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Biomedical subjects

G Tani

Publications and source records attributed to G Tani.

At least 37 records · Page 2Linked to original sources
PubMed1994

Intraventricular fused fornices: a specific sign of fetal lobar holoprosencephaly.

Lobar holoprosencephaly can be recognized in utero with sonography. However, a specific diagnosis is difficult and thus far has relied upon a qualitative evaluation of the morphology of the cerebral ventricles. In infants with this condition, magnetic resonance imaging demonstrates at times an abnormal appearance of the fornices, which are rudimentary and fused in to a single fascicle running within the third ventricle. In a 30-weeks' fetus affected by lobar holoprosencephaly, this finding could be well demonstrated by sonography and was confirmed after birth by both transfontanellar ultrasound and magnetic resonance imaging. It is proposed that the antenatal demonstration of an echogenic linear structure running within the third ventricle is a specific sign of lobar holoprosencephaly, and can assist this difficult diagnosis.

Journal Article↗
PubMed1994

Long-term follow-up and final height in girls with central precocious puberty treated with luteinizing hormone-releasing hormone analogue nasal spray.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate clinical, hormonal, and auxologic features in a group of girls with central precocious puberty during and after long-term treatment with luteinizing hormone-releasing hormone analogue nasal spray. DESIGN: Clinical survey, before-after trial. SETTING: Pediatric Clinic, Endocrinological Center, University of Bologna (Italy). PATIENTS: Forty-one girls with central precocious puberty were treated for 28 months (range, 12 to 60 months); 25 of them discontinued therapy at a mean chronological age of 10.0 +/- 0.9 years and were followed up for 25 months (range, 6 to 50 months). Twelve patients achieved adult height. INTERVENTION: Buserelin acetate (D-Ser [TBU] LHRH A1-9EA) nasal spray; 1800 micrograms/d subdivided into six intranasal administrations of 300 micrograms each. MEASUREMENTS/MAIN RESULTS: Basal follicle-stimulating hormone, peak gonadotropin values (fluoro-immunoenzymatic method, Eurogenetics, Tessenderlo, Belgium; sensitivity was 0.5 IU/L for luteinizing hormone and 1 IU/L for follicle-stimulating hormone), and estradiol (radioimmunoassay method, DPC Kit, Los Angeles, Calif; sensitivity was 11.01 pmol/L) were significantly suppressed (P < .0001) as of the third month of treatment and increased significantly (P < .01) to pretreatment levels 6 months after discontinuation of therapy. Uterine and mean ovarian volumes, which were stable throughout treatment, appeared significantly higher (P < .05) than before treatment at only 6 months after stopping therapy. In patients with more advanced bone age (according to Greulich and Pyle) at onset of treatment, we observed a more significant improvement of SD score for height (Tanner). Mean adult height in our patients was 159.5 +/- 6.1 cm, and the variables that were significantly associated with final height were height age/bone age ratio at onset and target height (according to Tanner). CONCLUSIONS: Long-term buserelin treatment administered nasally is effective because of completeness of inhibition, quick reversibility after treatment is stopped, and lack of side effects. Its auxologic results are different depending on bone age advancement at onset, which represents a predictor of "therapeutic success." Further follow-up would be useful.

Administration, Intranasal↗
PubMed1994

Empty sella in children and adolescents with possible hypothalamic-pituitary disorders.

Several computed tomographic scan studies have described empty sellae in children with hypothalamic-pituitary disorders. Magnetic resonance imaging, however, is a more precise technique for visualizing the intrasellar content, such as the stalk and pituitary lobes. Using magnetic resonance imaging, we studied 339 children and adolescents (mean age +/- SD, 12.7 +/- 4.5 yr) with possible hypothalamic-pituitary disorders to ascertain the frequency of primary empty sella and examine its relationships with other intrasellar abnormalities, pituitary function, and adverse perinatal events. One hundred and ninety-three patients had isolated GH deficiency, 43 had multiple pituitary hormone deficiency, 10 had diabetes insipidus, 17 had hypogonadotropic hypogonadism, 5 had idiopathic delayed puberty, 47 had precocious puberty, and 24 had other hypothalamic pituitary disorders of hyperfunction. One tenth (10.9%) of the patients (37 cases) had empty sella, with a marked variation of incidences among the disorders listed above. A statistically higher frequency of subjects with empty sellae was found only in patients with multiple pituitary hormone deficiency. Patients with and without empty sellae were not different in regard to age or sex. The incidence of empty sella in the various groups of patients was as follows: isolated GH deficiency, 8.8% (17 cases); multiple pituitary hormone deficiency, 34.9% (15 cases); hypogonadotropic hypogonadism, 5.9% (1 case); idiopathic delayed puberty, 40% (2 cases); and precocious puberty, 4.2% (2 cases). No patients with isolated diabetes insipidus or other hypothalamic-pituitary disorders had empty sellae. In the patients with empty sellae, abnormalities of the stalk or posterior lobe were found in 1 patient with isolated GH deficiency (5.9%), 13 patients with multiple pituitary hormone deficiency (86.7%), and no patients with puberty disorders. Likewise, adverse perinatal events were found only in 1 patient with isolated GH deficiency and 9 patients with multiple pituitary hormone deficiency. These findings suggest that empty sella is not rare in children and adolescents evaluated for hypothalamic-pituitary disorders, particularly if there is multiple pituitary hormone deficiency. Empty sella can be found regardless of abnormalities of the stalk and posterior lobe, and adverse perinatal events do not seem to be the primary etiological factor. Empty sella is usually associated with pituitary hypofunction, but it can be found in patients with hyperfunction of the hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal axis.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1994

[Epidemiological analysis of deaths occurring while taking a bath].

