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Biomedical subjects

L Simon

Publications and source records attributed to L Simon.

At least 127 records · Page 7Linked to original sources
PubMed1991

[Lumbar disk herniation with no surgical treatment. Clinical and x-ray computed tomographic follow-up study].

The authors have studied the clinical and computed tomographic (CT) follow-up of 50 patients with nerve root symptoms and herniated nucleus pulposus (HNP) who received only a conservative medical treatment. The clinical follow-up showed that after 23 months 38 patients (76 percent) did not require surgery and 63 percent of these had good or very good results. Follow-up CT scans, performed in 20 patients, found spontaneous disappearance of NP in 10 cases and partial regression in 3 cases. Several mechanisms may explain this regression, including fragmentation and sequestration of the disc fragment, dehydration and shrinkage of the HNP and its reintegration into the annulus. On the other hand, HNP persisted in some patients who had become asymptomatic, and it was also found in an asymptomatic control subject. These data demonstrate that clinical and CT findings may be dissociated. Not all CT scan-documented HNPs require interventional therapy. Except in case of emergency, surgical treatment should be considered only after failure of conservative medical treatment and whenever clinical and CT data are concordant. CT and other imaging procedures, such as myelography and nuclear magnetic resonance, should only be used preoperatively in patients with appropriate clinical findings.

Adult↗
PubMed1991

Large-scale preparation of a highly purified solvent-detergent treated factor VIII concentrate.

Large-scale adaptation of a recently reported glycine precipitation method for the production of factor VIII (FVIII) concentrate is described. Scaling up of the method required some modification including the addition of aluminum hydroxide to the glycine buffer to reduce the level of contaminating proteins in the final preparation and the use of centrifugation to replace filtration by glass beads. Furthermore, the resultant product was virus inactivated by incorporation of the organic solvent and detergent technique. At industrial level, the modified method gave a good recovery of FVIII activity (230 IU/l plasma) with high purity (4 IU/mg protein). The final product, after virus inactivation and lyophilization, yielded 185 IU of FVIII activity per liter of starting plasma and was considered to be suitable for clinical evaluation.

Detergents↗
PubMed1991

[Hip and spinal ossification enthesopathies induced by etretinate therapy in peripheral psoriatic arthritis].

The occurrence of ossifying enthesopathy during treatment with synthetic retinoids (etretinate, isotretinoin and acitretin) is a side-effect more and more frequently recorded. The authors report here a new case in a patient with a severe psoriatic arthritis. This observation is characterized by the size of ossifications on hips and lumbar spine which appeared after two years of etretinate therapy. The interest of this observation lies in the fact that ossifications occurred while the patient was treated with long-term corticotherapy. The disease for which retinoids are prescribed does not seem to influence the occurrence of those lesions and it is likely that the responsibility of these molecules is entire. Lesions are enthesitis ossification. They are frequent during these treatments (average of 70%) after an average time of 24 to 36 months for etretinate and of 10 months for isotretinoin. Lesions are asymptomatic in about 50% of the cases. After discontinuation of treatment, lesions become quiescent and does not disappear. Growth hormone or abnormalities in vitamin A metabolism could play a role in the physiopathology of lesions.

Arthritis, Psoriatic↗
PubMed1990

[Prevention of rabies (experience of the past, possibilities of the future)].

The authors review the history of rabies prevention, the current national and international data. Neurologic adverse effects of the Hempt vaccine are discussed. Medical histories of two patients are demonstrated, one suffered of serious complication of the vaccine; the other died of rabies. Indications of vaccine Rabivac and issues about it's administration are outlined. The possibilities of the therapy are discussed in brief.

Adult↗
PubMed1990

[Diabetic cheiroarthropathy. Microcirculatory aspects].

Diabetic cheiroarthropathy (DCA) or pseudosclerodermatous hand of the diabetic is characterized by nonpainful limited extension of the proximal metacarpophalangeal and/or interphalangeal joints with spontaneous flexum of the fingers. The mechanism of lesion formation is poorly known but apparently associates neurogenic, vascular and cutaneous phenomena. Fifteen patients with DCA (9 men, 6 women; range 20-74 years) were studied by capillaroscopy, photoplethysmography and skin biopsy. Eleven had type 1 diabetes and 4 type 2 over periods ranging from 1 to 42 years (mean 19.9 years). Diabetic retinopathy was noted 10/15 times, nephropathy 5/15 times and neuropathy of the lower limbs 13/15 times. All patients had at least one of these abnormalities. In capillaroscopy, "Shoal of fish" features of diabetic microangiopathy were found only 4 times, but minor dystrophy was noted in 12 cases. In digital photoplethysmography, a drop in digital systolic pressure or an increase in pulse time was noted in 5 cases. The Hillestad test was less than or equal to 2 in 8 patients. Histological study showed constant dermal collagenous fibrosis in diseased skin, which was also found in normal skin in 6/13 patients. PAS staining showed a thickening of vascular basal membrane 14/15 times in diseased skin and 11/13 times in normal skin. The relation between DCA and microangiopathy is discussed in terms of collagen metabolism abnormalities observed during diabetes.

Adult↗
PubMed1990

[Biphotonic absorptiometry of the foot: methodology and application to algodystrophy].

