Biomedical subjects
S Spoto
Publications and source records attributed to S Spoto.
[Does acyclovir prevent Bell's palsy in post surgical therapy for otosclerosis?].
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[A 52 year-old woman with fever, cough and dyspnoea].
A 52 year-old woman with gastric cancer treated with surgery and chemotherapy, is admitted in our Internal Medicine Department because of the presence of fever (max 41.2 degrees C), dyspnoea, non-productive cough and mental confusion. The anamnesis and the physical examination address to the diagnosis of CAP (Community-Acquired Pneumonia); in particular the alteration of consciousness and the onset of symptoms after the insertion of a nose-gastric tube let us to consider the diagnosis of aspiration pneumonia. The clinical presentation and radiological imaging (Rx and CT of thorax) suggest the pattern of bronchiolitis obliterans with organizing pneumonia (BOOP). BOOP is not a disease, but a non specific pattern of answer to a lung injury. It can be either idiopathic or associated with a variety of causes, such as infections, drugs, radiations and connective tissue diseases. Besides the clinical course is complicated by the onset of an ARDS (Adult Respiratory Distress Syndrome). The gold standard for the diagnosis is represented by lung biopsy with hystopathologic confirmation but, if it cannot be done, it's necessary to start immediately steroid therapy because BOOP may be fatal. The patient received antibiotic and steroid therapy with success.
[Current role of radical surgery in the treatment of breast tumors].
Though currently conservative surgical procedures have an ever-growing importance in breast cancer treatment, there is still place for radical surgery. The Authors describe radical techniques and their indications. The surgeon must know how to choose the proper radical technique, when it is not possible to perform a conservative surgical procedure.
[The prevention of vomiting due to antineoplastic chemotherapy in the elderly cancer patient].
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[A 73-year-old woman with vomiting and metabolic alkalosis].
A severe, life-threatening metabolic alchalosis associated with a stenosing pancreatic carcinoma in a female type II diabetic patients is presented, and a review of the most frequent causes of hyperemesis, orthostatic hypotension and lethargy is shown.
[A 61-year-old woman with abdominal pain and urination disorders].
The case of a 61 yo diabetic woman presenting with dysuria and lower abdominal pain is described. The incomplete resolution of the clinical picture after short antibiotic treatment and a strong suspect of autonomic neuropathy oriented to an anamnestic reevaluation that evidenced the presence of pneumaturia. The last was the key-symptom that guided to diagnostic imaging showing emphysematous cystitis while a gastroscopy confirmed the presence of autonomic neuropathy manifested by gastroparesis. Emphisematous cystitis is a characteristic infectious complication of diabetic patients induced by a persistent incomplete bladder emptying and bacterial glucose fermentation. The complete eradication of the infectious agent requires a long term antibiotic course and a prompt identification of this pathology.
[67 year old man with abdominal pain, anorexia and low-grade fever].
A case of pericardial effusion presenting clinically with pretamponade is shown. TBC is not a rare cause of Pericardial effusion and at present Tuberculosis is a more and more frequent infection also in occidental countries. Guide lines for diagnosis and treatment are revised.
[Prevention of acute tubular necrosis caused by the administration of non-ionic radiologic contrast media].
Radiographic contrast agents can cause acute renal failure that may be due to acute tubular necrosis (ATN). We prospectively studied 45 patients with risk factors for ATN who were undergoing computed tomography with three nonionic contrast agents (ioversolo, iobitridolo and iodixanolo). Patients were randomly assigned either to receive preventive management (0.45% saline intravenously, before and after administration of the contrast agent; mannitol 20% 250 mL i.v. 60 min before and 60 min after the contrast agent; furosemide 80 mg i.v. 30 min before the contrast agent; dopamine 3 g/Kg/min i.v. after administration of the contrast agent for 24 hours) or to receive placebo. Prophylactic management prevents the reduction in renal function induced by ioversolo, iobitridolo and iodixanolo, three noninonic contrast agents in patients with risk factors for ATN.
Atypical case of metastatic undifferentiated prostate carcinoma in a 36 years old man: clinical report and literature review.
Prostate carcinoma occurs infrequently in patient less than 50 years old with an incidence of 0.8% to 1.1%. In literature are described less than 20 cases occurred in younger men (< 40 years old). A 36 year-old man with a two-months history of lower back pain, anorexia and loss of weight, showed at clinical examination a mild enlargement of inguinal lymph nodes and right inferior leg and scrotus edema. CT scan demonstrated marked enlargement and fusion of pelvic, inguinal, sacral and periaortic nodes with a pelvic mass that caused local ureterohydronephrosis and obstruction of the urinary flow. X-rays showed osteoblastic metastases. At total body scintigram were observed fixation areas corresponding to lumbar metamers, pelvis, thigh bones, left humeral head, left acromioclavicular articulation and multiple ribs. Tumor markers resulted negative except prostate specific antigen (PSA: 500 mgr/ml) and prostatic acid phosphatase (PAP: 208 U/l); prostate biopsy showed an undifferentiated carcinoma. The patient was submitted to right percutaneous nephrostomy, chemotherapy (PEB, cisplatinum, etoposide and bleomycin for 6 cycles) and ormonotherapy (LHRH analogues) reporting a clinical partial response. After 6 months the disease progressed and was started a second line chemotherapy. After 18 months from diagnosis patient is still alive with progressing disease. Our patient represents, with respect to many features, an original clinical case of prostate carcinoma occurring in young age, for the atypical association of an undifferentiated carcinoma with high levels of PSA and PAP and with osteoblastic-pattern of bone metastases. Further studies would be useful to identify new risk factors for development of prostate cancer in young men in order to achieve early diagnosis.
[Treatment of hypertension in the prevention of cardiovascular damage].
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[A 35-year-old woman with fever, dyspnea, and pain in the left thigh].
A thirty-five years old woman during her twelfth pregnancy presented fever and pain at the left thigh. After cesarean delivery dyspnea added to the first two symptoms and pulmonary embolism was suspected. A clinical history revaluation suggested a diagnosis of infectious endocarditis and femoural osteomielitis due to a septic embolus.
[Is carbamazepine a new etiologic factor in algodystrophy?].
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[Acute kidney failure].
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[Asymptomatic bacteriuria].
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