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Biomedical subjects

G Bianchi

Publications and source records attributed to G Bianchi.

At least 631 records · Page 35Linked to original sources

[Evaluation of central venous catheters by endocavitary ECG].

Jugular vein catheterization (JVC) is adopted for blood access in patients with acute renal failure, chronic renal failure and when patients demonstrate traditional vascular access (VA) failure. We believe that the best technique, first described by Serafini et al, to establish the position of a central venous catheter (CVC) is endocavitary electrocardiography (EC-ECG) and its use is recommended in all uremic patients requiring hemodialysis (HD). This technique uses the tip of the CVC as a reference point in standard electrocardiography. From 2001 to March 2004, we successfully applied this CVC technique in 33 patients requiring HD. The EC-ECG technique is a method that complies with the Food and Drug Administration guidelines regarding catheter tip location in uremic patients.

Catheterization, Central Venous↗

[Spermatic cord torsion].

Torsion of the spermatic cord constitutes a surgical emergency. Morphologically and functionally, the fate of the compromised testis largely depends on the time elapsed between the acute episode and surgical intervention. Patients who had been treated for testicular torsion by our group from 1976 to 1989 were requested to return for outpatient evaluation. These patient were divided into two groups according to the time elapsed between the diagnosis and surgical intervention. We observed that surgical correction within 12 hours following presentation permitted testicular salvage. Testicular volume was generally preserved and remained normal or slightly diminished. However, when the time elapsed was over 12 hours, testicular atrophy was observed in 46% of the patients. We can conclude, therefore, that detorsion must be performed as soon as possible. Vaginalis testis eversion will generally achieve stable and lasting fixation.

Adolescent↗

Radiofrequency thermal ablation of non spinal osteoid osteoma: remarks on method.

Osteoid osteoma is a small benign tumor, with a ''nidus'' that rarely exceeds 15 mm in diameter. It is relatively common in males, especially teenagers and young adults. It involves mainly the appendicular skeleton, the femur in particular, and rarely the axial skeleton. It requires treatment because it causes intense pain. In recent years alternative, less invasive, treatments have been proposed, such as drilling combined with ethanol injections, and thermal ablation with laser or radiofrequency. This study assesses 117 patients affected by osteoid osteoma, treated by radiofrequency thermal ablation between June 2001 and November 2003. We describe the patient recruitment procedure, CT-guided technique, the percutaneous approach, thermal ablation, and the instruments used. Data were analyzed thoroughly, and modifications that have improved the effects of treatment have been highlighted. The results achieved since the method was perfected have been extremely encouraging, confirming that the technique is very effective if performed correctly. For that reason radiofrequency thermal ablation has become the treatment of choice for non-spinal osteoid osteoma at Rizzoli Orthopaedic Institute.

Journal Article↗

cAMP phosphodiesterase activity in diabetic rats eyes in normoxic, hypoxic and hyperoxic conditions.

Phosphodiesterase activity was tested on homogenized eyes of pre-diabetic rats kept in normoxic, hypoxic and hyperoxic conditions, with the aim of correlating any difference in PDE activity with variations in atmospheric oxygen contents. The activity of the cAMP phosphodiesterase (cAMP-PDE) was tested. Phosphodiesterases seem to be particularly susceptible to variations in oxygen tension, suggesting an important role of cyclic nucleotides in adaptive processes of the cell. cAMP-PDE activity increases slightly in normoxic, hypoxic and hyperoxic conditions in pre-diabetic rats. The second messenger, cAMP, plays important roles in mediating the biological effects of a wide variety of first messengers. The intracellular levels of cyclic nucleotides depend upon rates of synthesis and degradation, of cyclases and phosphodiesterase (PDEs), respectively. Therefore, PDEs seem to play an important role in a wide variety of physiological processes.

3',5'-Cyclic-AMP Phosphodiesterases↗

cGMP phosphodiesterase activity in diabetic rats eyes in normoxic, hypoxic and hyperoxic conditions.

Phosphodiesterase activity was tested on homogenized eyes of pre-diabetic rats kept in normoxic, hypoxic and hyperoxic conditions, with the aim of correlating any difference in PDE activity with variations in atmospheric oxygen contents. The activity of the cGMP phosphodiesterase (cGMP-PDE) was tested. Phosphodiesterases seem to be particularly susceptible to variations in oxygen tension, suggesting an important role of cyclic nucleotides in cellular adaptive processes. cGMP-PDE activity increases lightly in normoxic, hypoxic and hyperoxic conditions in pre-diabetic rats. The second messenger, cGMP, plays important roles in mediating the biological effects of a wide variety of first messengers. In particular, cGMP in the eye is an important mediator for the mechanism of sight. The intracellular levels of cyclic nucleotides depend upon the rates of synthesis and degradation, actuated, respectively, by cyclases and phosphodiesterases (PDEs). Therefore, PDEs seem to play an important role in a wide variety of physiological processes.

3',5'-Cyclic-GMP Phosphodiesterases↗

[Diagnostic accuracy of fine needle aspiration cytology guided by ultrasonography in intra-abdominal and retroperitoneal lesions].

