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Biomedical subjects

R Loire

Publications and source records attributed to R Loire.

At least 145 records · Page 8Linked to original sources

[Diffuse interstitial pneumopathies caused by lentivirus (HIV-1) in humans and animals].

Lentiviruses belong to the retroviruses family (ie RNA viruses with reverse transcriptase activity); they induce inflammatory and/or degenerative slowly progressive diseases, affecting various organs. Some lentiviruses preferentially infect lymphocytes (HIV-1 and HIV-2, SIV and FIV) and are associated with infectious and tumoral disorders. Most lentiviruses induce a pulmonary disease, typically diffuse interstitial pneumonia. The visna/maedi-virus of sheep infects monocyte macrophage cells and the pulmonary lesions are macrophagic and neutrophilic alveolitis, lymphoid infiltration, myomatosis and interstitial fibrosis. Such pulmonary lesions are also induced by the goat and equine lentiviruses. In humans infected by HIV-1 or HIV-2, a diffuse interstitial lung disease also occurs; the histological findings are of alveolitis associated with lymphoid peribronchovascular infiltrates. The mechanism of formation of the lesions involves complex cellular interactions (especially between macrophage and lymphocyte, via cytokine production). These interactions are well modelled by small ruminant lentivirus induction of interstitial pneumonia.

Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome↗

[Popliteal venous aneurysm and recurrent pulmonary embolism. A case report].

Primary popliteal vein aneurysms are rare, in contrast with veinous dilatation secondary to trauma or complicating an arterio-veinous fistula. The authors report the case of recurrent pulmonary embolism in a 46 year old man with a popliteal vein aneurysm. This veinous malformation usually presents with pulmonary embolism due to migration of blood clot from the thrombosed aneurysmal sack. Ultrasonography and/or venography are diagnostic. Surgical care of the aneurysm should be preferred in young and active patients to partial interruption of the inferior vena cava or anticoagulant therapy alone.

Aneurysm↗

[Aortic-pulmonary chemodectoma (non-chromaffin paraganglioma). Apropos of a case which followed an adrenal pheochromocytoma].

The authors present the 61st published case of an aorticopulmonary chemodectoma diagnosed in patient of 59 years who had been operated on 7 years previously for a right sided adrenal pheochromocytoma. The diagnosis was provided by the histological examination of the operative specimen, since computerised tomography had predicted that this large hypervascular tumour of the anterior mediastinum would be totally resectable.

Adrenal Gland Neoplasms↗

[Aortic insufficiency and degenerative aortic disease. Anatomic study and etiology].

Degenerative (or dystrophic) artery disease is the most recently recognized etiology of aortic regurgitation (AR) and has been observed since the sixties. This condition concerns about one third of the pure AR cases, which now undergo surgery and involves two populations (with a marked predominance of men): subjects over 50 years of age, with no special history, and some post-adolescent patients suffering from Marfan's disease. The anatomical lesions are identical in three respects: the ascending aorta, with a spindle-like aneurysm, thin or slack, collapsed aortic sigmoids, dilated aortic ring. The histopathologic observations involve two features, the relative importance of which varies from one case to another: a loss of elastin and collagen fibers (the main cause of the disease) and an accumulation of acidic mucopolysaccharides (known as mucoid or myxoid degeneration) which involves some reaction to hemodynamic turbulence and is somewhat secondary to fragilization of the aorta or sigmoid wall. Rupture of the aorta wall, which is restricted to the inner two thirds of the media or complicated by a dissecting hematoma, may aggravate both the distention of the ascending aorta and the AR. One hundred of the 150 cases of pure AR which underwent surgery at Lyon (France) during 1986 and 1987 belonged to this dystrophic etiologic category and called for a special procedure (Bentall).

Adult↗

[Spontaneous and isolated dissection of the external iliac artery. Presentation of a case].

Primary dissecting aneurysms of peripheral arteries without involvement of the aorta are rare. The present report deals with a case of dissecting aneurysm of the external iliac artery in a 39-old man treated by resection and prosthetic graft. Although the exact cause of the dissection was not apparent, it seems likely that it was related to disorder of connective tissue because of the presence of a pectus excavatum, a deep palate and an increased hydroxyproline urinary excretion.

Adult↗

Bone marrow metastases in small cell lung cancer: detection with magnetic resonance imaging and monoclonal antibodies.

