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Biomedical subjects

P Pavlica

Publications and source records attributed to P Pavlica.

108 records · Page 6Linked to original sources
PubMedDate not supplied

Distal extremity swelling with pitting edema in psoriatic arthritis: a case-control study.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the frequency and the clinical characteristics of distal extremity swelling with pitting edema in patients with psoriatic arthritis (PsA). METHODS: This was a case-control study of consecutive outpatients with PsA (old and new diagnosis) observed over a 3-month period in three secondary referral centers in Italy. As controls we used the two consecutive rheumatic outpatients, excluding those with spondylarthropathies, observed after a PsA patient. The demographic and clinical features were assessed by clinical examination and review of the medical records. RESULTS: A total of 183 patients with PsA and 366 controls were evaluated. Distal extremity swelling with pitting edema was recorded in 39/183 (21%) PsA patients and in 18/366 (4.9%) controls (p < 0.0001). In 8/39 (20%) patients this feature presented as a first, isolated manifestation of PsA, and in 8 others it was associated with other features of PsA at diagnosis. The upper and lower extremities were affected, predominantly asymmetrically, in 40% and 60% of the cases respectively. In patients with pitting edema compared to those without this feature, the frequency of Achilles enthesitis and plantar fasciitis, calculated together, was higher (p < 0.05) and the duration of arthritis was significantly lower (p = 0.02). In 7 patients the clinical evidence of a predominant involvement of tenosynovial structures was confirmed by MRI. CONCLUSION: Upper or lower distal extremity swelling with pitting edema due to tenosynovitis, usually unilateral, is a common feature in PsA patients and may represent the first, isolated manifestation of the disease.

Adult↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Evaluation by captopril renal scintigraphy and echo-Doppler flowmetry of hypertensive patients at high risk for renal artery stenosis.

Sixty-three hypertensive patients with probability of obstructive renal artery disease underwent both Captopril renal scintigraphy (CRS) and echo-Doppler flowmetry (EDF) before undergoing renal angiography. Angiography revealed renal artery stenosis (RAS) in 42 patients (unilaterally in 26 and bilaterally in 16). The sensitivity and specificity in the identification of RAS > or = 50% were 90% and 94%, respectively for Captopril renography, and 85% and 78% for echo-Doppler flowmetry. Captopril renography correctly identified stenoses greater than 50%, which is usually held to be the limit of hemodynamic significance. While the Doppler examination was more sensitive than Captopril renography (sensitivity 79% versus 64%) in the detection of all degrees of RAS, less information on the functional significance of RAS was provided. Both CRS and EDF could be usefully employed to assess kidney perfusion, but their appropriate clinical use must take into account inherent differences between the two techniques.

Adolescent↗
PubMedDate not supplied

[Syringocele or cystic diagnosis of Cowper's gland ducts].

Cystic dilatation of bulbo-urethral gland ducts (Cowper's syringocele) is an uncommon abnormality, frequently asymptomatic, showing various radiographic patterns. The lesion is more commonly seen in children, but it may be found in adults too, and may cause dysuria, pollakiuria, stranguria and posturinary dribbling. Fourteen patients with syringocele were observed: 6 of them were asymptomatic, while in 8 the most common symptoms were posturinary dribbling and stranguria. X-ray examination showed 7 cases of perforated syringocele, 4 cases of ruptured syringocele, 2 cases of simple syringocele and 1 case of imperforate syringocele. Various theories are reported to explain how the lesion forms and the differences are analyzed which characterize different kinds of urethral lesions.

Adolescent↗
PubMedDate not supplied

[Radiologic surveillance of uremic osteodystrophy after parathyroidectomy].

Partial parathyroidectomy (PTX) was carried out 20 times in 15 dialitic patients with chronic renal failure. The operation was suggested by marked radiological abnormalities due to severe secondary hyperparathyroidism, that developed despite aggressive medical and dietetic management. The skeletal x-ray examination showed significant improvement following PTX, that was clearly visible already one month postoperatively at the level of the second and third phalanges of the hands. The improvement of the skeletal osteodystrophic patterns was always associated to a fall of parathyroid hormone and plasma alkaline phosphatase levels. The radiological examination of the hands may represent a usefull and simple method in the follow-up of patients after surgery to assess the efficacy of PTX.

Adult↗
PubMedDate not supplied

[Rounded atelectasis of the lung].

Rounded atelectasis is an uncommon but increasingly recognized form of pulmonary collapse that often mimics a pulmonary neoplasm. It is suggested that these lesions can occur many years after exposure to asbestos or exudative pleural effusions. The authors report 16 cases of rounded atelectasis seen during a period of over 10 years, 9 of which in the last 18 months. They describe the plain film, tomographic and CT appearances of the lesion. The radiographic features that allow a diagnosis are rounded or oval shadows lying along the posterior surface of the lower lobe, adjacent to thickened pleura. Lateral tomography and CT show the blood vessels and bronchi curving toward the mass and converging on one edge, like a comet tail. Differentiation of rounded atelectasis from neoplastic disease is essential in avoiding unnecessary thoracotomy.

Aged↗