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Biomedical subjects

L Cravello

Publications and source records attributed to L Cravello.

87 records · Page 5Linked to original sources

Recurrent congenital toxoplasmosis in a woman with lupus erythematosus.

We describe the case of a patient with systemic lupus erythematosus, treated by corticosteroids, who presented during two successive pregnancies with serological reactivation of toxoplasmosis associated with fetal lesions. The first infected fetus died in utero with signs of hydrops. The second fetus was treated in utero with a combination of sulfadoxine and pyrimethamine, administered to the mother, and is now well. The increasing number of immunocompromised pregnant patients with immunity to Toxoplasma gondii may lead to a higher risk of reactivation of maternal toxoplasmosis and congenital infection.

Adult↗

[Complications of hysteroscopic resections].

The complications in a series of 699 hysteroscopic resections are presented. These include 10 perforations, 8 métabolic syndromes, 1 endometritis et 2 haemorrhages. The incidents are rare, but can have serious consequences.

Adult↗

[Hysteroscopic treatment of uterine fibromas].

OBJECTIVES: To study retrospectively the long-term outcome after hysteroscopic treatment for intrauterine fibromas. METHODS: From October 1987 to January 1993, endouterine glycolol resection was performed in 239 patients with intrauterine fibromas. The operation had to be repeated in 39 patients due to incomplete resection or recurrent symptomatology. Patients presented with menometrorrhage, post-menopausal metrorrhage or infertility. RESULTS: Intra-operative complications were rare, mainly uterine perforations (7 cases) or metabolic syndromes due to reabsorption of glycine (5 cases). Mean follow-up was 2.5 years. The couple was sterile in 16 cases and 4 pregnancies were obtained (25%). Postmenopausal metrorrhage was present in 27 patients and the symptomatology disappeared in 24 (89%). In all, 196 women consulted for bleeding, good results were achieved in 81.1%. CONCLUSION: Endouterine resection is a sure, effective and long-lasting treatment for intrauterine fibromas.

Adult↗

[Painful pelvic adhesion syndrome].

Pelvic adhesions may be responsible for pelvic pain, at least partially, in the following conditions: sequelae of past infection, chronic active inflammatory state, endometriosis, post-operative adhesions. The problem in the presence of adhesions is to determine whether pain is mechanical, inflammatory and/or linked to associated ovarian dystrophy, and what is the psychological component. The postulate "adhesion = pain" is far from constant and there is no systematic relationship between clinical picture and anatomical findings. After careful clinical and laboratory evaluation, celioscopy is the key diagnostic procedure. It should include thorough examination of all pelvic organs, of the abdomen in general and the peri-hepatic region in particular. A diagnosis of psychosomatic pain can be made only in the absence of any macroscopic, histological and bacteriological lesion, though bearing in mind that this term certainly covers failure to recognise other causes.

Diagnosis, Differential↗

[Serious forms of arterial pregnancy-related hypertension].

Pregnancy related hypertension is the primary cause of perinatal mortality and morbidity. Its incidence is of the order of 10%. Serious forms, which account for 10% of all cases of pre-eclamptic toxemia, remain a potential cause of maternal mortality and morbidity. Retroplacental hematoma, neurological problems dominated by eclampsia, coagulation disorders, Hellp syndrome, and hepatic, pulmonary, cardiac and renal problems are the essential complications of this pathology. They are described separately here, but are often associated. These potential complications require the careful evaluation of the severity of materno-fetal status. The management of these patients requires cooperation between the anesthetist/intensive care specialist, obstetrician and pediatrician. Such teamwork results in appropriate management for each individual patient. The various types of treatment are reviewed. Maternal and fetal mortality and morbidity could nevertheless be reduced by the early and careful management of high-risk patients, in particular by the prescription of low doses of aspirin and by careful clinical, ultrasound and velocimetric monitoring.

Aspirin↗

Continuous hormone replacement therapy for menopause combining nomegestrol acetate and gel, patch, or oral estrogen: a comparison of amenorrhea rates.

