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Biomedical subjects

P Godeau

Publications and source records attributed to P Godeau.

At least 271 records · Page 15Linked to original sources

[Nailfold capillaroscopy. Comparison of 100 subjects over 65 years of age and of 100 young adults].

Nailfold capillary microscopy patterns in 100 patients aged more than 65 years and free from inflammatory diseases were compared to those of 100 young healthy adults. A higher prevalence of arteriovenous sludge (36% vs 7%, p less than 10(-6)), increase in capillary loop length (12% vs. 0%, p less than 10(-3)) and especially prominent subpapillary plexus (63% vs 12%, p less than 10(-9)) was found in the geriatric group. Such capillary patterns cannot be considered as abnormal in patients aged more than 65 years. Enlargement of capillary loops and loss of capillaries were never encountered. Bushy capillary formations and hemorrhages were very uncommon in both groups.

Adult↗

[Prostatic location as the manifestation of lymphoma].

The authors report a case of non-hodgkin's lymphoma initially presenting with pallakiuria due to a prostatic localization of the tumour. The diagnosis was confirmed 6 months later following deterioration in the general condition with lymphomatous meningitis, after repeat examination of the prostatic slides. Less than twenty cases of prostatic lesions revealing lymphoma have been reported in the literature. There are no formal diagnostic arguments apart from the histology which is often difficult to interpret. In most cases the lymphomas are disseminated and composed of large cells or cleaved small cells with a poor prognosis and a mean survival of 14 months. Treatment primarily consists of chemotherapy, as the lymphoma is always disseminated. The role of local radiotherapy is questionable.

Aged↗

[Epidemiologic study of pregnancy complicated by lupus].

Pregnancy is allowed in an increasing number of women with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). In order to determine the influence of pregnancy on SLE and vice versa, a French epidemiological register was established on 1 January 1987, under the aegis of the Société Nationale Française de Médecine Interne. As of 1 December 1989, 55 pregnancies in 51 women coming from 24 different Departments of Medicine were recorded. Intermediate results were analyzed from 42 women (2 successive pregnancies) of which 46 pregnancies (2 twin pregnancies) have come to term. Pregnancy can be allowed in women with SLE. The disease influences its evolution in nearly two-thirds of the patients, but without maternal death. Among 4 women whose disease previously undiagnosed, 2 developed glomerulonephritis. A woman without prior renal involvement developed proliferative diffuse glomerulonephritis during pregnancy. Fetal prognosis appears to be linked to the activity of the disease at the beginning of pregnancy: early spontaneous abortions always occurred when the disease was active, even if the signs of activity were only biological. This fact underlies the importance of complement dosage because the physiological expression of the usual inflammatory parameters increases during pregnancy. In addition, it seems that SLE treatment should be adapted to the evolution of biological tests. Renal involvement regardless of its origin--SLE or not--(it is often impossible to determine the respective contribution of each cause, which leads to increasing the corticosteroid dosage and giving antihypertensive drugs simultaneously) seems to be a factor of prematurity.

Abortion, Spontaneous↗

[The cardiologist and AIDS].

Since first individualized in Atlanta in 1981, the frequency of AIDS is constantly increasing and the risk groups (male homosexuals, heroin addicts, transfused hemophiliacs, Haitians and Africans) are no longer the only ones concerned. The progression of the disease in African heterosexuals foreshadows its probable course in the Western World. 8,000 AIDS cases were indexed in Europe as of June 1987; 45,000 are expected in 1989. Cardiologists are a priori much less concerned by this disease than infectious disease specialists, internists, dermatologists, respiratory diseases specialist or neurologists. However, under three circumstances they may have to become involved in this disease. 1) AIDS following blood transfusions: the greater the risk as the amount of blood transfused is important; patients undergoing ECC present an increased risk. As of June 30 1988, 320 cases of posttransfusion AIDS had been reported in France (7.82 p. cent of all reported AIDS cases). The mean incubation period, estimated at 54 months in 1986, would actually be much longer: distribution according to a Gauss curve with a period of 15 years +/- 5, which would lead to expect many cases in the years to come affecting patients who were transfused before August 1985, when systematic screening became mandatory. Since that time, the risk has markedly decreased but is not non-existent (pre-serology phase, contamination with HIV 2), resulting in a limitation of the indications of transfusions and restoring as often as possible to autotransfusion and normovolemic hemodilution.

Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome↗

[Splenectomy can cure thrombocytopenia of systemic lupus erythematosus].

Between 1976 and 1988, 7 patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) underwent splenectomy for severe peripheral thrombocytopenia (platelet count below 30,000/mm3) which had resisted corticosteroid therapy (n = 7), high-dose immunoglobulins (n = 4), vincristine (n = 2), danazol (n = 1), cyclophosphamide and plasma exchanges (n = 1). No infective or non-infective complication of splenectomy was observed. One patient died of intracerebral haemorrhage 3 years later, after several recurrences of thrombocytopenia. The 6 survivors have normal platelet counts (more than 150,000/mm3) after splenectomy, over a mean follow-up period of 80 months. Two of these 6 patients never had recurrent thrombocytopenia and have not received any treatment for 17 to 102 months. Four patients are still under prednisone in doses lower than 30 mg/day. Among these, 2 had recurrent thrombocytopenia 2 and 60 months respectively after splenectomy and responded favourably to another course of corticosteroids associated, in one case, with cyclophosphamide. Thus, splenectomy is an effective treatment of the thrombocytopenia associated with SLE. However, the possibility of early or late recurrences makes it necessary to reserve splenectomy to those cases where medical treatment has failed or is contra-indicated.

