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Biomedical subjects

V Popescu

Publications and source records attributed to V Popescu.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

[Infantile spasms (infantile myoclonic encephalopathy with hypsarrhythmia)].

The paper reports on a very important aspect in a pediatric practice, referring to one of the most severe forms of epilepsy of the infant, known in the modern specialty literature as infantile spasms. The paper reviews the etiologic data of the disease in its secondary form, with emphasis on the form of the disease better studied in the last years, i.e. the so-called infantile benign epileptic spasms. The paper also analyzes the clinical and electroencephalographic aspects, discuss the most important aspects of the differential diagnosis that includes some entities recently individualized and appreciates, on the basis of the most topical literature data, the nature of the different treatment means used, and of the evolution and prognosis.

Brain

[Pneumocystis carinii pneumonia].

The paper reports on a theme of important pediatric interest, pneumonia with Pneumocystis carinii (PC), a more widespread affection lately, due to the progress in pediatric reanimation, on the one hand (that allowed the survival for a long time of several biologically handicapped infants) and as a consequence of the more and more common use of immunosuppressing therapy, on the other hand (malignant diseases, transplant of organs, etc.); another important role in the increase of the PC pneumonia is played, recently, both in the adult and the child, by the infection with HIV (acquired immunodeficiency syndrome). The authors discuss largely on the pathogenic agent, PC, proved to be a fungus by molecular genetic studies, and on the biological field (small age, dystrophy, prematurity, "debilitating" chronic diseases, long diarrheic diseases, congenital malformations, hospitalization, some infections with long evolution: tuberculosis, Cryptococcus, infection with cytomegalic virus). The paper also deals with epidemiology, pathogeny and pathologic anatomy of the disease (characteristic macroscopic aspect: nonaired lung of high consistency, with whitish infiltrations alternating with congestive zones and the microscopic aspect of alveolo-interstitial pneumonia). The clinical picture includes the common form, met in the biologically handicapped infant and hypoergic hypoimmune form, appearing in all ages in immunodeficient subjects. Radiological examination, pulmonary scintigraphy and a series of laboratory data (with evidence of parasitic cysts) complete the clinical examination, making easier the diagnosis. The techniques of seroimmunological diagnosis offers great hope for the future. The positive diagnosis shows the clinical elements that suggest the presence of the disease, the contribution of the radiologic examination and mainly the presence of the parasite in the bronchitic secretions; the therapeutic response is a retroactive element in the positive diagnosis. The differential diagnosis is presented in detail. The paper concludes with a series of treatment schemes used, prophylaxis, evolution, complications and prognosis of the disease.

Child

[Staphylococcal pneumonia].

In spite of the great advances of the antibiotherapy and of the respiratory resuscitation techniques, the staphylococcal pneumonia continues to be one of the most severe bacterial pneumonias of the child, fact which may be explained not only by the poor immunogenic capacity of the infection, but especially by the virulence characteristics of the staphylococcus: necrotizing capacity, toxigenicity (complex), resistance to antibiotics, diffusion capacity of the infection (percontiguum or at distance), resistance to phagocytosis and bacterial lysis etc. The etiology (bacteriology and immunity), the epidemiological data (the disease represents 1/3 of the primitive bacterial pneumonias occurring during the first two years of life), data regarding the pathogenesis and the pathological anatomy are reviewed. The clinical picture, the radiological examination and the laboratory data are extensively analysed, after which the positive diagnosis, based on the correlation of anamnestic, clinical, radiological and bacteriological data, is discussed. Authors point out the contribution of the radiological examination that detects the typical lesions, the aspect of which changes characteristically very rapidly (from day to day), namely: aspect of frank pleurisy (common and very evocative), pyopneumothorax, pneumatocele, excavated staphylomas (abscesses), less frequently mediastinal pneumothorax or emphysema. The clinical differential diagnosis with a number of diseases: suppurative pneumonias, solitary pulmonary cyst, polycystic lung, infected pulmonary sequestration etc., and the radiological differential diagnosis with bilateral diffuse alveolar pulmonary opacities, excavated pulmonary opacities, images under the form of pulmonary "bullae" and "cysts" are discussed. The final part contains a detailed description of the treatment and its basic components: etiological (antibacterial) treatment, treatment by decompression and pleural drainage, resuscitation treatment, as well as of the course, complications and prognosis of staphylococcal pneumonia.

Child

Intratumoral ligation in the management of orofacial cavernous haemangiomas.

After a short comment on the essential data concerning the pathology, clinical aspects and treatment of orofacial haemangiomas, the author presents his own method of treatment by intratumoral ligation. He describes the technical details by which interception of the blood supply to the haemangioma is achieved and also breakdown of the angiomatous mass into segments by the occlusion of vascular channels, thus completely interrupting the intratumoral blood flow. Obstruction of vascular lumina, endothelial atrophy, blood clot organization in the small diverticula between them and also subsequent fibrous hyperplasia which take the place of the vascular hyperplasia ensue. The method was used in 31 cases of cavernous haemangioma in different sites; the results, with follow-up periods of 1-8 years prove its efficacy.

Adolescent

The effects of short-term exposure to crowding stress on the pancreatic islets morphology and glycemia in mice.

