Search PubMed⌕ Search

Biomedical subjects

R Loire

Publications and source records attributed to R Loire.

At least 73 records · Page 4Linked to original sources
PubMed1996

[Apparently idiopathic chronic pericardial effusion. Long-term outcome in 71 cases].

Seventy one cases of apparently idiopathic chronic pericardial effusion were systematicaly followed up. There were 3 inclusion criteria: patients had to be symptomatic with radiological cardiomegaly without tamponade or an acute onset; the effusion had to be stable for more than 3 months despite medical therapy at the time of surgery; the parietal pericardium removed at surgery had to be of normal histopathological appearances. Cases with a discernable classical cause of pericardial effusion were excluded: previous mediastinal radiotherapy, connective tissue diseases, malignancies, chronic infection or a recent episode of acute pericarditis. There were 9 deaths during the first five postoperative years, one of which was related to the pericardial disease and surgery. By definition, no cause was found but in one third of cases a relationship between the pericarditis and other disease processes was possible. The management of these large pericardial effusions resistant to treatment without any apparent underlying pathology and in which echocardiography only shows a large effusion should be surgical with drainage of the pericardial cavity, allowing exclusion of aetiologies which are non-identifiable by other methods, with a negligeable operative risk even in elderly patients and good long-term clinical results. This recommendation is based on systematic follow-up of over 5 years in 57 of our 71 cases; after drainage, only one of the nine deaths observed was related to the pericardial disease itself and 59, subjects (83%) had no further symptomatic pericardial disease.

Adult↗
PubMed1996

[Myxoma of the left atrium, Clinical outcome of 100 operated patients].

One hundred patients operated for left atrial myxoma in the same surgical department underwent clinical and anatomical assessment at long-term from 1959 to July 1995 (66 women and 34 men, average age 52.2 years). The clinical presentation was related to mitral valve obstruction in half the cases (dyspnoea, cough, pulmonary oedema), the presentation in the other half of cases being very variable. The widespread use of echocardiography has relegated other investigations to a subsidiary role: auscultation, radiology, ECG (9 cases diagnosed by echocardiography performed for another indication). Serious complications of left atrial myxoma include systemic embolism : 37 cases out of the 100 in this series, including 10 plurifocal but mainly cerebral (19 cases including 11 isolated cerebral emboli). Surgical treatment is well established, should not be deferred and gives excellent results (2 early postoperative deaths out of 100 cases in the early years of the study). There were 6 cases of recurrences including 3 cases of Carney's syndrome. Clinico-pathological correlations showed that mitral stenotic effects occurred when the tumour diameter exceeded 5 cm and embolism was associated with tumours having multiple villositi. Histopathological analysis distinguished between active and inactive tumours, differentiated or not, and enabled the elaboration of hypotheses on the rate of growth of the tumour and on the absence of true metastases. Histopathological techniques also show the presence of lymphoplasmocytic infiltration, the sign of secretion of interleukin 6 by the myxoma, a cytokine involved in the general inflammatory process and which explains the unusual clinical presentation sometimes observed.

Embolism↗
PubMed1996

[Rare etiology of multiple pulmonary lacunae].

Sarcoma of the common pulmonary artery are rare malignant tumors which can mimic pulmonary embolism. In the case presented here, the inaugural signs were particularly misleading: multiple pulmonary lacunae on computed tomography. The unusual aspect and asymmetric localizations at pulmonary angiography then suggested the doubtful nature of the embolism etiology. Magnetic resonance imaging findings suggested the diagnosis of sarcoma of the pulmonary artery. Certain diagnosis was obtained at pathology examination of the surgical specimen after thoracotomy. A malignant fibrous histiocytoma was identified. Curative resection was not possible and chemotherapy was performed. Unusual parenchymal lesions were then evidenced on the radiography. Better and better magnetic resonance imaging criteria are described in the literature and help distinguish between thromboembolism and sarcoma of the pulmonary artery. Follow-up of the clinical course is thus improved. It is nevertheless necessary to evaluate intravascular extension to determine whether curative surgery is possible.

Adult↗
PubMed1996

[Post-radiotherapy pericarditis; a clinical and pathological study of 75 cases].

The outcome of 75 cases of post-radiotherapy pericarditis severe enough to lead to surgery, was reviewed from 1970 to September 1995. Four clinical forms were identified: acute pericarditis resistant to medical treatment (12 cases), large chronic pericardial effusions resistant to medical treatment (16 cases), chronic, compressive effusions (35 cases) and signs of pericardial constriction (12 cases). The medical conditions irradiated were Hodgkin's disease (41 cases), followed by carcinomas (27 cases), malignant lymphomas, thymoma and seminoma. Forty-three deaths were observed during the study period (only 4 unrelated to the neoplasia or radiotherapy) after a mean interval of 7.4 years after radiotherapy and 2.5 years after surgical biopsy: 25 were related to cardiopulmonary complications of radiotherapy: 14 were due to recurrence of the malignant disease or the appearance of another tumour. Fifty-two pericardial effusion drainage procedures and 28 pericardectomies were performed, due to the necessity for reoperation. The authors have tried to determine therapeutic indications based on recognised physiopathological data and the anatomical aspects of the four different clinical forms. The prognosis is affected by post-radiotherapy fibrosis which extends beyond the pericardium to involve other cardiac structures and the pulmonary parenchyma. However, it must be emphasised that the initial survival of all these patients was due to the radiotherapy.

