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Biomedical subjects

P Drigo

Publications and source records attributed to P Drigo.

At least 37 records · Page 2Linked to original sources
PubMed1988

Neurogenic vesico-urethral dysfunction in children with cerebral palsy.

20 children with severe cerebral palsy and history of urinary incontinence and recurrent urinary infection underwent radio--and neuro-urologic evaluation. Vesico-ureteral reflux was found in 7 patients. In 9, who had presented episodes of urine sub-retention, a urodynamic study demonstrated detrusor muscle hyperreflexia in all, deficit of vesicourethral sensation in 5 and detrusor-sphincter dyssynergia in 2. These functional findings are compatible with an upper motor neuron lesion, and may be the cause of episodes of altered bladder emptying, and consequently, urinary infection.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1986

Impairment of polymorphonuclear leucocyte function during therapy with synthetic ACTH in children affected by epileptic encephalopathies.

Therapy with synthetic ACTH (zinc tetracosactide) in children affected by epileptic encephalopathy is often associated with a large number of infectious complications. We studied the phagocytic activity of polymorphonuclear leucocytes (PMN) in 9 children with West or Lennox-Gastaut syndrome, measuring PMN superoxide anion production during the phagocytosis of particles of Zymosan and after phorbol myristate acetate (PMA) stimulation. The test was performed before, during and after therapy with zinc tetracosactide (0.02 mg/kg/day for 15 days). At the same time plasma immunoglobulins, C3, C4, C3 activator and cortisol were determined. During treatment PMN phagocytic function was significantly reduced but returned to normal levels after suspension of therapy. The other hematological parameters considered remained within the normal range. During the follow-up of the patients we observed 15 infectious episodes (3 mucocutaneous candidiasis, 2 enterocolitis, 4 urinary tract infections, 1 otitis media, 3 bronchiolitis, 2 pneumonia). One of the patients died of a bilateral pneumonia. Three children were treated with ACTH on alternating days. In these patients PMN phagocytic activity was less impaired and 2 infectious episodes rapidly resolved. Alternate day ACTH therapy seems to be preferable.

Adrenocorticotropic Hormone↗
PubMed1985

Risk factors in long-term sequelae of central nervous system prophylaxis in successfully treated children with acute lymphocytic leukemia.

Seventy-two successfully treated patients with acute lymphocytic leukemia, all in first complete remission and all off therapy, who had received CNS prophylaxis (radiotherapy, 2,400 rad, plus intrathecal methotrexate), were studied by computed tomography (CT) of the brain, EEGs, and neurologic evaluations 3 to 9 years after the end of prophylaxis. Thirty-five patients showed CT brain scan abnormalities: intracranial calcifications (twelve); widening of the subarachnoid spaces (eight); isolated dilatation of ventricular spaces (three) and with frontal periventricular hypodensity (two); dilatation of ventricular and subarachnoid spaces (nine); and a hypodense area (one). Only 17 patients showed aspecific EEG abnormalities which were never linked to CT scan findings. None of our patients presented major motor deficits at the neurologic examination. A stepwise logistic regression technique showed that age less than 5 years at the time of prophylaxis was the most important risk factor (p = 0.008) of CT brain scan abnormalities followed by neurets (p = 0.037) and sex (p = 0.10). Furthermore, the multivariate analysis pointed out that the interactions between these variables were not significant and the effects were only of the first order.

Acute Disease↗
PubMed1984

Acute-onset transient hydrocephalus after suspension of ACTH therapy for infantile spasms: a case report.

A baby with infantile spasms (West's syndrome) who developed acute-onset transient hydrocephalus 10 days after suspending ACTH treatment is described. Hydrocephalus is an unusual complication of ACTH therapy, the more common complication being benign intracranial hypertension. The probable common pathogenic mechanism of altered CSF reabsorption which may lead to the two different clinical states, depending on age of patient, is discussed.

Acute Disease↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Electroclinical diagnosis of Angelman syndrome: a study of 7 cases.

The authors describe 7 new cases of Angelman syndrome (AS: 3 males and 4 females) diagnosed on the basis of clinical features (dysmorphic facial features, severe mental retardation with absent speech, peculiar jerky movements, ataxic gait and paroxysms of inappropriate laughter) and neurophysiological findings. Failure to detect deletion of the long arm of chromosome 15 or the absence of epileptic seizure were not considered sufficient to exclude a diagnosis of AS. Feeding problems, developmental delay and early signs of ataxia, especially tremor on handling objects and unstable posture when seated, proved effective as clinical markers for early diagnosis of AS. The EEG patterns characteristic of AS were found within the first 2 years of life (under 18 months in the majority of cases). The authors conclude that AS should be included in differential diagnosis in a child aged under 12 months having cryptogenic psychomotor retardation with prevalent language compromise. Repeat EEG recordings are needed to check for the typical trace, and cytogenetic investigations are mandatory.

Angelman Syndrome↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Childhood stroke associated with familial protein S deficiency.

Cerebral infarction is a rare pathology among children and its etiology can be identified in almost two-thirds of cases. The remaining one-third are considered idiopathic. Recently, inherited disorders of blood coagulation predisposing to thrombosis have been taken into account as a possible cause of childhood stroke. We describe here a case of a 6-year-old child presenting with ischemic stroke and protein S (PS) defect. The family study suggested inheritance of the defect. The immunological characterization of PS in the affected family members was consistent with a defect mainly in the free form of PS. In the case here reported no associated predisposing condition to stroke could be identified but familial PS defect was found. No therapy was administered. Nevertheless symptoms disappeared spontaneously and there were no recurrences at the 1 year follow-up. Diagnostic imaging techniques demonstrated that a reduction in the cerebral ischemic area had occurred 2 months after the stroke.

