Biomedical subjects
Publications and source records attributed to M Ferrara.
Ventricular concentrations of homovanillic acid (HVA) and 5-hydroxyindoleacetic acid (5-HIAA) were evaluated in 17 patients suffering from brain tumor and 4 pseudo-tumor patients. Significant differences were observed in those patients in whom the tumor leads to a marked modified CSF dynamic. No relationship were on the contrary observed between VFP and HVA or 5-HIAA levels.
Explore the source record for details and available documents.
Explore the source record for details and available documents.
Explore the source record for details and available documents.
Explore the source record for details and available documents.
Explore the source record for details and available documents.
Explore the source record for details and available documents.
Explore the source record for details and available documents.
Explore the source record for details and available documents.
The clinical case of little Hans is the story of a five-year-old child's phobia; it was published by Freud in 1909 using material gathered from his supervision of the "analytical treatment" brought before the child's father. Freud put the case as a clinical confirmation of the relative theory of infantile sexuality and the existence of an infantile neurosis based on the castration complex and oedipal conflict. Freud also focused his attention on the development of the "theories" the child uses to understand the world: the analysis is constructed as the hermeneutics of the private conditions with which the mind develops omnipotent cognitive theories about external reality. In addition to the clinical material, the peculiar conditions of the setting opened up new avenues in psychoanalysis; the case of little Hans in particular is considered a prelude to infantile analysis. This work emphasizes how Han's cure is the result of a complex interaction involving the entire family nucleus and proposes a possible relational significance of the kind of therapeutical operation which develops through the father of little Hans.
The authors report 32 patients admitted to the hospital with iatrogenic bile duct stricture. Cholecystectomy with or without bile duct exploration was the most frequent (84.3%) surgical procedure responsible for the lesion, followed by BII gastric resection. Six patients had undergone one previous attempt at repair in another institution. Most patients had undergone a hepatojejunostomy, which has the procedure of choice in the last cases. Mortality and morbidity rates were 0 and 15%, respectively. The complications reported were a biliary fistula and 2 post-repair bile strictures that required one or more re-operations. During the follow-up 2 other patients developed episodes of cholangitis, treated medically. Clinical, diagnostic and therapeutic aspects of iatrogenic bile duct strictures are reviewed.
Several studies performed in high-risk babies have demonstrated a significant reduction in the prevalence and severity of atopic diseases with dietary and environmental manipulations. It has been demonstrated that prolonged breast-feeding and the avoidance of cow's milk, eggs and fish during the first three months of lactation significantly decrease both the prevalence and the severity of atopic disease up to the age of 5 years. We have shown a significant reduction in both the prevalence and the incidence of atopic dermatitis, food allergy and asthma in high-risk children followed up to the age of 5 years who received preventive dietary (prolonged breast-feeding, cow's milk- and egg-free diet to the nursing mothers, supplementation with a soya formula containing sucrose when breast milk was not available, delayed weaning) and environmental measures (no smoking and no pets in the house, measures for the elimination of mites, etc.). However, occasionally, breast-fed infants may experience allergic sensitization to food antigens ingested by the mother during lactation. The factors that determine which infants will develop sensitization to food antigens in breast milk are not fully understood. The genetic predisposition to IgE-mediated hypersensitivity reactions is certainly a prerequisite; however, properties of human milk, such as immune characteristics, may play a role in the phenotypic expression of sensitization. Our studies suggest that the abnormally low levels of the long-chain polyunsaturated derivatives found in infants at risk of atopy are unlikely to be corrected by breast-feeding and may explain the contradictory results from studies on the effectiveness of breast milk against the development of atopic dermatitis.
Explore the source record for details and available documents.
OBJECTIVE: This work has been carried out to identify any factor associated with the long-term treatment through the analysis of all the data concerning the sociodemographic, psychosocial, anamnestic and clinical variables existing before the disease. MATERIAL AND METHOD: The research, carried out by the Mental Health Service in Bibbiena (U.S.A. 21) is a retrospective "case-control" study using a sample of 140 patients (70 "cases" and 70 "controls") that had the first contact with the psychiatric service in the period 1973-1989. We have defined l'cases" those patients who have been treated by the Service on a continuing basis for at least 5 years without an interruption more than three months. The "controls" were patients selected at random from the same population of "cases", resident in the same districts (catchment area of Casentino), but treated for a period shorter than 5 years. "Cases" and "controls" were in pairs on the ground of sex, age (range +/-5 years) and year of admittance to the service. A doctor of the postgraduate school of psychiatry was aware of "case" or "control" state, collected all informations using a questionnaire filled in according to medical records, psychiatric admission registers and information received by the psychiatric service staff. RESULTS: The study suggests that significance risk factors for long-term patients are:--diagnosis of schizophrenia. --a history of past suicide attempts and assaultive behavior.