The detection of bone marrow involvement might be of prognostic value and may influence therapeutic decisions in small cell lung cancer. By unilateral bone marrow aspiration and biopsy, evidence of bone marrow metastases is seen in 15-30% of patients with this disease. Since magnetic resonance imaging of the lower body and immunostaining with monoclonal antibodies have recently been shown to be very sensitive detection methods, we investigated the value of these two techniques in detecting bone marrow involvement in 35 consecutive patients with small cell lung cancer. The results were compared to those obtained with conventional cytohistological analysis. In all cases when cytology and/or bone marrow biopsy were positive, monoclonal antibodies immunostaining and magnetic resonance imaging also detected malignant cells. Furthermore, evidence of bone marrow involvement was shown with magnetic resonance imaging and/or immunostaining in 10 of 26 cases (38%) where routine procedures were unable to detect malignant cells. In one of these 26 patients, magnetic resonance imaging and immunostaining provided the only evidence of metastatic disease. These data suggest that the rate of bone marrow metastases is underestimated by routine procedures. Further investigation is needed to determine whether or not these new non-invasive methods have prognostic value or affect therapeutic choices in small cell lung carcinoma.

Antibodies, Monoclonal↗

Idiopathic bronchiolitis obliterans organizing pneumonia. Definition of characteristic clinical profiles in a series of 16 patients.

Bronchiolitis obliterans organizing pneumonia (BOOP) is a pathologic finding common to various injuries to the lung of either definite or idiopathic etiology. Since the presentation of patients with idiopathic BOOP varies, we studied 16 patients with BOOP on pulmonary histology to define more distinct and homogeneous clinical and imaging profiles of idiopathic BOOP. We distinguished three groups of patients: group 1 (n = 4), with multiple patchy migratory pulmonary involvement of the pneumonia type. Their clinical course was subacute, with cough, fever, weight loss, mild dyspnea, and increased ESR. Chest x-ray film and CT scan showed multiple alveolar opacities. All patients completely recovered with corticosteroid therapy but relapsed when therapy was stopped too rapidly. Group 2 (n = 5) had solitary pulmonary involvement of the pneumonia type occurring in a similar clinical context. Since carcinoma was suspected, they underwent surgical excision of the pneumonic area and recovered without relapse. Group 3 patients (n = 7) presented with diffuse pulmonary involvement of the interstitial lung disease type. They had more progressive onset of more severe dyspnea, crackles heard over all lung surfaces, and interstitial opacities with or without alveolar opacities on chest imaging. Improvement with corticosteroid therapy was obtained in only three patients. In all three groups, lung function test results showed a restrictive pattern. The obstructive pattern characteristic of pure bronchiolitis obliterans was found in none. BAL showed a mixed pattern (increase of both lymphocytes and polymorphonuclear cells) in the patients of the first two groups. Thus, we distinguished three characteristic clinical and imaging profiles in patients with idiopathic BOOP: multiple patchy pneumonia, solitary pneumonia, and diffuse interstitial lung disease. These profiles are so different that they should be distinguished in clinical studies of idiopathic BOOP.

Adult↗

[Rapidly developing benign teratoma of the mediastinum in the adult].

Benign mediastinal teratomas are rare entities, representing 8 to 18% of all mediastinal tumors. Two cases of benign teratomas with a rapid growth suggesting malignancy are reported. CT and MR allowed precise characterization of the multi-tissue composition of the tumor (various CT densities were noted corresponding to adipose, cystic, calcified and hemorrhagic components), and definition of the extension of the process before surgical removal. The per-operative pathological analysis in one patient confirmed the benign nature of the lesion based on the absence of immature tissue, allowing complete surgical removal. The final pathological examination showing mucus secretion by bronchial glandular tissue and intra-tumoral hemorrhage may explain the rapid growth of this kind of lesion. The post-operative follow-up of these benign teratomas is favourable.

Adult↗

[Pulmonary contusions. Anatomo-radiologic aspects].

Simultaneous use of pathologic and microangiographic methods in 47 patients with lung contusions due to a closed chest injury with no parietal lesions differentiated between: early traumatic lesions consisting in alveolocapillary ruptures and hematomas distributed at random throughout both lungs, with immediate disseminated intraalveolar hemorrhage as a result; and secondary lesions, known as "shock lung", which are mainly the result of intraalveolar hemorrhage. All these lesions explain the usual development of various forms of fibrosis, responsible clinically for refractory hypoxia.

Adult↗

[Diffuse pulmonary hemorrhage in pulmonary vasculitis].

