Search PubMed⌕ Search

Biomedical subjects

G Carmignani

Publications and source records attributed to G Carmignani.

At least 55 records · Page 3Linked to original sources

[Immunotherapy with subcutaneous recombinant IL-2 and interferon combined with surgery in advanced stage carcinoma of the kidney].

Twelve consecutive patients with metastatic renal cell carcinoma were submitted to an integrate treatment plan of immunotherapy with subcutaneous IL-2 and IFN and radical surgery in a pilot study. Partial response were observed in 2 patients, stable disease in 5 patients and progression of disease under treatment were observed in 5. Two RP were maintained for 12 and 18+ months and 1 SD is maintained at 12+ months. Treatment was well tolerated without significant toxicity. Integrated radical surgery and immunotherapy with s.c. IL-2 and IFN can produce occasionally protracted clinical responses.

Aged↗

Laparoscopic pelvic lymphnodes dissection for prostate and bladder cancer: indication, techniques and results.

Laparoscopic pelvic lymphadenectomy has been proposed for staging of prostate cancer and it might be used, in selected cases, also in bladder cancer. On a total of 31 laparoscopic lymphadenectomies (LPND), 18 for prostate cancer and 13 for bladder cancer, we found positive nodes in 8 cases (26.1%), 4 in prostate and 4 in bladder cancer group. We had no intraoperative complications and negligible postoperative complications (in 10% of cases shoulder-tip pain and in 24% subcutaneous emphysema); all these spontaneously disappeared after 24-36 hours. Patients with negative nodes underwent radical surgery except two prostate cancer patients who underwent radiotherapy, and patients with positive nodes underwent hormonal therapy (for prostate cancer) or chemoradiotherapy protocol (for bladder cancer). In conclusion, laparoscopic lymphadenectomy proved to be a feasible and safe method for staging urological malignancies, being less invasive, with shorter hospitalization and postoperative convalescence than open lymphadenectomy. It should be mainly indicated in high risk prostate cancer patients (elevated PSA and/or Gleason score). In bladder cancer patients, it could be proposed in bladder sparing investigational protocols, as the percentage of pelvic nodes metastases in T2/T3 bladder cancer is sufficiently high to justify an additional staging procedure.

Adenocarcinoma↗

[Extrarenal angiomyolipoma: vascular, lymphonodal, and perirenal localization. Report of 4 cases].

Angiomyolipomas are rare renal tumors considered benign even though evidences of occurrence of the disease in lymphnodes and vascular structures as well as in a variety of distant sites, such as the liver, the uterus, the nasal cavity and others, have occasionally been reported. We describe one case of late lesion of angiomyolipoma within the wall of the inferior bronchial artery, two cases of lymphnodes involvement and one case of angiomyolipoma extending into the perirenal fat.

Adult↗

[Treatment with rufloxacin of complicated urinary tract infections].

Eighteen patients of either sex (14 M; 4 F), ranging in age from 23 to 79 years, with clinical diagnosis of complicated cystitis due to Rufloxacin sensitive pathogens, were enrolled. Rufloxacin was administered orally at the dosage of 400 mg/die the first day; 200 mg/die the following 6 days or more. The mean duration of treatment was 7.25 +/- 0.78 days. No concomitant antimicrobial therapy was administered during the study. At the end of therapy 5/14 evaluable patients recovered, 9/14 evaluable patients improve; 4 patients were considered by Investigator as "not evaluable". Causative pathogens were isolated in all patients and eradicated in 18 out of 18 bacteriologically evaluable patients (eradication rate = 100%). Neither reinfections nor superinfections occurred. No clinical adverse event related to study medication was reported. The results indicate that Rufloxacin at the oral dose of 200 mg/die is well tolerated and effective in the treatment of complicated cystitis.

Adult↗

[Involvement of the urogenital system in HIV virus infection].

Despite the genitourinary system is prone to infections by the Human Virus of Immunodeficiency, so far poor interest has been focused on urological manifestations of AIDS. We thoroughly reviewed the Literature and examined the different patterns of HIV infections on the kidneys, the prostate and the testes. An extensive description is given.

HIV↗

[Critical considerations on the implant of penile prosthesis: indications, choice of prosthesis, surgical technique, and follow-up].