Brain Ischemia↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Macrocephaly and chromosome disorders: a case report.

We report the case of a young patient with macrocephaly. After excluding the most frequent causes of macrocephaly (hereditary disorders, degenerative, osseous and metabolic diseases, neurocutaneous syndromes and cerebral malformations), the likelihood of a chromosome disorder was investigated, revealing an unbalanced de novo translocation: 46,X,der(X),t(X;7) (q13 or q13.2; q11.23 or q21.11), i.e., a partial trisomy of the long arm of chromosome 7, associated with a partial monosomy of the long arm of chromosome X. Though this chromosome disorder is relatively rare, it should be considered in the differential diagnosis of patients under one year of age presenting with macrocephaly, scoliosis and non-progressive psychomotor retardation.

Brain↗
PubMedDate not supplied

CT and ACTH treatment in infantile spasms.

Computed tomography of 8 cases with West's syndrome before, during and after ACTH treatment are reported. The scans, performed at the third week of therapy, showed consistent widening of the sulci, cisterns and ventricles in all the patients. Of these, 2 patients underwent ICP monitoring which showed higher than normal values. A return to the normal ICP values in association with the disappearance of the CT findings was observed in both cases. It is concluded that widening of the sulci, cisterns and ventricles are not findings of atrophy, but a condition of initial communicating hydrocephalus, which is in accordance with the hypotheses of Riikonen and Lyen.

Adrenocorticotropic Hormone↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Antiphospholipid syndrome in a child with trisomy 21: the relationship between anticardiolipin G antibodies and the von Willebrand factor.

A young child with trisomy 21 developed severe multiple arterial thromboses in a three-phase clinical course which proved fatal. The episodes were characterized by high levels of both IgG anticardiolipin antibodies and the von Willebrand factor. The data suggest that there is a relationship between these two elements and the clinical events which followed.

Antibodies, Anticardiolipin↗
PubMedDate not supplied

[Visual motor and visual defects in spina bifida].

Among the numerous problems that spina bifida (SB) patients are faced with, impairments to the visual apparatus are often considered late and are not covered extensively in the literature. At the Pediatric Department of the University of Padua, an assessment of the visual function of 59 SB patients between 5 months and 26 years of age (29 male and 30 female) has been carried out by means of an ophthalmologic protocol. As far as the alteration of the exstrinsic ocular mobility is concerned, 44% (26/59) of our patients revealed a manifest squint and only 3% (two patients) suffered from a latent squint. The most frequent type is a convergent squint (80%). The assessment of visual acuity made through Optotype was good in 82% of the cases (unlike what is commonly reported in the literature) and mild in 18%. None of the patients manifested hypovision. Refraction defects were present in 59% (34/59) of the patients. Regular ophthalmologic evaluations from birth or from diagnosis allow ophthalmologic treatments that are tailored to children suffering from SB and also enable them to reach and maintain a good visual standard and to observe the subtle symptoms of endocranial hypertension sooner. An early discovery and correct treatment of visual problems improves cognitive and motive performance as well as the autonomy of SB patients.

Child↗
PubMedDate not supplied

[Visual motor and visual defects in spina bifida].

Among the numerous problems that Spina Bifida (SB) patients are faced with, impairments to the visual apparatus are often considered late and are not covered extensively in the literature. At the Pediatric Department of the University of Padua, an assessment of the visual function of 59 SB patients between 5 months and 26 years of age (29 male and 30 female) has been carried out by means of an ophthalmologic protocol As far as the alteration of the exstrinsic ocular mobility is concerned, 44% (26/59) of our patients revealed a manifest squint and only 3% (two patients) suffered from a latent squint. The most frequent type is a convergent squint (80%). The assessment of visual acuity made through Optotype was good in 82% of the cases (unlike what is commonly reported in the literature) and mild in 18%. None of the patients manifested hypovision. Refraction defects were present in 59% (34/59) of the patients. Regular ophthalmologic evaluations from birth or from diagnosis allow ophthalmologic treatments that are tailored to children suffering from SB and also enable them to reach and maintain a good visual standard and to observe the subtle symptoms of endocranial hypertension sooner. An early discovery and correct treatment of visual problems improves cognitive and motive performance as well as the autonomy of SB patients.

Adolescent↗
PubMedDate not supplied

[Gastroesophageal reflux and infantile cerebral palsy: our experience and review of the literature].

22 infant and children, all tetraplegic from cerebral palsy were admitted to our hospital for suspected gastroesophageal reflux. This working diagnosis was confirmed in 17 of them (77%) by an upper GI series and/or 24 hour oesophageal pH monitoring. All 17 were treated with medical therapy. In only 12.5% of them gastroesophageal symptoms improved. Seven children underwent surgery with complete resolution of vomiting in 57% of cases. These data confirm the high frequency of gastroesophageal reflux in children with cerebral palsy and its poor response to medical therapy. Most of these patients require surgical treatment, which unfortunately does not always resolve this vexing problem.

Adolescent↗