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Biomedical subjects

L Bruni

Publications and source records attributed to L Bruni.

At least 37 records · Page 2Linked to original sources

Comparison of the protective effects of cromolyn sodium and nedocromil sodium in the treatment of exercise-induced asthma in children.

Seventeen children with asthma were studied in a double-blind, crossover, placebo-controlled study designed to compare the efficacy of cromolyn sodium with that of nedocromil sodium in preventing exercise-induced asthma. All drugs were delivered through a metered-dose inhaler (cromolyn sodium, 10 mg; nedocromil sodium, 4 mg; placebo, two puffs). Nedocromil sodium and cromolyn sodium provided significant, comparable protection from exercise-induced asthma, and both drugs were better than placebo. We conclude that nedocromil sodium and cromolyn sodium administered by a pressurized aerosol provide equal protection against exercise-induced asthma in children.

Adolescent↗

Changes in directly recorded cochlear nerve compound action potentials during acoustic tumor surgery.

Damage to labyrinthine, neural, and vascular structures may possibly account for failure to achieve hearing preservation after removal of small acoustic neuromas. The pathogenesis of auditory impairment is, however, sometimes unclear. Intraoperative monitoring of auditory evoked potentials enables us to study possible correlations between surgical maneuvers and the function of auditory structures and pathways. To this end, simultaneous recording of brainstern auditory evoked potentials and direct cochlear nerve action potentials (CNAPs) was utilized in 14 patients with small (12 to 18 mm) unilateral acoustic neuromas. The latency of the first negative component (N(1)) of the CNAPs proved extremely sensitive in detecting intraoperative auditory damage and was a good predictive index of postoperative auditory outcome. Evaluation of temporal and morphologic CNAP patterns allowed identification of coagulation close to the cochlear nerve, drilling of the internal auditory canal, and removal of the intrameatal portion of the tumor, the most critical steps in hearing preservation. The mechanisms of damage are analyzed and discussed.

Journal Article↗

Trisomy 9 mosaicism syndrome. A case report and review of the literature.

The authors report on a case of trisomy 9 mosaicism syndrome, a rare chromosome abnormality. The common features of this syndrome are growth and mental retardation, low-set malformed ears, wide sutures and fontanelles, bulbous nose, short palpebral fissures, micrognathia, microphthalmia and enophthalmos, abnormal hands and feet, hip dislocation, joint limitation, cardiovascular defects and urogenital abnormalities. Our patient presented some unusual characteristics, such as 13 pairs of ribs, a vertebral malformation, a hemivertebra and a Dandy-Walker syndrome. They compare their clinical findings with the few cases previously described and they try to contribute to the further clinical definition of the syndrome. It is possible that there is a correlation between the variability of the phenotype and the percentage of trisomic cells in the patient.

Abnormalities, Multiple↗

Properties of tumors arising in SCID mice injected with PBMC from EBV-positive donors.

Groups of SCID mice were injected with different PBMC sub-populations, and established LCL cells. In about 80% of PBMC-injected animals, tumors developed in association with high levels of human Ig in mouse serum and detectable IL-6 levels. The tumors showed a histopathologic pattern reminiscent of large cell immunoblastic non-Hodgkin's lymphoma; in situ hybridization invariably evidenced EBV sequences in a minority of cells. Genotypic analysis of tumors arising in PBMC-injected mice showed the presence of different oligoclonal B cell populations in different tumor sites. Southern blot analysis disclosed the presence of both linear (replicating) and episomal (latent) EBV DNA forms; sequential analysis of LCL cells serially passaged into animals revealed the progressive selection of clonal cells with only the latent episomal form. Attempts to dissect the events underlying tumor development revealed that the presence of T cells within the injected population was essential for tumor generation; however, the putative T cell-derived factors involved are unclear, and IL-6 seems to play a minor role.

Animals↗

The hepatic malignant mesenchymoma: a case report.

We report a case of hepatic mesenchymoma in an 8-year-old girl who presented with abdominal pain and ultrasonographic diagnosis of hepatic echinococcosis. Due to the good general condition of the patient and the diagnostic confirmation of liver hydatid disease by the CT scan, antiparasitic therapy with albendazole was started. After 1 month of therapy the girl's general condition worsened as did the ultrasonographic picture. On laparatomy a large cystic mass was observed within the right hepatic lobe and was removed. Pathological examination of the mass excluded an echinococcal cyst and demonstrated a malignant hepatic mesenchymoma.

Child↗

[A clinical and cytogenetic study of 50 women with Turner's syndrome. Considerations of the problem of pregnancies in these patients. Part 2].

The results of a study on 50 patients with Turner syndrome, all of them older than 14 years and never treated, are reported. In order to correlate karyotypes and clinical manifestations of the syndrome, we performed a complete physical examination and ultra sonographic tests of the heart, kidneys, uterus and ovaries. We found a better spontaneous growth and sexual maturation in mosaic 45.X/46.XX patients than in patients with 45.X and X structural anomalies. No differences were found in heart and kidney congenital anomalies between groups of patients with different karyotypes. We conclude that the presence of an XX-line has an ameliorating effect on height and gonadal function of patients with Turner syndrome.

Abnormalities, Multiple↗

Fibrodysplasia ossificans progressiva. An 11-year-old boy treated with a diphosphonate.

