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Biomedical subjects

G Catalano

Publications and source records attributed to G Catalano.

At least 253 records · Page 14Linked to original sources

Communicating oesophageal duplication: a case report.

Duplications of the oesophagus are rare congenital abnormalities and rarely communicate with the oesophageal lumen. They are commonly associated with other congenital malformations, such as spinal deformities, congenital heart disease, vertebral anomalies, malrotation of the bowel, Meckel's diverticulum. During a percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy, performed because of a neurological dysphagia, the endoscopy revealed a very rare case of a 26-year old man affected by Klippel-Trenaunay syndrome, with an asymptomatic oesophageal duplication that communicated proximally and distally.

Abnormalities, Multiple↗

Mitoxantrone in combination with etoposide and cytarabine for treatment of poor prognosis acute non lymphoid leukemia patients.

BACKGROUND: The proved effectiveness and relatively low extrahematological toxicity of Mitoxantrone, Ara-C and Etoposide as single agents and in combination in the treatment of acute non lymphoid leukemia (ANLL) are well established. In a phase II study the efficacy and toxicity of an induction combination regimen with Mitoxantrone, Ara-C and Etoposide were evaluated for treatment of poor risk ANLL patients. METHODS: Twenty-seven poor prognosis ANLL patients were treated with Mitoxantrone, 7 mg/sm days 1-3; VP16, 150 mg/sm days 1-3; Ara-C, 200 mg/sm continuous infusion days 1-5. Median age of treated patients was 63 (17-78): 10 de novo leukemias (4 greater than 65 yrs 3 with cardiomyopathy); 12 secondary leukemias (5 secondary to a myelodysplastic syndrome, 5 to myeloproliferative syndrome, 2 to other neoplasias); 3 relapses; 2 refractory. RESULTS: Fifteen patients (55.5%) achieved CR (8 de novo leukemias, 3 relapses, 4 secondary leukemias); 7 died in induction, 5 progressed. Median remission duration was 27 weeks (range 5-70 wks) and overall median survival 13 weeks (range 4-80). Extraematological toxicity was low, but five patients died from infections and two from hemorrhages. CONCLUSIONS: The combination tested in this trial proved effective in the treatment of "poor risk" ANLL, but the results need to be confirmed on greater numbers of patients, mainly in the group of de novo leukemias that can't be treated with more aggressive regimens.

Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols↗

[Hemodynamics, hemocoagulation and neuroendocrine responses in long-duration anesthesia. Comparison of propofol infusion with thiopentone and NLA II].

Ten patients receiving propofol for the induction and maintenance of anaesthesia were compared with 10 patients in whom anaesthesia was induced with thyopentone and maintained with fentanil. The cardiovascular response to anaesthesia, the effects on coagulation and fibrinolysis and the neuroendocrine response have been investigated during surgical procedures exceeding 90'. There was a larger decrease in PA after induction in the propofol group versus control, but the overall quality of anaesthesia during induction and maintenance was comparable in both groups. No differences were found about blood coagulation and fibrinolysis between the groups. Important differences between the groups were instead found about the cortisol response to anaesthesia and surgery: in the propofol group there was a decrease in the cortisol concentration in 90' sample with no statistical significance, returning to the baseline value after 1 h from recovery. In the control group a significant increase of cortisol concentration was noted both at 90' and 1 h after the end of anaesthesia.

Adult↗

[Immunodepressive action and effects of medroxyprogesterone acetate on the lymphatic tissue of the spleen of rabbits].

Present results demonstrated that medroxyprogesterone acetate (MPA) caused depletion of lymphoid splenic tissue in rabbits. This phenomenon, induced by corticoid action and antiproliferative activity of the hormonal agent, supported the immunodepressive properties of drug, which prolonged the survival of some allografts and lowered the antibody response to different antigens.

Animals↗

Computer-assisted assessment of the variations of sperm kinetics after semen treatment with Pellet Swim-up (PSu), and with centrifugation on a discontinuous Percoll gradient at reduced volumes (mini-CDPG).

