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Biomedical subjects

S Pezzotta

Publications and source records attributed to S Pezzotta.

At least 37 records · Page 2Linked to original sources
PubMed1987

Arachnoid cysts: diagnosis and treatment.

Twenty supratentorial and 10 infratentorial arachnoid cysts are reported. The patients were from 0 to 15 years of age. The commonest presenting symptoms in children were cranial enlargement, epileptic seizures, and psychomotor retardation. Neuroradiological evaluation included CT, metrizamide CT, cisternography, and angiography. Echography was performed in 5 newborns. Therapeutic criteria according to the clinical and neuroradiological findings are reviewed. Cystoperitoneal shunting in combination with ventriculoperitoneal shunting for associated hydrocephalus is considered the treatment of choice.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1986

[Intracranial aneurysms and subarachnoid hemorrhage in children and adolescents].

42 cases concerning symptomatic intracranial circulation aneurysms and spontaneous SAH have been observed by the authors during the period 1965-1984; 37 of them were treated from 1970 on. This group represents 2.6% in the number of patients treated for SAH during the above mentioned period in the series of Pavia and Verona Neurosurgery. In 7 cases angiography did not evidence any malformation responsible for the hemorrhage. These cases have been defined as "sine materia" SAH. In 33 cases was documented the presence of an intracranial aneurysm as responsible for the hemorrhage. In the 2 remaining cases was found an aneurysm that even if unbroken had manifested itself. In 4 cases aneurysms were mycotic ones. The most frequent sites of aneurysms have been the carotid artery bifurcation and the middle cerebral artery 24% each one followed by the anterior communicating artery 21%. 5 patients were younger than 4 years and each one had peculiar clinical features. The 37 remaining patients were older than 9 years and have been subdivided in 2 groups: 16 patients from 9 to 15 years old in who the most common site of the aneurysm was the carotid artery bifurcation and the middle cerebral artery (31%) and the frequency of intracerebral hematoma was 50%; 21 patients from 16 to 20 years old in who the most common site of the aneurysm was the anterior communicating artery (33%) and the presence of an intracerebral hematoma was markedly inferior (14%). 23 of the 35 patients having an aneurysm underwent a surgical procedure for its exclusion. Operative mortality rate was nearly 5% and morbidity rate was nearly 12%. 5 patients who were in agony when admitted were not operated; 5 patients had a conservative therapy and in 2 of them an angiography performed at distance from the hemorrhage revealed the disappearance of the aneurysm. Clinical disturbances bound to ischemic phenomenons by cerebral vasospasm were observed in only 3 patients--all of them older than 17--in who a CT scan had showed a conspicuous cisternal blood suffusion. In 13% of cases appeared hydrocephalus and only in 3 cases was necessary to perform a shunt. The global results of therapy have been significantly better than in adults having 74% of good results and 19% of deaths. This prognostic improvement is probably due both to the well known recovery from neurological failure in young patients and to the very low incidence of ischemic manifestations from vasospasm in this range of age.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1986

Glial fibrillary acidic protein and vimentin in the experimental glial reaction of the rat brain.

Glial reaction has been studied in the rat by the immunohistochemical demonstration of glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) and vimentin (VIM) in two experimental conditions. The first was represented by a necrotic cerebral lesion obtained by laser irradiation and the second by the development of experimental tumors induced by transplacental ethylnitrosourea. Reactive astrocytes develop not only in the proximity of the lesion but also distant from it. The intensity of the glial response seems to depend upon the normal distribution of astrocytes and the perilesional edema. GFAP decorates all the reactive astrocytes, whereas VIM is positive only in those at the edges of the lesion. The significance of the different responses in the two models and between the two intermediate filaments is discussed.

Animals↗
PubMed1986

Selected ion monitoring technique for the evaluation of sterols in cerebrospinal fluid: a new approach to desmosterol test for central nervous system tumors.

The desmosterol test for the diagnosis of central nervous system (CNS) tumors is proposed in a simplified form. The procedure is based upon the analysis of sterol profile in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) by selected ion monitoring (SIM) technique. Applied to 55 patients with tumoral and non tumoral CNS disease, the new test detects average levels of CSF desmosterol in tumor bearing patients that are tenfold higher than in the absence of CNS neoplasia. On an individual basis, a concentration of CSF desmosterol equal to or higher than the mean plus twice the standard deviation for the reference group of patients with no CNS tumor, is considered a positive result. Based on this criterion, a correct diagnosis was made in 73% of cases vs 77% of the former test, which required a 5-day treatment period with a desmosterol-reductase inhibitor in order to increase CSF desmosterol concentration. With this revised procedure CSF desmosterol can be detected in smaller volumes of CSF without any drug pretreatment, thus making the test more suitable for clinical application.

