Search PubMed⌕ Search

Biomedical subjects

P Ferrari

Publications and source records attributed to P Ferrari.

485 records · Page 27Linked to original sources
PubMedDate not supplied

[Suspension of antiepilepsy therapy in subjects with epilepsy starting in early childhood].

After a complete review of the literature the AA. found that the results of the researches about the withdrawal of anticonvulsant therapy in epileptics were discordant. In order to investigate predicting criteria in terms of relapses, four hundred and fifty-seven epileptic children were followed up for a least three years (mean = 4,7 years) after drug withdrawal to determine the frequency of relapses and to discern any prognostic criteria. Each child had at least three separate a febrile seizures before the age of fifteen. Both primary and secondary forms have been considered. Clinical records were analyzed retrospectively to determine which factors were associated with recurrent seizures. The factors evaluated were: 1) types of seizures, 2) age of onset of seizures, 3) kind of therapy, 4) severity of seizure disorder, 5) age of the last seizure, 6) duration of therapy, 7) seizure-free period before drug withdrawal, 8) age of interruption of anticonvulsive therapy, 9) kind of discontinuation and 10) electroencephalography patterns. Statistically significant relationship was found between the type of seizure and the risk of relapse. Relapse rates were lowest in petit-mal epilepsy (2,6%) and in grandmal attacks (13,2%). The highest rate was in children with organic forms (26,2%) and with multiple seizure types (37,5%). A striking relationship was observed between increased risk of recurrence and a short seizure-free period before drug withdrawal and a short duration of therapy.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Anticonvulsants↗
PubMedDate not supplied

[Childhood periodic syndromes and their long-term development].

The long term development of periodic syndromes among children is little known. Our research has revealed that about one third of periodic headaches, two thirds of cyclic vomiting and half the cases of recurring abdominal pain disappear either before puberty or during adolescence. Other Authors have shown that this also happens in most cases of early-onset vertigo. The remaining headache cases develop into migraines in adults. When there is persistent cyclic vomiting, the collateral neurologic phenomena (headaches, vertigo, pallor, hypotonia, drowsiness) become more intense. This also happens in some cases of abdominal pain and paroxysmal vertigo which start in late childhood. Other sufferers from acute abdominal pain develop ulcers, gastroduodenitis and colitis as adults. Altogether, some infantile periodic syndromes (in particular the multi-symptomatic ones) have a common outcome, i.e. develop into more or less typical migraine syndromes. In these cases one can presume a common pathogenetic mechanism. In those cases where the outcome is favorable the pathogenesis may be different. These cases may often be spotted in early childhood on account of the monosymptomatic nature of the complaint or the absence of collateral neurologic symptoms as well as of the infrequency of critical episodes.

Abdomen↗
PubMedDate not supplied

C-erb-B2 gene amplification and serum level of c-erb-B2 oncoprotein at primary breast cancer diagnosis.

We studied c-erb-B2 gene amplification of DNA of primary breast tumours without distant metastasis from 236 women admitted to our institute during 1992. For 125 of them, we had a serum sample at diagnosis, before any treatment. C-erb-B2 gene amplification (> or = 2 copies) was observed in 26% (62/236) of the cases. There was a correlation with higher histological grades (p < 0.03) and with absence of hormone receptors: ER-(p < 0.0001). PgR-(p < 0.0001), association ER- and PgR-(p < 0.0000). Large tumours T3 and T4 taken together tended to present more c-erb B2 gene amplifications (p < 0.08). There was no correlation with age, histological type or nodal status. At diagnosis, mean concentration of serum c-erb-B2 oncoprotein was 8.5 +/- 18 U/ml with a median of 4 U/ml (4-150). Choosing a cut-off value of 8 U/ml gave a sensitivity of 21% (26/125). Serum levels of c-erb-B2 oncoprotein were correlated with tumour spread: large tumours T3-T4 (p < 0.001), nodal involvement (N+) (p < 0.01), association T3-T4 and N+(p < 0.0005), high levels of CA 15:3 (normal value < 25 IU/ml) (p < 0.05). There was no other correlation, particularly with age, histological type, hormone receptors or c-erb-B2 gene amplification. c-erb-B2 oncoprotein serum levels could be helpful to detect recurrences. Assessment of c-erb-B2 oncoprotein serum concentration, before treatment, as an independent prognostic factor is necessary.

Adult↗