This open-label, prospective, randomized, multicenter trial compared the incidence of amenorrhea in 54 postmenopausal women (mean age, 54.9 +/- 0.6 years) who underwent six 4-week cycles of continuous hormone replacement therapy combining a progestin-nomegestrol acetate 2.5 mg/d--plus one of three estrogens: percutaneous 17beta-estradiol gel (1.5 mg/d, group A), transdermal 17beta-estradiol patch (50 microg/d, group B), or oral estradiol valerate (2 mg/d, group C). Based on an intent-to-treat analysis, the rate of amenorrhea varied significantly according to which estrogen preparation was used. Calculated cycle by cycle, rates of amenorrhea were 67% to 83% for group A, 25% to 56% for group B, and 53% to 61% for group C. Overall rates of persistent amenorrhea were not statistically different between groups for cycles 1 through 3, but for cycles 4 through 6, significantly more women in groups A and C (67% and 46%, respectively) experienced amenorrhea than did those in group B (12%). Amenorrhea rates for the entire six-cycle period were 78% for group A, 48% for group B, and 60% for group C. These differences were not statistically significant. The differences in rates could not be attributed to endometrial atrophy, since when measured by transvaginal sonography, endometrial thickness did not differ significantly between groups. Of the original population, 7% withdrew prematurely because of bleeding. The data for all three groups confirmed that in two out of three women, the occurrence of amenorrhea during the first three cycles predicted continuation of amenorrhea during subsequent cycles and that for 51% of women, < or =10 days of bleeding during the first three cycles predicted amenorrhea during the last three cycles. Calculated as a function of the number of women included in the trial, the percentage of amenorrheic women (evaluated cycle by cycle or for the second three-cycle period) was highest when the progestin was combined with percutaneous 17beta-estradiol gel, although findings were similar with estradiol valerate. The percutaneous 17beta-estradiol gel was also associated with a higher percentage of amenorrheal cycles than was estradiol valerate or transdermal estrogen, although differences were significant only in comparison with the transdermal formulation. This difference may have positive clinical implications.

Amenorrhea↗

[Treatment of cancers limited to the uterine cervix with simple hysterectomy using a vaginal approach after brachytherapy].

PURPOSE: In patients with early cervix carcinoma, both radiotherapy and surgery or combined modalities provide effective therapies. In the two last modalities, recommended surgery is radical hysterectomy. The purpose of this prospective study was to assess the value of a limited vaginal hysterectomy after brachytherapy in patients without any unfavorable prognostic factor. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Twenty-two patients (stage Ia2 with vascular invasion: three patients, stage Ib 1:19 patients) with 1 cm median maximal tumor size and with previous negative laparoscopic lymphadenectomy (median number of lymph nodes: 12) underwent a limited vaginal hysterectomy 6 weeks after utero-vaginal brachytherapy. RESULTS: Two mild intra-operative complications were noted. Venous hemorrhage (100 mL) occurred in one patient during lymphadenectomy and another patient presented bladder injury during hysterectomy. These two complications were successfully controlled with no need for laparotomy. Only one late complication was observed: bladder grade G2 (b). With a 29 months follow-up (20-48 months), no recurrence was reported. CONCLUSION: These results appear promising in patients with very early cervix carcinoma but remain to be confirmed on a larger scale.

Adult↗

Fetomaternal hemorrhage: diagnostic problems. Three case reports.

This report describes 3 successive cases in which fetomaternal hemorrhage was suspected but confirmed in only 2. The manifestations of fetomaternal hemorrhage are often nonspecific and diagnosis can be difficult. We discuss diagnostic methods, especially the value of the Kleihauer-Betke test and maternal serum alpha-fetoprotein measurement, and approach.

Adult↗

Large chorioangioma associated with hydrops fetalis: prenatal diagnosis and management.

A large chorioangioma located at the insertion area of the umbilical cord was diagnosed at 19 weeks of gestation by ultrasound and color Doppler ultrasound. This chorioangioma led to a progressively appearing hydrops fetalis and to fetal distress. The infant presented at birth with edemas and ascites associated with severe hemolytic anemia and thrombocytopenia.

Adult↗

Characterization of anti-BRCA2 antibodies in cell lines by Western blot analysis.