Brain Neoplasms↗
PubMed1985

Rectal extrusion of the catheter and air ventriculography following bowel perforation in ventriculo-peritoneal shunt.

Ventriculo-peritoneal shunt is frequently carried out in infantile hydrocephalus. The peritoneal shunt has a lower morbidity than ventriculo-atrial shunts and severe complications are uncommon. Abdominal complications include intestinal perforation, shunt migration, inguinal hernia, cerebrospinal fluid pseudocysts and hollow viscus perforation. A few cases of catheter extrusion from the rectum, vagina, umbilicus and urethra have been described. We report a new case of intestinal perforation with rectal extrusion of the catheter associated with a ventriculogram.

Cerebrospinal Fluid Shunts↗
PubMed1985

Late post-traumatic headache in pediatric age.

In this study we evaluate the incidence and clinical characteristics of headache which arise 12-18 months after a cranial trauma in a pediatric age group of subjects. We contacted 217 individuals who had been hospitalized for head injury to return for check-up; of the 138 who responded, there were 86 males and 52 females (mean 9.2 years). The responders were given a complete physical and neurological examination and, in the presence of at least one parent, asked to fill out a headache questionnaire. Twenty-nine per cent suffered from headache, and in 6.5% the headache was migrainous in nature. The 138 patients were split up into three sub-classes in accordance with the nature of the trauma and two sub-classes in accordance with the presence or absence of fractures. The results were then compared with those obtained from a control population (246 patients with a mean age of 8.8 years). An increased headache frequency was found in those patients with average to severe trauma. We conclude that cranial trauma is not likely to be followed by headache unless accompanied by loss of consciousness and/or focal neurological signs.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1984

[Surgery of brain tumors in childhood].

The Author analyze incidence, localizations and the great variety of hystopathological specimen of brain tumors in infancy and childhood. Clinical and surgical problems expecially derive from growth and development of infant. Medulloblastoma is the most common tumor of posterior fossa. Between supratentorial tumors gliomas and intraventricular neoplasms are the most commonly found at the operation; more rare tumors of the skull and cranial basis. The importance of pre-operative ventricular shunt in case of posterior fossa tumors and the cases of high- dimensioned supratentorial tumors with little symptoms are discussed.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1984

[Chemotherapy of malignant brain tumors in childhood].

The best conventional care for medulloblastoma and malignant ependymoma in children consists of surgery and radiotherapy. The preliminary observations of some authors suggested that chemotherapy could be useful in treating these tumors. The two major experiences in this field are those from SIOP and CCSG -RTOG trials which used chemotherapy as adjuvant to surgery and radiotherapy. In such studies chemotherapy appears to be effective mostly in high-risk patients. A study performed by Italian Child's Neurooncology Group ( ICNG ) confirms the preceding results.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1984

[Markers of brain tumors].

Biological markers of tumors are compounds or enzymatic activities measurable in body fluids. Their presence or concentration must be linked to tumoral growth. The markers of the central nervous system tumors are detected in CSF. Alpha-feto-protein, carcinoembryonic antigen, human chorionic gonadotropin, adenohypophyseal peptide hormones, enzymes, etc., have found some application in the early diagnosis of leptomeningeal metastasis. Other applications involve the early detection and recurrency of primary brain tumors, as well as the evaluation of efficacy of their therapy. The tests based on the CSF content of desmosterol and polyamines have been studied extensively. Their rationale is discussed and specificity, sensitivity, efficiency and predictive value are considered. Experimental results concerning a new possible biochemical marker, based on CSF concentration of cyclic adenosine monophosphate, are reported.

Brain Neoplasms↗
PubMed1984

Extradural spinal lipomas. Report of two cases and review of the literature.

The authors present two cases of extradural spinal lipomas causing spinal cord compression, not associated with spinal dysraphism. Sixty-nine cases of such tumours have been reported in the literature. It is important to distinguish between two histological types of these neoplasms: angiolipoma and true lipoma. They have a different distribution in relation to age and site of occurrence. The outcome can be quite variable considering the greater surgical problems that true lipomas can cause.

Adult↗
PubMed1983

Cyclic nucleotides in experimental and human brain tumors.

