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Biomedical subjects

J Serra

Publications and source records attributed to J Serra.

137 records · Page 8Linked to original sources
PubMed1979

Antibodies to single stranded DNA: a diagnostic aid in chronic hepatitis B virus infections.

Serial determinations of titers of binding antibodies to single stranded DNA were performed over a period of three years in 43 type B hepatitis patients with persisting HBsAg who had either developed chronic hepatitis or were asymptomatic carriers. Patients with histopathological diagnosis of chronic active or chronic persistent hepatitis, with or without clinical symptoms, showed high titers of anti-DNA throughout the course of the disease, whereas in most of these patients the serum alanine transaminase and bilirubin levels fluctuated widely and were often normal; in such cases the elevation of anti-DNA was frequently the only positive sign present. On the other hand anti-DNA titers were within the normal range in chronic asymptomatic HBsAg carriers who showed no histopathological or biochemical changes. Anti-DNA determinations are proposed as a reliable diagnostic aid to supplement current procedures for assessment of the disease status during the course of chronic hepatitis B virus infections.

Alanine Transaminase↗
PubMed1979

[Biomedical image analysis by mathematical morphology (author's transl)].

There coexist two types of biomedical image analysers, namely the specialized and the universal ones. This distinction corresponds to the one separating pattern recognition from structural analysis. Only specialized devices can give rise to full automation. Mathematical morphology turns out to be a common theoretical background for both kinds of analysers. It defines the logical conditions according to which quantization is possible, and provides a comprehensive class of algorithms.

Cytological Techniques↗
PubMed1979

Quantitative image analysis: applications using sequential transformations.

The theoretical foundations of quantitative image analysis and its implementation in the Leitz T.A.S. have been discussed in the preceeding paper [4]. Especially the Mathematical Morphology and its recent developments have been pointed out. Sequential image transformations are a new approach of morphological analysis. Elementary transform steps, which are hardwired in the device, performed in specific sequences, which are implemented as macroinstructions in the programming language have proven to be a very useful tool in image analysis. A specific sequence of elementary steps will be referred to as morphological function. This new approach will be illustrated by four general examples: analysis of fibers, computing the number of edges for metallic grains, separation of overlapping cells, analysis of minerals which occur free and locked to another one.

Cell Separation↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Endemoepidemic non-parenteral type B hepatitis in Costa Rica.

In an endemic area of Costa Rica nonparenteral type B hepatitis occurs at a yearly rate of 160/100,000, in an endemoepidemic pattern with periodic localized outbreaks. In a recent episode in the village of San Rafael, 23 clinical and 67 subclinical cases, all subtype adw, originated from two carriers living in opposite ends of the village. Contact transmission was identified as the mode of spread. In a coincidental outbreak in another village, San Juan, 17 clinical and 40 subclinical cases were observed. Thirty-seven cases of HBs Ag/ayw positive hepatitis occurred in the Western sector of the village, apparently originating from contact with three HBs Ag/ayw carriers found in that area. There were also 20 cases of HBs Ag/adw positive hepatitis, but these occurred almost exclusively in the Eastern sector, where subtype adw disease has been prevalent in previous years. The geographic distribution of antibody subtypes found in the two separated sectors of the village coincided fully with that of the antigen subtypes. These observations show that personal contact is definitely a mode of transmission of hepatitis B.

Costa Rica↗
PubMedDate not supplied

[Multiple thromboembolism associated with anti-thrombin III deficiency].

Congenital deficiency of antithrombin III is considered as one serious primary hypercoagulable state. The authors present a case of deficiency of antithrombin III in a 28 years old young male, with aortic valve disease and several thromboembolic events. When discussing their diagnostical and therapeutical aspects they call the attention to the need for investigation of the situations in which thrombophilia presents with recurrent venous and arterial thrombosis.

Adult↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Perineal necrotizing infection.

Perineal necrotizing infection is a severe disease that ever since its first description by Fournier in 1883 has been referred to by many names prompted by its protean nature in terms of location and suspected etiology. We treated nine patients with PNI. The infection began as a perineal abscess of long evolution (7 days +/- 2 SD) in eight patients. The ninth patient had had an inguinal herniorrhaphy 3 days before. The cultures of the exudates and tissues always yielded aerobic and anaerobic mixed flora of colorectal origin, except in one instance, in which S. aureus and hemolytic streptococcus A were identified. The treatment was medical support and wide surgical debridement of the infected tissues. In six patients a left transverse colostomy was performed. Only one patient died, of septic shock. On the basis of the results in our series and on a review of the literature, it is our opinion that PNI is a mixed bacterial infection that despite its origin, clinical appearance and microbiologic findings, is highly uniform in terms of clinical course and treatment. Therapy is based on radical surgical debridement with excision of all necrotic tissue. The current plethora of terms seems impractical and confusing. We propose a rather comprehensive term perineal necrotizing infection for the sake of clarity.

Adult↗
PubMedDate not supplied

[Myocardial infarction in a young woman with left atrial myxoma].

A 38 year old female patient without coronary risk factors suffered an acute myocardial infarction. Echocardiographic and cardiac catheterization was undertaken and a left atrial mass with normal coronary arteries was assessed. The tumor mass was successfully resected and pathological examination of the specimen disclosed a myxoma. Three months after the operation the patient is symptom-free and an echocardiogram taken at this time showed no evidence of tumor. A bibliographic review of the association cardiac myxoma and coronary artery occlusion or myocardial infarction is done.

Adult↗
PubMedDate not supplied

[Leiomyoma of the rectum. A diagnostic and therapeutic dilemma].

A case is reported of leiomyoma of rectum, a rare tumor since it is detected in 2 of 3000 rectal tumors. It occurs principally in patients between 40 and 50 years. The tumor is submucosal, is difficult to diagnose and biopsy is often valueless since it does not involve the tumor mass. The interest of the present case is that trans-rectal ultrasound imaging of the leiomyoma was performed. Differential histologic diagnosis between benign and malignant forms is a dilemma, these tumors being of slow growth with a marked tendency for recurrence and malignant degeneration. Treatment should always be surgical, with local resection if histology has excluded malignancy, followed by periodic surveillance. Radical surgery is indicated in malignant forms or for local recurrence of benign tumors.

Adult↗