Adolescent↗

[Diabetic microangiopathy. Role of capillaroscopy].

In order to evaluate the significance of ungual and conjunctival microvascular abnormalities observed in diabetics prior to retinopathy, nailfold and conjunctival capillaroscopy was performed in 20 controls and 40 insulin-dependent diabetics of the same age. The diabetics were divided into 4 groups according to their state of retinopathy: absent, incipient, non-proliferative and proliferative. No difference was found between controls and diabetics and between groups of diabetics in the frequency of conjunctiva microaneurysms and specific nailfold microangiopathy, nor even in that of the so-called characteristic "fish shoal" image. The percentage of abnormalities detected was concordant with the results of previous studies in diabetics (12.5 per cent of non-specific organic microangiopathy), but it was 2 to 4 times higher than the frequency usually found in non-diabetic controls. This discrepancy could be due to the method used, since in contrast with earlier studies the operator did not know whether the subject was diabetic or not and was unaware of the patient's retina state. In the absence of other blind and prospective studies, capillaroscopic examination for diabetic microangiopathy should be reserved strictly to clinical research.

Adolescent↗

[Inflammatory arthropathies in patients with human immunodeficiency virus infection].

Articular manifestations were observed in 10 patients (8 men, 2 women, aged from 23 to 46 years) with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection. All men were homosexuals, except for an intravenous drug addict. One woman was a native of Gabon and the other had multiple transfusions. The joint diseases were of the polyarthritis and acute oligoarthritis types, affecting mainly the knees and ankles but also the wrist and fingers; the spine was involved in one case. The synovial fluid present in 4 patients contained 5,000 to 27,000 cells per cubic millimeter, with a strong predominance of polymorphonuclears. In 3 cases, infective viral particles were found in the fluid with anti-HIV antibodies. In 2 patients biopsy of the synovial membrane provided evidence of non-specific subacute synovitis. All X-ray films, including those of the sacro-iliac joint, were and remained normal. The course of the joint disease was acute and regressive in 5 cases, chronic and prolonged in the remaining 5 cases. In 5 patients the arthropathies were the first clinical manifestations of the HIV infection. Three patients who had stage IV C AIDS died; the others were in stages II (5), III (1) or IV E (1) and did not progress to a more severe stage. This study shows that various types of inflammatory arthritis may occur in HIV positive patients. In most cases the arthritis is reactive, but certain data suggest that it may be directly related to the virus in some patients.

Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome↗

Symptomatic urogenital manifestations of polyarteritis nodosa and Churg-Strauss angiitis: analysis of 8 of 165 patients.

To establish the clinical features and evolution of ureteral and testicular manifestations of polyarteritis nodosa, 8 cases among a group of 165 patients were reviewed. Urogenital manifestations are rare and were related to hepatitis B virus markers in 5 of the 8 patients. Malignant hypertension was present in 6 of 8 patients and renal insufficiency related to renal infarctions was noted in 5. Prognosis is good and regression generally is obtained with steroid therapy or with plasma exchange and vidarabine when polyarteritis is related to hepatitis B virus. In some cases ureteral stenosis may require an operation in association with steroids and/or immunosuppressive treatments.

Adult↗

Cutaneous necrosis associated with the lupus anticoagulant.

Extensive cutaneous necrosis of the limbs with sudden onset was observed in 3 women suffering from benign systemic lupus erythematosus. All 3 had a circulating anticoagulant and a positive venereal diseases reference laboratory test without anticardiolipin antibodies. They were successfully treated with pulse methylprednisolone therapy and plasmapheresis. The necrosis-lupus anticoagulant relationship is discussed due to the absence of another possible etiology for cutaneous necrosis and the latter's histological aspect, i.e., thromboses of the dermal and hypodermal vessels without vasculitis. This cutaneous necrosis resembles that observed in congenital protein C deficiencies and favors the hypothesis of interaction between the lupus anticoagulant and the protein C-S complex.

Adult↗

[Cutaneous microcirculation in infectious endocarditis].

Nailfold capillary microscopy was used to study the microcirculation patterns in 26 adult patients with infective endocarditis. Abnormal patterns were found in 13 patients (50%). Enlargement of capillary loops was never observed. Significant correlations were found between the number of capillary abnormalities and both systemic involvement (cutaneous vasculitis, arthritis, splenomegaly and/or glomerulonephritis) and immunological disturbances (circulating immune complexes, rheumatoid factor and/or hypocomplementemia) (p = 0.02 and 0.003, respectively). Capillary abnormalities were significantly reduced in 14 patients studied 4 to 48 months after endocarditis was cured. However, due to the lack of specificity, nailfold capillary microscopy cannot be regarded as a useful tool for the diagnosis of infective endocarditis. Connective tissue disorders are not the sole diagnosis to be considered in patients with abnormal nailfold capillary microcirculation patterns.

Adolescent↗