Female↗
PubMed1996

[Fibrous aortic valve tumor (Lambl's excrescence) trapped in the right coronary artery. Apropos of a case].

Lambl's excrescences are filliform aortic or mitral valve tumours. They do not usually cause any clinical problems and are autopsy findings. The authors report a case of a 64 year old female with an invalidating angina in whom echo and angiographic investigations suggested obstruction of the right coronary ostium by a valvular tumour. This was confirmed at surgery and tumorectomy was followed by regression of the anginal syndrome.

Angina Pectoris↗
PubMed1995

Fibrosing vasculitis in Wegener's granulomatosis: ultrastructural and immunohistochemical analysis of the vascular lesions.

This study of two cases of pulmonary Wegener's granulomatosis (WG) focuses on the ultrastructural aspects of the vascular wall injury and on the immunohistochemical characterization of the perivascular connective matrix. The iterative waves of endothelial cell necrosis and regeneration are demonstrated by the multilamellar appearance of the basal lamina. Neutrophils infiltrate the vessel wall and myofibroblasts are recruited to injured vessels. The perivascular connective matrix associates basement-membrane like and fibrillar material with fibrin deposits. The initiation of the fibrosing process was assessed by the visualization of matrix molecules involved in targeting (p-fibronectin), organizing (cellular fibronectin and tenascin) and stabilizing (lysyl-oxidase) the fibrogenic activity. These elementary lesions affect different levels of the vascular tree, and capillaritis is involved in the extension of the pathological process. Lysyl-oxidase labelling reveals the fibrosing front which is located on the border of dense fibrosis. The markers of fibrosing activity disappear in the areas of fibrosis following vasculitis and/or ischaemic necrosis and/or granulomatosis. Vasculitis plays a major role in both the genesis and progression of the fibrosis observed in the late stage of WG.

Arteries↗
PubMed1995

Primary pulmonary non-Hodgkin's lymphomas.

We report a retrospective study of the pathological features in 69 primary pulmonary non-Hodgkin's lymphomas which have previously been clinically reviewed. The tumours consisted of 61 (88%) low-grade and eight (12%) high-grade malignant lymphomas. Fifty-four of the low-grade malignant lymphomas were MALT lymphomas. Lymphoepithelial lesions were observed in bronchial, bronchiolar and alveolar lining. All tumours were composed of nodules, forming a lymphangitic pattern at the periphery and a confluent central mass. Invasion of pleura and vessels was often seen but this without any consequence on survival. Granulomas were found in 20% of cases. Six of the eight high-grade tumours were centroblastic and another two were B-cell lymphomas of undetermined type. In four cases, associated areas of low-grade malignant lymphoma with lympho-epithelial lesions indicated a preexisting MALT lymphoma. Clinical data suggest that limited surgery or non-aggressive chemotherapy can provide long-term survival in patients with such slowly developing neoplasms. However, non-invasive diagnostic methods need to be developed.

Adult↗
PubMed1995

Bronchiectasis detected with thin-section CT as a predictor of chronic lung allograft rejection.

PURPOSE: To evaluate bronchiectasis detected with thin-section computed tomography (CT) as a potential early finding of chronic lung allograft rejection. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Forty patients were studied at least 6 months after transplantation. Follow-up CT scans were obtained 6-48 months after transplantation and were retrospectively reviewed for evidence and anatomic extent of bronchiectasis. Irreversible dysfunction of the lung transplant, called the bronchiolitis obliterans syndrome (BOS), was staged according to pulmonary function testing. Pathologic proof of bronchiolitis obliterans was obtained. RESULTS: BOS occurred in 14 (35%) of the 40 patients. When considering bronchiectasis preceding BOS, bronchiectasis was a predictor of chronic rejection with a sensitivity of 14%, a specificity of 77%, a positive predictive value of 25%, and a negative predictive value of 63%. Bronchiectasis appeared concomitantly with BOS in eight (67%) of 12 patients. CONCLUSION: The diagnosis of chronic rejection relies on the degree of impairment of pulmonary function. When the diagnosis is only suspected on the basis of minimal impairment, CT can aid in the diagnosis of rejection by depicting early pulmonary changes.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1995

Lymphocytic bronchitis/bronchiolitis in a patient with primary biliary cirrhosis.

A 39 year old woman with severe primary biliary cirrhosis progressively developed exercise dyspnoea due to airflow obstruction. Sjögren's syndrome was not present. Bronchial and pulmonary biopsies demonstrated constrictive lymphocytic bronchitis/bronchiolitis, possibly a component of a generalized autoimmune process in this patient.

Adult↗
PubMed1995

Migratory organizing pneumonitis "primed" by radiation therapy.