Diffuse pulmonary hemorrhages may occur in pulmonary vasculites, including Wegener disease, systemic lupus erythematosus, Behçet disease, and other systemic vasculites. The pulmonary bleeding is often the first manifestation of the disease and frequently denotes a severe form. The etiologic diagnosis can be established only by performing a surgical lung biopsy, which is often a difficult decision. Leukoclastic capillaritis of the alveolar septa is the common features shared by all the vasculites responsible for pulmonary hemorrhage.

Behcet Syndrome↗

The anatomical aspects of adult aortic stenosis.

Since the recent introduction of percutaneous balloon valvuloplasty, there has been a renewed interest in anatomical studies. This study was based on a retrospective analysis of 100 autopsy reports and 269 surgical reports from adult patients with AS. Valvular calcification, which was always found over the age of 50 years, plays an important part in the origin of aortic stenosis (AS). Congenital or acquired aortic valvular lesions are a common pre-condition for calcified AS. Three anatomical types were found: (i) calcified bicuspid valves with anterior and posterior cusps (more frequent than a left and a right cusp) were found in 41% of autopsy reports and 40% of surgical reports. The resultant rigidity due to calcification makes the valve stenotic; (ii) post rheumatic calcified AS with strong fusion of the commissures and calcified cusps was found in 30% of autopsy reports and 8% of surgery reports; and (iii) degenerative calcific aortic stenosis was the most frequent form found over 70 years of age. The sinuses of Valsalva were filled with calcium deposits. The three commissures were apparently free, but cusp fusion was found on the ventricular aspect of the valve (29% of autopsy cases and 52% of surgical reports). Percutaneous balloon valvuloplasty is more efficient in this anatomical type.

Aged↗

Infective endocarditis on stenotic aortic valves.

Charts were reviewed of 42 adult patients (27 men, 15 women, mean age 55 years, with 17 older than 60) hospitalized and/or autopsied between 1970 and 1986 with diagnosis of definite or highly probable infective endocarditis (IE) on pure aortic stenosis (AS). Ring and/or septal abscesses were found in 18/37 patients who were operated upon and/or autopsied. IE was recognized in 32 patients, undiagnosed in 10 (revealed at autopsy in seven, at operation in three). Infecting organisms were identified in 26 patients (Str. viridans, 16; Str. D, three; Staphylo., four; other, three). Twenty-seven patients were treated in our institution, 14 of them more than four weeks after the beginning of the symptoms. Echocardiograms were recorded in 17, with vegetations in only six. Severe cardiac failure was present in 17 cases. One patient was lost to follow-up. Fourteen patients died (mean delay between IE and death 22.4 months): eight of the 13 non-operated patients (cardiac failure, four; myocardial infarction, two; neurological complications, two) and six of the 14 operated patients (peri-operative death, four; late sudden death, two). Twelve patients are alive (mean follow-up 51.6 months), eight of them in NYHA class 1. IE on pure AS is rare, difficult to recognize echocardiographically, and of poor prognosis. It usually requires rapid aortic valve replacement.

Adult↗

Acute heart failure due to Q fever endocarditis.

We report a case of Q fever endocarditis in a patient who presented with a slight pyrexia and acute cardiac failure due to aortic incompetence. The diagnosis was made by detecting high titres of serum IgG and IgA antibody against Coxiella burnetii phase I antigens and confirmed by demonstrating C. burnetii on the excised aortic valve using immunofluorescence and electron microscopy. Aortic valve replacement was followed by initially successful antibiotic treatment for 15 months. Reappearance of IgA anti-phase I antibodies 5 months later suggested continued presence of bacteria, although the patient's condition remained satisfactory. In endemic areas, such as rural southern France, Q fever endocarditis should be considered when there is evidence of acute heart valve damage but are few other features of infection.

Acute Disease↗

[Current perspectives in the treatment of infectious endocarditis of a natural heart valve].

In view of the severity of infective endocarditis, which is due to local and general infectious processes and the hemodynamic consequences of valvular destruction, a policy of earlier valve replacement has been adopted. Clinical, bacteriologic and pathologic data collected over two years suggest that early surgery can be recommended in the following cases: congestive heart failure, inadequate results of antimicrobial therapy, and multiple emboli. Further studies should validate this policy, but the necessity of general prophylaxis for infective endocarditis must always be borne in mind.

Aortic Valve Insufficiency↗