Fibrodysplasia ossificans progressiva (FOP) is a severe, rare, autosomal dominant, ectopic ossifying condition, with primary involvement of the skeletal muscles associated with skeletal abnormalities. This report concerns an 11-year-old boy suffering from FOP, who presented significant modification of the musculoskeletal structure of the thorax and problems with articular movements. The patient showed progress after treatment with ethane-1-hydroxy-1,1-diphosphonate (EHDP). In fact, using a scintiscanner we were able to observe a significant improvement in symptoms and a recovery of some of the active sites of ossification.

Child↗

[Vaccination against hepatitis B in childhood as possible means of infection control].

A follow-up of 21 months was conducted in order to evaluate the efficacy of vaccination against Hepatitis B Virus in a group of 54 children (age 2-14) belonging to family cluster characterized by the presence of HBsAg healthy carriers. HB-VAX, plasma-derived, and Engerix B, by a recombinant DNA technique, were both employed and administered with the following schedule: three doses of 0, 1 and 6 months. Out of 54 subjects, 48 completed the follow-up. These children all presented a good immune response as assessed at 1 and 12 months after the last administration. The results obtained show that this vaccination, free from side effects, is the most efficacious and safest tool to control the spread of Hepatitis B Virus infection and its complications at short and long term, especially when carried out on a large scale.

Adolescent↗

[Multicentric reticulohistiocytosis (lipoid dermato-arthritis). A radiologic study of 3 cases].

The authors report their experience with 3 cases of multicentric reticulohistiocytosis observed over 6 years of outpatient radiological practice. The condition presents with the following radiological patterns: 1) clear-cut erosions of the articular surfaces, especially in the distal interphalangeal joints of the hands and in the metatarso-phalangeal joints of the feet, with symmetrical distribution (not necessarily); 2) osteolytic punched-out areas in the epiphyseal spongiosa, ranging in size from 1 mm to over 1 cm; 3) no osteoporosis, no osteo-proliferative or periosteal reactions, not even in the presence of large osteoarticular destructions; 4) frequent atlanto-epistropheal subluxation; 5) articular ankylosis at the sacroiliac joints only. The association of the above patterns and the relatively benign clinical course distinguish multicentric reticulohistiocytosis from rheumatoid arthritis, psoriasis arthritis, erosive osteoarthritis, and gout. A reliable diagnosis can be suggested on the basis of radiological findings alone, even before cutaneous or mucosal lesions appear--which are, at any rate, not sure to appear and typical of nails only. An unquestionable diagnosis can be made at histology of synovial and/or cutaneous nodules. Multicentric reticulohistiocytosis is considered an uncommon condition (nearly 100 cases in international literature to 1989); the authors believe it to be commoner though often misdiagnosed as a "variant of rheumatoid arthritis".

Adult↗

[Description of a case of Meckel's diverticulum and chronic anemia in a 4-year-old boy].

The case of a boy of 4 years 6 months suffering from Meckel's diverticulum (M.D.) and chronic anaemia is reported. The patient presented no evident sign of bleeding of the mucosa or of other sites. Admitted to the Paediatric Clinic for severe anaemia, he underwent numerous clinical and laboratory investigations that revealed the presence of a bleeding M.D. This was removed surgically and in a comparatively short time (about 3 months), the haematic picture normalized, with manifest benefit to the child.

Anemia↗

Childhood enteritis: a community study.

The population aged 0-12 years living in the area of an Italian Local Health Unit (about 8,800 children) was studied for one year in order to estimate the overall incidence rate of enteritis and the incidence rates of diarrheas from bacterial agents. All children complaining of acute diarrhea and seen by the pediatric practices of the study area were recorded by date, age, and sex; the microbiological study of stools was performed for a sample of patients. All hospitalized cases of childhood enteritis occurring in the same period in the study population were studied too. Campylobacter jejuni and Salmonella were cultured from 5 out of 71 examined out-patients (7.0%), with a projected annual consultation rate of 2.1 per 1000 population aged 0-12 years. Yersinia enterocolitica was cultured from 2 out-patients (2.8%), while no cases from Shigella and enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli were observed in this group. Data concerning hospitalized cases confirmed this pattern of results. Bacterial enteritis is an important public health problem in the study area and its occurrence is possibly related to animal reservoirs of infection, with particular regard to poultry and pets.

Campylobacter Infections↗

Herpes zoster treatments: results of a clinical trial relative to the use of rifamycin SV versus neuramide.

The authors describe a controlled clinical study in which rifamycin SV 250 mg intramuscularly and topical b.i.d. was compared to intramuscular neuramide b.i.d. plus, where necessary, other drugs (antibiotics, polivitamins, analgesics, etc.) for the treatment of two groups of thirty randomly selected patients suffering from herpes zoster. In all patients the symptoms were controlled by both treatments but statistical tests revealed that rifamycin SV was able to heal pain (p less than 0.05), vesicles, crusts and burning sensation (p less than 0.1) faster than neuramide. Furthermore, by the seventh day of therapy, the authors found that rifamycin SV reduced the intensity of both pain and erythema (p less than 0.01 for pain; p less than 0.05 for erythema) more than neuramide.

Antimicrobial Cationic Peptides↗