UNLABELLED: Evaluation of the fine needle aspiration cytology guided by ultrasonography in the diagnosis of abdominal and retroperitoneal tumors. DESIGN: Transversal study of diagnostic standard-criterion test. PLACE: Ultrasonographic Unity Digestive Disease Department. Hospital Oncológico Padre Machado. SAMPLE: 98 patients with intraabdominal and retroperitoneal lesions. INTERVENTION: Fine needle aspiration cytology guided by Ultrasonography. INDICE TEST: Laparoscopy and/or laparotomy. MEASUREMENTS: Estimation of sensibility (S), Specificity (E), Efficacy (Ef), positive predictive value (VPP), negative predictive value (VPN), measure of false positives (TFP) and measure of false negatives (TFN) by diagnosis method. RESULTS: VP: 81%; VN: 12%; FP: 1%; FN: 6%; S: 93%; E: 92.3%; Ef.: 97%; VPP: 98.7%; VPN: 66%; TFP: 1.25%; Benign lesions: 22.5%; Malignancy lesions: 65.5%; non lesions: 12%; complications: severe: 1%, non significance: 5%. CONCLUSIONS: Fine needle aspiration cytology guided by ultrasound has high sensibility, specificity, efficacy, with low value of false positive. However, it has high incidence of false negatives and negative predictive value. We recommend diagnostic procedures when the suspicion of tumor is high did the cytology is negative.

Abdominal Injuries↗

[Merkel cell tumor].

The authors review 274 cases of Merkel's cells tumor reported in literature and present one case they personally observed. This kind of neoplasm develops itself inside the derma without involving the epidermidis and shows an aggressive biological behaviour. The authors describe its anatomopathologic characteristics and underline the importance of the immunohistochemistry particularly for a differential diagnosis with respect to lymphoma, amelanotic melanoma and the scarcely differentiated metastatic carcinoma. Undoubtedly the surgical treatment is to be preferred. It consists of the removal of the primitive lesion together with a preventive regional lymphadenectomy. Radio and chemotherapy still don't play a standard role, their results are anyway encouraging even if not well defined up to now. These therapies are used in several ways: together with surgery in case of local relapses or metastasis or as sole treatment. In consideration of the small number of available data, we can finally state that Merkel's cells tumor must be further studied in order to come to a certain definition of this neoplasm from a histogenetic and anatomopathologic point of view and, above all, to find out a treatment able to reduce the high mortality rate that still today characterizes the prognosis.

Carcinoma, Merkel Cell↗

Detection of sexually transmitted diseases by urethral cytology, the ignored male counterpart of cervical cytology.

The detection of sexually transmitted diseases by urethral cytology was investigated in 270 men examined by urethral swabbing smears. Each sample was used to prepare a wet mount smear and smears for staining by the Papanicolaou, Gram and methylene blue techniques. A fifth smear was used for direct staining with fluorescein-conjugated monoclonal antibodies for the detection of Chlamydia trachomatis. The smears were examined for cytoplasmic and nuclear changes as well as for pathogenic organisms and inflammatory changes. Infections with Chlamydia trachomatis, Neisseria gonorrhoeae and human papillomavirus (HPV) produced distinctive cytologic patterns similar to those seen in cervicovaginal smears from women. The patterns in candidiasis, trichomoniasis and herpes simplex virus infection were not as diagnostic. Particularly noteworthy were the nuclear alterations, which appeared to be proplastic in HPV infection but retroplastic in Chlamydia infection. The results of this study indicate that urethral cytology would be an invaluable addition in diagnosing sexually transmitted diseases in men, particularly in the case of Chlamydia and HPV infections. The monomorphic structure of urethral columnar epithelium, as compared to the cervical epithelium, seems to result in a clearer and more constant response to pathogenic infections, as seen in the resulting smears.

Animals↗

[Cellular metabolism of sodium and hypertension].

Essential hypertension develops from interactions between genetic and environmental components. Studies on cell membrane ions (in particular the sodium ion) transport in essential hypertension were originally carried out in order to better understand the roles these two components play in a less complex system than the overall organ system or the single organs involved in blood pressure regulation. The theory supporting this experimental approach is based on the observation that cell membrane function affects all the phenomena involved in blood pressure regulation. Receptor function, hormonal secretion, cell volume regulation, ion transport and ion composition of the cell are all regulated at the cell membrane level. However the problem of the relevance of cellular sodium metabolism in the pathogenesis of essential hypertension and of the interpretation of the many conflicting results has grown in complexity with the growing mass of data published in the literature. At least part of this complexity seems related to methodological problems but part is surely due to real differences among the various populations or subpopulations studied. This review analyzes the main sources of the discrepancies, the different ion transport systems and the end point of the overall transport system as well as the steady state intracellular cation concentration in both genetic animal models of essential hypertension and in man.

Animals↗

[Sheehan syndrome in the Republic of Niger. 19 cases].

From February 1983 to December 1985, the authors investigated 19 african women with Sheehan's syndrome in Niamey (Republic of Niger). A 15 points diagnostic score was systematically used. Two signs were indispensable for the diagnosis: post-partum agalactia (or severe hypogalactia) and amenorrhea. At least 9 points score was found for every case. Eighteen patients lived along a major road in Niamey and in Dosso departments. The prevalence of this disease is probably important but many cases were not diagnosed since there was no medical examination. Sheehan's syndrome was predominantly diagnosed among Fulani women. Young women (mean age: 26 years) in intensive sexual life, primiparous (8/9) or multiparous (11/19) were concerned. Emergence circumstances of signs were: childbirth at home (18/19), severe vaginal bleeding at placental birth (14/19), rare transfusions (2/19). The infant of a mother with Sheehan's syndrome had a poor prognosis: 9 deaths among 11 deliveries for multiparous, 7/8 for monoparous. The infants were stillborn or more often dead during the first months. Deaths were in relation to absence of maternal lactation. For the primiparous, then infertile women because of hypopituitarism, the repudiation becomes often the only social way of life. Lasting hormonotherapy was not available because 18/19 patients were very poor. Prevention is not possible before long, especially in primiparous, because of: the mentality: the first delivery at home with the mother is the traditional habit; the importance of the required measures.

Adolescent↗