It is well known that the system of cyclic nucleotides plays an important role in cell differentiation and proliferation. Cyclic AMP is capable of stimulating cell growth, and cyclic GMP is thought to control cell division and growth. The authors measured adenylcyclase activity (AC) and cGMP content in the tumor latency period and in early neoplastic proliferations in rats with brain tumors induced by transplacental ethylnitrosourea (ENU). AC activity, which is high during the first days of life, decreases until it reaches, at the 60th day, levels lower than those in control animals. Cyclic GMP, on the contrary, increases during the first month in treated animals and remains consistently higher than controls up to the 45th day. In fully developed experimental brain tumors (mixed gliomas, isomorphic and polymorphic oligodendrogliomas) the percentage of reduction in AC activity is significantly higher. AC activity was measured also in human tumoral tissue. In malignant tumors it is markedly lower than in benign tumors. In the same patients cAMP in the cerebrospinal fluid was measured with results similar to those obtained in tissues. These findings confirm that the system of cyclic nucleotides is implicated in all the developmental phases of brain tumors and therefore may reveal how research can clarify the first transformations of tumoral cells.

Adenylyl Cyclases↗
PubMed1983

Dense dermoids in craniocervical region.

Computed tomography of dermoids and epidermoids usually demonstrates areas of variable hypodensity, located most frequently in the sellar region and in the cerebellopontine angle. This report presents two cases of hyperdense dermoids of the craniocervical region which are compared with six other cases described in the literature.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1982

Glycosaminoglycans in human cerebral tumors. Part II. Histochemical findings and correlations.

The occurrence and the distribution of GAGs have been studied histochemically in 224 human cerebral tumors by means of Alcian blue techniques. In the normal peritumoral gray matter the alcianophilia is stronger than in the white matter and demonstrated the presence of HA and CS. In the glioma group the alcianophilia, due to HA and CS, is mainly related to the presence of infiltrated cortex. In the other tumors, GAGs are histochemically disclosed in relation to collagen, reticulin, mesodermic areas, etc. The vessels of every tumor show a positive staining for HA, CS and HS. The histochemical findings are consistent with the biochemical ones as reported in Part I, even though the significance of GAGs in cerebral tumors remains unknown.

Astrocytoma↗
PubMed1981

Saccular aneurysm of infancy and early childhood: report of a case.

A case of intracranial saccular aneurysm with intracerebral haematoma occurring in early childhood and presenting with sudden loss of consciousness and right hemiparesis is reported. The aneurysm was located in the opercular portion of the left middle cerebral artery. Surgery, besides removing the intracerebral haematoma, involved clipping and complete removal of the aneurysmal sac. The child made an uneventful recovery, and he is completely safe after 40 months. Microscopic examination of the lesion shows disruption of the normal sequence of the original layers, with widespread inflammatory cells.

Angiography↗
PubMed1980

Experimental brain tumors by transplacental ENU. Multifactorial study of the latency period.

Experimental cerebral tumors have been induced by transplacental ENU. The morphologic study of the brains of treated rats revealed that cellular hyperplasias appear at the 30th day of extrauterine life in the paraventricular white matter, i.e., before the already known "early neoplastic proliferations". Cytofluorimetric investigations failed to demonstrate differences between treated and control rats during the 1st month. On the contrary, adenylate cyclase activity is very high in that period. The duration of the latency period is discussed.

Adenylyl Cyclases↗
PubMed1979

Cerebral tumours induced by ENU; changes of adenylate cyclase activity in the tumour latency time.

Tumours of the nervous system have been induced by transplacental ENU. Until the fourth month of life the tumoural lesions appear as mixed glial proliferations or oligodendroglial foci. From the fourth month on they develop as glial micro- and macrotumours or as isomorphic and polymorphic oligodendrogliomas. The adenylate cyclase activity studied during these two distinct phases of tumour development was markedly reduced in brain tumours, independent of their cellular origin, compared with the level in the normal brain. On the other hand, the activity of the enzyme responsible for the synthesis of cyclic AMP is significantly increased during the first period of tumour development when early neoplastic proliferations are present.

Adenylyl Cyclases↗
PubMed1978

Cerebral tumors induced by transplacental ENU: study of the different tumoral stages, particularly of early proliferations.

Experimental cerebral tumors have been induced by transplacental ENU. A systematic diachronic study of the brains has been performed starting from the 15th day of extrauterine life. The tumoral lesions firstly appear as "early stage proliferations" or oligodendroglial foci and develop as glial micro- and macrotumors or as isomorphic and polymorphic oligodendrogliomas respectively. Neurinomas appear later than glial tumors. The duration of the different lesions is sketched out. The usefulness of the model for chemotherapy studies is discussed.

Animals↗