Behavior, pancreatic islets morphology and plasma glucose levels of male mice exposed for 2, 4, 24 and 48 hours to crowding stress were investigated. The crowding induced an intense turmoil state associated with enhanced irritability and aggressiveness among the specimens of all experimental groups. Violent fights occurred especially in the first 4--6 hours, generally with the death of 1--2 individuals from each group. The changes recorded in the pancreatic islets affected first (2 hours) exclusively the insulin-producing cells, and in subsequent intervals they progressively expanded over all cell types. The changes occurred during the experiment in all islet cell types; however the B-cells showed by far the most pronounced alterations irrespective of the studied time interval. Most changes suggested the stimulation of the entire gland secretory activity, but particularly of B-cells, which was also proved by low glycemia values recorded at 3 of the 4 crowding time intervals. On the other hand, some alterations, occurring first at 24 hours, were regarded as signs of a moderate B-cells secretory hypoactivity; they may partly support the slight hyperglycemia obtained at this time interval. The significance of the above short-term observations in the induction of glycoregulation disturbances, diabetes included, as well as the presumably mediation role of adrenal-cortex and -medulla hormones under stress conditions are discussed and correlated with findings reported in literature.

Animals

The effects of crowding stress on the pancreatic islets morphology in golden hamsters.

Behavior and the pancreatic islets morphology of golden hamsters exposed for different periods (24 h, 15 and 30 d) to crowding stress were investigated. The crowding induced an intensive turmoil and enhanced irritability and aggressiveness, particularly among the female specimens. Within a week, a rank hierarchy seemed to establish and therefore, later the fighting incidence was more reduced. Marked morphological alterations were recorded in the endocrine pancreas, affecting in various degrees all cell types, but especially the insulin-producing cells. The B-cells showed increased sizes, higher incidence of mitotic divisions, a drastical reduction of secretory granules amounts, enlargement of GOLGI complexes, mitochondria swelling and extension of the ergastoplasm. On the other hand, after 30 d, part of these cells displayed pycnotic nuclei, large cytoplasmic vacuoles and increased number of lasosomes and lipid inclusions. Due to the B-cell hyperplasia, the relative number of both A1- and A2-cells per islet occurred diminished and their typical localization modified. The islets of 15 and 30 d crowded specimens showed enlarged sinusoids and clear peri-insular spaces. The above morphological modifications, which suggest as a whole the global stimulation of gland secretory activity, are presented in relation with other authors findings. The presumably involvements of adrenal-cortex and -medulla hormones in the mediation of stress-induced glycemic and pancreatic alterations are discussed.

Animals

Effects of cerebral lateral, ventricular infusions of phloridzin on feeding and body weight in Gallus domesticus (L.).

Contrary to earlier findings in rats, cerebral lateral ventricular infusions of 1 X 10(-3) M or 2 X 10(-3) M solutions of phloridzin at a rate of 2.5 micronl/min for 90 min had no significant stimulating effects on food intake and weight gain in hens and cocks. These different responses to intraventricular phloridzin might reflect a difference of sensitivity to the inhibitory action of phloridzin on glucose transport in cerebral cells or certain peculiarities of mechanisms controlling food intake in chickens.

Animals

On the carbohydrate metabolism of pectoral muscle in the ontogeny of chicken.

1. Immediately after hatching, the pectoral muscle has a low glycogen content, and exhibits very low glycogen and high glucose and oxygen consumptions. 2. Drastic metabolic changes occur during the second day and again during the second week of life ("critical periods of the ontogenesis"); the above metabolic pattern is reversed. 3. The insulin sensitivity of the muscle is very low during these critical periods, and high between them. 4. The overall trend of metabolic ontogenesis in the pectoral muscle of the domestic fowl (non-flying bird) seems to have no functional but genetical determination.

Animals

Treatment of temporo-mandibular ankylosis with particular reference to the interposition of full-thickness skin autotransplant.

In the treatment of the temporo-mandibular ankylosis, the maintainance of separation between the temporal and mandibular raw surfaces, after osteotomy of the bony fusion, constitutes the key to the prevention of recurrence; the great potential of bone to reform is acknowledged by all those who are experienced in this problem. Analysing 168 temporo-mandibular arthoplasties in which different methods have been used in order to maintain the newly created joint space, the causes of failures have been brought out and the difficulties studied. The conclusion is reached that the best results were obtained by the interposition of autogenous full thickness skin. The surgical technique is briefly presented as well as the records regarding the cases followed-up for a period of 2 to 19 years, illustrating the anatomical and functional conservation of the new joints. The experimental investigations concerning the behaviour and fate of the buried skin autotransplants complete the clinical studies, proving the qualities and the value of full thickness skin as an interposition material in arthroplasties.

Adolescent

[Etiopathogenesis of varicocele and therapeutic conclusions].

The many pathogenic theories for varicocele, mostly hypothetic, have shown the uncertainty of the cause of the disease including the use of the word "essential". Anatomical, phlebomanometric and phlebographic studies determined the main cause of varicocele, the short course of the aorto-mesenteric artery which, by stricture of the left renal vein in the standing position, produces reno-spermatic venous reflux producing varicose dilatation of the left spermatic plexus and, thus, varicocele. In addition to this main cause, the vascular background with a qualitative deficiency of the connective tissue and prolonged standing during work, are the main factors which favour the onset of varicocele. An active, early therapeutic attitude and high ligature of the left spermatic vein give the best results.

Humans

Vertical osteotomy of the ascending rami in mandibular retrognathism.

The authors present their experience and conclusions regarding surgical lengthening of the mandible in retrognathism due to bone hypo-development. Thus, in hypotrophies of the ascending ramus, especially in temporo-mandibular ankylosis, they use a longitudinal osteotomy (Popescu 1949); various technical adaptations of this method, in different situations, are described, as well as their association with osteoplasty, utilizing iliac bone grafts or the hypertrophic chin prominence. In retrognathism due to hypo-development of the mandible, when the ascending rami have a good conformation, sagittal osteotomy (Obwegeser 1957, Dal Pont 1961) is preferred.

Ankylosis