The semen of the male partners of 37 infertile couples was analyzed with the use of the HTM-S Motility Analyzer (HTM-S MA). For each sample it was thus possible to assess the Total Concentration (TC), the Motile Cell Population Concentration (MCPC), the Progressive Cell Population Concentration (PCPC), the Average Path Velocity (VAP), the Straight Line Velocity (VSL), the Curvilinear Velocity (VCL), the Straightness (STR), the Linearity (LIN), the Lateral Head Displacement (ALH) and the Head Size (HS). The same parameters were then measured on the same semen after treatment with the Pellet Swim-up (PSu) and following Centrifugation on reduced-volume Discontinuous Percoll gradient (mini-CDPG). There was a significant difference in the TC (51.63 M/ml +/- 43.99 in the untreated ejaculate, 11.48 M/ml +/- 9.66 after PSu, 7.94 M/ml +/- 7.3 after mini-CDPG; chi r2 = 50.392, p < 0.05), in the MCPC (20.95 M/ml +/- 26.29 in the untreated ejaculate, 3.79 M/ml +/- 4.26 after PSu, and 2.74 M/ml +/- 3.73 after mini-CDPG; chi r2 = 33.55, p < 0.05), and in the PCPC (7.8 M/ml +/- 12.87 in the untreated ejaculate, 1.81 M/ml +/- 2.36 after PSu, and 1.28 M/ml +/- 1.73 after min-CDPG; chi r2 = 6.38; p < 0.05). The overall comparison between the couples showed a significant difference in the MCPC after PSu and after mini-CDPG (z = -2.09, p < 0.05) whereas no significant difference was found in the comparison off the results of either the TC after PSu and after mini-CDPG (z = -1.9; NS), or of the PCPC after PSu and after mini-CDPG (z = -1.68; NS).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Adult↗

[Anthracycline-induced cardiotoxicity: monitoring and prevention of the lesion].

Doxorubicin is a common antitumoral agent, widely used to treat patients with a variety of neoplastic diseases: acute and severe dose-related chronic cardiotoxicity is the major limitation to optimal use of anthracycline antibiotics. Cancer patients with clinically important heart disease are thus generally not eligible for anthracycline therapy. This review discusses the clinical aspects and possible underlying pathogenetic mechanisms of cardiac damage. Also described is the diagnostic evaluation necessary for early warning of a cardiac event during anthracycline therapy as well as the means to prevent it. The authors also discuss the anthracycline derivatives, verapamil, and dexrazoxane (ICRF-187), a new cardioprotector agent.

Antibiotics, Antineoplastic↗

The clinical impact of FEM regimen (5-fluorouracil, 4-epidoxorubicin and mitomycin-C) in advanced gastric cancer patients.

The activity of FEM regimen in metastatic gastric cancer patients was assessed in seventy-seven patients receiving, as palliative treatment, 5FU 600 mg/m2 i.v. on days 1, 8, 29, 36; epiADR 70 mg/m2 i.v. on days 1, 29; MIT-C 10 mg/m2 i.v. on days 1, 29. Cycles were repeated every 58 days. One patient achieved a complete response and 12 a partial response, resulting in an overall response rate of 16% (95% CI: 8% to 24%). Median remission duration was 6 months. Median survival time for all patients was 8 months. Side-effects were mild and principally in the form of leukopenia (three episodes grade III). Our results support the recent findings about the lack of effectiveness of this regimen. Although it is a safe and well tolerable chemotherapeutic combination, FEM regimen should not be recommended as routinary treatment for gastric cancer patients who are not eligible for clinical trials.

Adult↗

Diagnosis and surgical treatment of retroperitoneal tumours.

The authors examine the various techniques for diagnosing Retroperitoneal Tumours (RPT) and analyse the results of the surgical treatment performed. Between March 1987 and February 1991, 20 patients with RPT (6 benign and 14 malignant forms) were observed in our Institution. CT and NMR revealed more diagnostic accuracy than other techniques (100%), while NMR had greater accuracy than CT in predictly resectability preoperatively (100% vs. 80.0%, respectively). A total of 26 laparotomies were performed: 20 for primary neoplasms and 6 for recurrent tumours. Exeresis of the mass was performed in 18/20 (90%) patients. Mean follow-up was 57.6 months (84-36). The benign forms had no recurrence. In malignant cases the disease recurred in 58.3% of the cases after an interval varying from 10 to 59 months. Overall mean survival of the 12 patients with malignant tumours subjected to resection was 58.3%. The 1- and 3-year survival rates were 91.7% and 58.3% respectively. Prognosis in malignant RPT is still very poor.

Female↗