A simple methodology for the evaluation of the bone mineral content of the foot by biphotonic absorptiometry is described. From the study of a test population, a pathological demineralization threshold of 10%, given that the measurement is expressed in g, has been defined at the level of the forepart of the tarsus. This threshold enables the significant distinction between the test population and a population with algodystrophy. Biphotonic absorptiometry seems to provide a quantitative diagnostic argument to complement the radiographical and scintigraphical examinations.

Absorptiometry, Photon↗
PubMed1989

[The significance of Campylobacter pylori infection in gastroenterologic and diabetic practice].

The presence of Campylobacter pylori was investigated in gastric antral biopsy specimens. In 50 consecutive patients undergoing upper gastrointestinal tract endoscopy microbiological cultures, histological examination and rapid urease test were parallel performed, and a 92 per cent sensitivity and 100 per cent specificity of rapid and cheap urease test were determined. Afterwards--in a prospective study--311 patients were examined for C. p. by the rapid urease test only. C. p. was detected in 92 per cent of duodenal ulcer patients, in 52 per cent of patients with gastric ulcer, in 67 per cent of non-ulcer dyspepsia, in 62 per cent of mixed diabetic patient material, and in 21 per cent only of asymptomatic volunteers. It has been found by the authors, that the rate of C. p. infection increased parallel with the continuance of diabetes and did not follow the increasing with age as in the general population. This is the first observation in the world literature concerning the correlation between C. p. and diabetes mellitus. Very close, significant correlation has been found between C. p. infection and chronic active gastritis. C. p. may play an important role in the recurrences of duodenal ulcer and in the pathogenesis of non-ulcer and diabetic dyspepsia. Further studies are planned to the correct evaluation of pathogeneity of Campylobacter pylori.

Campylobacter Infections↗
PubMed1989

[A misdiagnosed disorder: syndrome of the musculocutaneous nerve of the foot].

The syndrome of the pedal dorsal cutaneous nerve (described by one of us in 1979) is caused by irritation of the nerve in its course at the dorsum pedis. This is a rather frequent syndrome, often overlooked. It is manifested by a distinct association of atypical pain at the dorsum pedis and in the foot. After a review of 10 cases and a literature survey, the authors describe the characteristic signs of this syndrome. There are many factors at the origin of this pathology: static deformities (pes cavus anterior, valgus calcaneus, hallux valgus), local trauma or repeated microtrauma (ill sitting shoe). The diagnosis is essentially clinical, based on a positive Tinel sign along the course of the nerve and on the result of a trial infiltration of the region. The treatment is initially conservative with correction of deformities, adaptation of shoes, and local infiltration with corticosteroids. The neurolysis (performed in 4 cases because of persistent pain), showed dystrophic fibrosis. Such histologic lesions are an argument for considering entrapment as a potential cause of the syndrome.

Adult↗
PubMed1989

[A 2-year evaluation of antibacterial serology adapted to the diagnosis of reactive arthritis (168 cases)].

The diagnosis of reactive arthritis requires the identification of a trigger infection. Since 1984 we have carried out a series of serological tests that we have called "serology of reactive arthritis": they aim at detecting antibodies against the most common infectious agents in this particular pathology. This serology is essentially based on the complement-fixation test. Here we report the results obtained over a period of two years, comparing them with clinical and biological data: 168 cases have been studied. They include to two groups of patients: group A reassembling seronegative spondylarthropathies and including reactive arthritis (N = 104), and group B with patients suffering from a typical rheumatic affection usually having no relation to spondylarthropathies (N = 64). We propose for each antigen a level of positivity from which the presence of antibodies can be taken into consideration as part of the diagnosis. With reference to these levels we have obtained a significant relationship to recent antecedents (genito-urinary and intestinal), to the presence of IgM circulating immune complexes and to the precocity of the serological tests. The contribution of this type of serology to the recognition of reactive arthritis has been studied together with the other diagnosis factors of the diseases. We have been able to show significant rates of antibodies in more than 50% of the cases. The negative results and limits of this serodiagnosis are discussed.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1989

A controlled multicentre therapeutic trial to determine the efficacy of a novel antacid (AI-Mg-hydroxy-carbonate) in duodenal ulcer.

Tisacid (a new, modern Hungarian AI-containing antacid) with a high acid-neutralizing capacity (greater than 26.8 mmol/g) also enhances gastric mucosal defense mechanisms (prostaglandin-dependent gastroprotection). A simple-blind, prospective, randomized, parallel multicentre clinical trial has been performed on both the clinical efficacy and possible side-effects of Tisacid monotherapy (AI-Mg-hydroxy-carbonate) on informed patients suffering from active duodenal ulcers. The four study groups were as follows: Group A: 3 g/day of Tisacid (acid-neutralizing capacity = 78 mmol, n = 85), Group B: 6 g/day of Tisacid (acid-neutralizing capacity = 156 mmol, n = 88), Group C: 12 g/day of Tisacid (acid-neutralizing capacity = 312 mmol, n = 68), Group D (as control): 1.0 g/day cimetidine (n = 91). The total number of patients was 332. It was found that the new Hungarian antacid compound (both tablet and suspension) can essentially accelerate the healing rate of duodenal ulcers; the cumulative healing rate of ulcers and the decrease of complaints can be achieved equally by relatively low doses of Tisacid monotherapy and cimetidine alone; and there were no essential differences between the clinical potency and side-effects of Tisacid tablets or the suspension.

Adolescent↗