We report on two women presenting with cough and fever, 4 and 7 months, respectively, after starting breast radiation therapy following surgery for breast carcinoma. Chest roentgenogram and computed tomographic (CT) scan demonstrated alveolar opacities, initially limited to the pulmonary area next to the irradiated breast, but later migrating within both lungs. Intra-alveolar granulation tissue was found in transbronchial lung biopsies. Corticosteroid treatment resulted in dramatic clinical improvement, together with complete clearing of the pulmonary opacities on chest imaging. However, clinical and imaging relapses occurred when corticosteroids were withdrawn too rapidly; with further improvement when they were reintroduced. The reported cases clearly differ from radiation pneumonitis. They were fairly typical of cryptogenic organizing pneumonitis, also called idiopathic bronchiolitis obliterans organizing pneumonia, with the exception of the radiation therapy, partially affecting the lung, which had been performed within the previous months. Since focal radiation therapy involving the lung may induce diffuse bilateral lymphocytic alveolitis, we hypothesize that this may "prime" the lung to further injury, leading to cryptogenic organizing pneumonitis.

Aged↗
PubMed1995

BOOP presenting with haemoptysis and multiple cavitary nodules.

A 47 year old woman developed idiopathic bronchiolitis obliterans organizing pneumonia (BOOP) presenting with haemoptysis and diffuse multiple cavitary nodules. The disease was histologically confirmed by open lung biopsy after other entities had been excluded. The patient responded to a course of corticosteroids. This BOOP should be added to the list of diseases with multiple cavitary nodules.

Biopsy↗
PubMed1995

High-resolution computed tomographic findings associated with histologically diagnosed acute lung rejection in heart-lung transplant recipients.

A group of 32 lung (single lung, [n = 14] and double lung [n = 1]) or heart-lung (n = 17) transplant recipients were studied with serial high-resolution computed tomography (HRCT) scans and transbronchial biopsies from the time of surgery. These investigations were carried out routinely every 2 weeks for the first 2 months, every 2 months for a year, every 4 months in the second year, and on any clinical suspicion of acute lung rejection or infection. A total of 190 transbronchial biopsy specimens and concurrent HRCT scans were obtained. Forty (21%) of the biopsy specimens, showed histologic evidence of lung rejection, 111 (58%) were normal, and 39 (21%) were not conclusive. The more frequent HRCT pattern encountered during an acute rejection episode was the presence of patchy "ground-glass" density areas (65%). This finding was sparsely observed during minimal and mild acute rejection episodes. Using histologic diagnosis as a standard for acute rejection, ground-glass opacities on HRCT had a sensitivity of 65% in detecting lung rejection. Although ground-glass opacities were also intermittently observed during cytomegalovirus pneumonia (14%), this finding had a specificity of 85% for detecting occurrence of an acute lung complication. The detection of ground-glass opacities on lung HRCT after lung transplantation, more particularly after the first month after surgery, can aid the decision of when and where to undertake transbronchial lung biopsy.

Acute Disease↗
PubMed1995

[Value of coronary angiography in the diagnosis of coronary artery disease of the transplanted heart. Coronary angiography and arteriosclerosis of the graft].

The diagnostic value of coronary angiography, a widespread method of detection of transplant coronary artery disease, was studied in 17 cardiac transplant patients with reference to histological examination. In the 6 coronary segments studied, the only significant but weak correlation that was found was for the distal left anterior descending artery: the correlations were not statistically significant in the other 5 segments. Coronary angiography underestimated lesions and false negative results were frequently reported (66 and 27% respectively). The limitations of coronary angiography may be explained by the technical artefacts related to both methods of evaluation and the anatomically diffuse and distal nature of transplant coronary artery atherosclerosis. A more reliable diagnostic method would seem to be required in view of the clinical importance of this pathology.

Coronary Angiography↗
PubMed1995

Bronchiolitis obliterans organizing pneumonia associated with minocycline therapy: a possible cause.

We report the case of a woman who presented with dyspnoea whilst taking minocycline for acne. Imaging features of bilateral patchy alveolar opacities suggested a diagnosis of bronchiolitis obliterans organizing pneumonia, which was confirmed by lung biopsy. The patient improved, partially, after stopping minocycline, and then completely on treatment with corticosteroids, without relapse when these where stopped 8 weeks later.

Acne Vulgaris↗
PubMed1995

[Guidelines for the diagnosis of endocarditis. Pathology of the cardiac valves].

This article reports the difficulties of the diagnosis of endocarditis, especially when blood cultures are negative. It emphasizes the respective roles of the microbiology and pathology laboratories for the processing of cardiac valves removed by surgery. It clarifies the morphological characteristics of the endocarditis.

Endocarditis↗
PubMed1995

[Fatal acute silicosis caused by voluntary inhalation of scouring powder].

We report a case of acute fatal fibrosing silico-proteinosis occurring in nine months in a young woman who had voluntarily inhaled scouring powder. We recall the reports in the literature of the subacute or chronic forms associated with systemic diseases occurring after such inhalational practices. We recall the need for specific questioning and to complete the study, the need for microscopy and electron-microscopy associated with X-ray defraction, either on the alveolar lavage fluid or on a lung biopsy.

Acute Disease↗