation is not yet clear. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Phenotypic studies and the capacity to undergo apoptosis were assessed on peripheral and gland infiltrating lymphocytes from patients with autoimmune thyroiditis and papillary carcinoma. RESULTS: Peripheral lymphocytes in these patients belong to the same phenotype as the infiltrating lymphocytes. A mixed immune response Tc2 and Tc1 is present in thyroid glands of patients with papillary tumors and the capacity to undergo apoptosis in peripheral lymphocytes from both groups of patients increases. CONCLUSION: We suggest that a switch from a Th1 (Tc1) in autoimmune thyroid disease to a Th2 or mixed response in papillary carcinoma patients in peripheral blood may help the early diagnosis of thyroid cancer and could be used in autoimmune thyroid disease patient follow-up.

Adult↗