An epidemiological analysis of deaths occurring while taking a bath was carried out in Tochigi Prefecture. Data concerning the numbers of deaths were obtained from the Tochigi Central Police Office. Long-term assessments from 1978 to 1992 were completed for a total number of 1,348 persons (793 men and 555 women). The annual number of deaths during taking a bath increased gradually from 43 in 1978 to 140 in 1992. Death occurred 1.43 times more frequently in males than in females. The number during summer was only one eighth that of the winter peak. In addition, the increase in mortality was proportional to age. The mortality figures per 100,000 were, 10 for 40-49 age group, 31 for 50-59, 79 for 60-69, 251 for 70-79 and 469 for those 80 and over. It is concluded that the number of deaths occurring while taking a bath has increased gradually in those 80 or over.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1993

Rheumatoid arthritis and B cell lymphoma with pathological changes of reactive histiocytosis.

A 67 year old woman with rheumatoid arthritis was admitted to hospital in acute renal failure. Her clinical features included increasing dyspnoea and oedema, and a computed tomogram of the abdomen showed a large mass in the retroperitoneum. Twenty six days later, she died, and a post mortem examination was carried out. The histological changes of the mass indicated B cell lymphoma of diffuse large cell type, with a reactive proliferation of erythrophagocytosing histiocytes. Immunocytochemical studies showed that the histiocytes were positive for CD-68 and lysozyme, but negative for S-100 protein. Such neoplastic B cell proliferation accompanied by activation of benign looking histiocytes with erythrophagocytosis is very rare.

Aged↗
PubMed1993

[Diagnosis of gastro-esophageal reflux in children. Ultrasonography versus pH monitoring].

The reliability of ultrasonography (US) was investigated in the diagnosis of gastroesophageal reflux in the pediatric patient. Therefore, specificity and sensitivity of US were compared with those of a 24-hour pH monitoring. A hundred and twenty-nine patients were examined; their age ranged 38 days to 14 years (56 were under and 73 over 2 years old). Since these patients presented with gastroesophageal symptoms, they underwent both pH monitoring and US. The results of the two methods were in agreement in 79.8% of the cases. Notably, in the age group ranging 0 to 2 years, US exhibited greater sensitivity (87% vs. 78.8%) and slightly lower specificity (76.5% vs. 81.1%) than in the age group ranging 2 to 14 years. The greater sensitivity in the 0-2 age group can be explained by physiological factors (which are typical of the first months of life) as well as by technical factors. Therefore, in infants, US should be combined with pH monitoring to identify the cases which are unquestionably pathological. The high specificity in the children over 2 years of age could justify the use of US alone in this group of patients for both diagnosis and follow-up, while pH monitoring might be used only in the most severe and/or complicated cases. The results suggest that, in the two age groups considered, abdominal US can be used not only as the diagnostic method of choice in the study of gastroesophageal reflux, but also as an extremely useful tool during follow-up when therapeutic monitoring is also needed.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1992

[Inhibitory effect of amlexanox on asthmatic attacks in an aspirin sensitive asthmatic].

The anti-allergic action of amlexanox is reported to be associated with inhibition of the release of LTC4, LTD4 and histamine, and with antagonistic activity on leukotrienes. The patient was a 18-year-old female who had suffered from bronchial asthma since the age of fifteen. We diagnosed the case as aspirin sensitive asthma because of development of a severe asthmatic attack with syncope after oral administration of an analgesic for treatment of a common cold at the age of seventeen. She also had sensitivity to toothpaste. Three-minute aerosol inhalation challenge with 0.1, 1 and 10% solution of sulpyrine was performed as a stepwise increment at 20 minutes intervals. This inhalation test was positive and it evoked simultaneous increases of LTC4, LTD4 and histamine in the peripheral blood. Since the commencement of oral administration of 150 mg per day of amlexanox, the patient has had no attacks for about 8 months. In the second inhalation test, premedication with amlexanox elevated the threshold of sulpyrine and inhibited the release of LTC4, LTD4 and histamine. We report that amlexanox was of use to control asthmatic attacks in this aspirin-sensitive asthmatic patient.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1989

Growth and sport.

In order to investigate sport's influence on growth during puberty, we examined 398 boys 10-16 yr old. 192 of these subjects had been playing football as a competitive sport, and 206 were considered as controls, having never practised sports regularly. Both groups were divided into prepubertal (with testicular volume less than or equal to 2.5 cc) and pubertal, with the latter further divided into the following chronological and bone age groups: 10-11.99, 12-13.99, 14-16 yr. In these subjects we evaluated auxological-anthropometric and biological maturity characteristics and endocrine parameters (cortisol, dehydroepiandrosterone sulphate, testosterone). No significant difference was found between prepubertal athletes and controls concerning anthropometric and biological maturation parameters, whereas testosterone basal levels were significantly lower (p less than 0.05) and DHEAS values were significantly higher (p less than 0.05). Pubertal football players were significantly taller than controls (particularly at 14-16 yr chronological age), with a greater biacromial diameter after 12 yr chronological and bone age and thinner skinfolds at 12-13.99 chronological and bone age. They were more advanced in all biological maturation parameters i.e. pubic hair, testicular volume and bone age, particularly those subjects playing football for the greatest number of years and training time. In pubertal football players the increase in DHEAS (p less than 0.05) already seen in prepubertals is also combined with a significant increase in testosterone (p less than 0.0001) and cortisol (p less than 0.05). Thus football players DHEAS is already higher during prepuberty and this increase chronologically precedes the advance in all the auxological-maturative parameters typical of our pubertal subjects.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Adolescent↗