The surgical techniques for penile prothesis implantation are well known and standardized. Multicomponent hydraulic prostheses offer, without any doubt, the best guarantees in terms of function and aesthetic results. Nevertheless their insertion is sometime troublesome and a superficial knowledge of the technical problems may lead to complete and disappointing failures. In the present work the Authors report their personal experience with various types of penile prostheses and describe in details, the different maneuvers which are needed for their correct implantation. Some variation of the original technique will be also described. The results obtained will also be described.

Adult↗

The Po River Delta epidemiological study of obstructive lung disease: sampling methods, environmental and population characteristics.

A longitudinal study on chronic obstructive lung disease (AOD) has been started in the Po River Delta in northern Italy. The first cross-sectional study was conducted in this previously unpolluted rural area before the start of operation of a large thermoelectric power plant (2,649 megawatt). A significant output of air pollutants is expected. This will permit us to carry out a "natural experiment" to study the effects of air pollutants (SO2 and suspended particulates). A multistage stratified cluster design was chosen. Stratification was based on age and socio-economic characteristics (SES) of households, and was performed in two steps, using the different indices computed from the census data. Geographic zones represented four areas of different predicted pollution exposure, once the plant started operating. There were 3,289 subjects in the selected age group (8-64) who agreed to participate (78%); only 11% refused to participate. The participants were representative of the clusters and SES. Participants had slightly fewer employed males, who did not participate due to work. The stratification and staging method allowed us to keep an acceptable level of precision and efficiency in the sample. In fact age-related differences were not found among the SES strata and geographic zones; various socio-economic characteristics, verified from the questionnaire information, were consistent with the SES stratification. Differences between geographic zones were related to the number of households of different SES within clusters; however this reflects the characteristics of the general population in the area.

Air Pollutants↗

Carbon monoxide diffusing capacity, other indices of lung function, and respiratory symptoms in a general population sample.

To assess the relationships among single-breath diffusing capacity for CO (DLCOsb) (13), respiratory symptoms, and cigarette smoking in a general population sample, the data of 718 men and 894 women 20 yr of age or older were analyzed, and comparisons were performed with flow-volume curve (MEFV) variables and the slope of the alveolar plateau (DN2%/L) as well. Percent predicted DLCOsb and its correction for alveolar volume (DL/VA) were significantly lower in smokers than in nonsmokers. The relationship of presence/absence of respiratory symptoms and cigarette smoking with DLCOsb and DL/VA was significant. DLCO indices were almost always selected as discriminant variables in multivariate analysis between asymptomatic and symptomatic subjects. Poor concordance among lung function tests was evident: in men, 30% with abnormal (i.e., lower than 97.5% percentile) and 21% with normal DLCO indices also had abnormal MEFV parameters and/or DN2%/L. In women, the corresponding figures were 24 and 10%, respectively. In men, when considering only DLCO indices, the percentage of symptomatic subjects with abnormal lung function tests ranged from 33% in those with at least one symptom to 45% in those complaining of dyspnea. When the proportion of symptomatic subjects with DN2%/L and MEFV abnormalities were added, it increased to 56 and 66%, respectively. However, in women the proportion of symptomatic subjects with abnormal lung function indices was very small. These results indicate the usefulness of including CO diffusing capacity in epidemiologic surveys in the detection of abnormalities.

Adolescent↗

[Anatomo-functional study of penile innervation in the rat].

The Wistar rat represents a very useful model in experimental surgery and in scientific research. The anatomic structures are very similar to those encountered in man. Moreover the cost for their purchase, breeding and nourishment is very low and it's possible to perform surgical maneuvers without sterility. Nevertheless the penis has an extremely small dimension and its anatomic structure is quite different from that of man because corpora cavernosa are almost completely occupied by an osteo-cartilagenous formation: the os penis. For this reason it's very difficult to perform a physiopathological study of erection on the rat. On the other hand the nervous fibres are very similar for course and localization to those encountered in man and monkeys. Their electrical stimulation causes an erection which is adequate in duration and intensity to be evident.

Animals↗

[Critical assessment of penile prosthesis implants: indication, choice of prosthesis, surgical technique and follow-up].

The surgical techniques for penile prosthesis implantation are well known and standardized. Multicomponent hydraulic prosthesis offer, without any doubt, the best guarantees in terms of function and aesthetic results. Nevertheless their insertion is sometime troublesome and a superficial knowledge of the technical problems may lead to complete and disappointing failures. In the present work the Authors report their personal experience with various types of penile prosthesis and describe in details, the different maneuvers which are needed for their correct implantation. Some variation of the original technique will be also described. The results obtained will also be described.