BRCA2 is a tumor suppressor gene associated with familial predisposition to breast and ovarian cancer. BRCA2 has been implicated in response to DNA damage, cell cycle control and transcription. However, the mechanisms by which the BRCA2 protein suppresses tumor cell growth are largely unknown. To begin to understand the contribution of BRCA2 protein to tumorigenesis, we evaluated the specificity of 4 anti-BRCA2 antibodies directed against several different epitopes using immunoblotting techniques. The two monoclonal antibodies (3E6 and 5F6) detected a specific 384-kDa protein in human breast cancer cell lines (MCF7 and MDA-MB 231) and in a human colon carcinoma cell line (CCL 221). The two polyclonal antibodies (9433 and 9434) recognized the 384-kDa BRCA2 protein respectively in MCF7 and in CCL 221 cells, but both BRCA2 polyclonal antibodies also cross-reacted with smaller proteins.

Antibodies↗

[Value of endocervical margin examination of conization specimens. Prospective study conducted on 150 patients].

OBJECTIVE: To assess the usefulness of frozen sections (FS) on endocervical margin in surgical conization or loop electrosurgical specimens. MATERIAL AND METHODS: In a prospective study, 150 patients were treated from October 1995 to December 1997: 69 cases without FS, 81 cases with FS. CIN on frozen section resulted in an immediate additional resection. RESULTS: In the group without FS, 13 patients had involved endocervical margin by high-grade CIN (18.8%). Frozen section was impossible in a conization specimen that was too short. FS revealed 64 normal glandular epitheliums, seven squamous metaplasias in which two lesions were under-evaluated (being in fact CIN on permanent sections), eight high-grade CIN followed by additional resection in six cases and two invasive carcinomas. Endocervical margin on additionals section were always free of disease. The rate of failure was 2.6% among 77 cases. This rate corresponded to two under-evaluations. Invasive carcinoma and CIN without additional resection were excluded because frozen section only allowed a peroperative diagnosis. The average height of the cone and the rate of complications were similar. Repeat surgery was necessary in nine cases in the group without frozen section, in which five showed residual lesions, absent in the other group. CONCLUSION: The ultimate histological interpretation was never difficult after frozen section. This method permits reduction of cases with involved cone margin and residual lesions and, despite some limitations, it may be useful for surgical management.

Adult↗

[Identification and treatment of endometritis].

Endometritis represent a debatable entity because genital infectious disease is a contre-indication of endoscopy. So, the diagnosis is rarely realized by hysteroscopy. Two kinds of endometritis are discerned: acute endometritis characterized by an oedema of bleeding endometrium, covered by an abnormal mucus; chronic endometritis with areas of red endometrium, flushed, with a white central point, localized or scattered out the cavity. This is the "strawberry aspect". Whereas, the correlation between hysteroscopic aspect and histologic or bacteriologic samples exists in only 35% of cases. According to R. Frydman and J. Hamou, chronic endometritis is occurred among 22% of patients in IVF program, in 14% of unexplained infertility and 23.6% of women with an history of first trimester miscarriages. Chlamydiae an Ureaplasma seem to be the most frequent germs. In this way, in case of unexplained infertility, the hysteroscopic diagnosis of chronic endometritis can lead to an antibiotic treatment test.

Acute Disease↗

[Hysteroscopic surgery and fertility].

In the treatment of uterine lesions associated with infertility, such as septate uterus and synechiae, hysteroscopic surgery has replaced conventional abdominal surgery. Hysteroscopic metroplasty improves obstetrical prognosis in patients with septate uterus. Advantages of hysteroscopy are low morbidity rate, decreased hospitalization time, and absence of hysterotomy. Hysteroscopic surgery of synechiae allows to achieve good anatomical results in most of the cases. The first risk of this surgery is perforation. However, obstetrical results are uneven; pregnancy rates are low in cases of complex synechiae. Endometrial ablation is performed in patients presenting with abnormal uterine bleeding after failure of progestin therapy. Pregnancies following endometrial ablation have been described; term deliveries are still exceptional.

Female↗