Adult↗

Presurgery chemotherapy (CT) in locally advanced bladder carcinoma: a feasible and possibly effective approach.

In October 1984, a prospective pilot study aiming to evaluate the feasibility and to preliminarily test the efficacy of the chemotherapy--surgery sequence in locally advanced bladder carcinoma was started at our institutions. Chemotherapy consisted of adriamycin 50 mg mq-2 and cisplatin 50 mg mq-2 on day 1 and fluorouracil 500 mg mq-2 and teniposide 100 mg mq-2 on days 1 and 8; chemotherapy was repeated every 3 weeks for three cycles and followed by surgery (radical cystectomy; TUR if radical surgery medically contraindicated). The characteristics of the 28 patients so far treated include: T3b in 26 patients, local relapse after surgery in two, nodal metastases in seven. Twenty-five patients were male and three female, median age was 61 yr (range 42-75). Clinical response following chemotherapy was: complete remission (CR) in five patients, partial remission (PR) in 15, stable disease (SD) in three, progression (PRO) in two. Three patients are not evaluable. Treatment was moderately well tolerated. Thirteen patients underwent radical surgery, three exploratory surgery, three TUR; refusal in three patients, early death in two, too early in one. No evidence of disease was found in the surgical specimen of five patients (three CR, two PR), microscopic residual disease in four PR patients, gross residual disease in 11 patients (one CR, six PR, two SD, two PRO). Actuarial median survival (all 28 patients) is 45% at 36 months. These preliminary results suggest that the combination of chemotherapy and surgery is feasible and may be effective in these poor prognosis patients.

Adult↗

Effects of childhood and adolescence-adulthood respiratory infections in a general population.

The role of childhood respiratory infections before 12 yrs of age (CRI) and during adolescence-adulthood (ARI) was studied in a general population sample (n = 3,289), living in an unpolluted area of Northern Italy. The presence of respiratory symptoms and diseases, as well as risk factors for obstructive airways disease (OAD), was assessed by a standardized questionnaire. Forced vital capacity and derived expiratory flows, and single-breath diffusing capacity were measured using computerized instrumentation. There were 1,185 (36.2%) subjects who reported pertussis (PT), 374 (11.4%) recurrent chest colds, pneumonia and croup, singly or in combination, with or without pertussis (CRI), and 1,718 (52.4%) reported no respiratory infections in childhood (NOCRI). Prevalence rates of respiratory symptoms and diseases were significantly higher in subjects of the CRI group in all ages, and in older smokers. Wheeze and attacks of shortness of breath with wheeze were significantly higher in younger nonsmoking subjects with a history of CRI. Respiratory symptoms and diseases were not more prevalent in subjects of the PT group. Prevalence rates of respiratory symptoms and diseases were significantly higher in subjects with a history of ARI, both in smokers and nonsmokers. Lung function parameters adjusted for sex, age and smoking were significantly lower in CRI subjects; PT subjects showed lower values than NOCRI subjects. A significantly higher prevalence rate of ARI was present in subjects who reported CRI, both in smokers and nonsmokers. Subjects with both CRI and ARI showed the highest prevalence of respiratory symptoms and diseases. In addition, they had the lowest lung function values regardless of smoking habit.

Adolescent↗

Prevalence of asthma and asthma symptoms in a general population sample of north Italy.

The prevalence rates of asthma and asthma symptoms were investigated in a general population sample (n = 3,289) living in a rural area of northern Italy. The subjects received a standard questionnaire and performed lung function tests with automated equipment. The overall prevalence rate of reported diagnosis of asthma was 5%. In young nonsmokers of both sexes the prevalence rates of reported diagnoses were higher than those of symptoms whilst the reverse occurred in older age groups. The prevalence rates decreased from childhood to young adults and increased again in older age groups. In smokers, reported diagnoses and symptoms increased with age and the prevalence rates of symptoms were always higher than those of diagnoses. Smokers with symptoms and reported diagnoses had lower lung function parameters than those with only symptoms. The distribution of asthma symptoms in our population indicates the importance of cigarette smoke and other environmental factors in the expression of the disease.

Adolescent↗