{"title":"Decision analysis in the clinical and imaging diagnosis of acute cholecystitis.","authors":"C Vasilescu, G H Jovin, I Popescu, C Esanu","doi":"","DOIUrl":"","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>The importance of clinical, laboratory and imaging data in the diagnosis of acute cholecystitis (AC) was studied in 825 patients with right upper quadrant pain hospitalized in the Surgical Clinic of the Fundeni Hospital--Bucharest, between January 1, 1986 and June 30, 1988. A number of 21 parameters were analysed in each case. Of these 825 patients, 259 were considered after surgery as AC. These 259 cases were divided, after the microscopical examination of the surgically-obtained specimens, into two groups: 1) pathologically confirmed AC (137 cases) and 2) pathologically non-confirmed AC (122 cases). The importance of every parameter in establishing a histologically confirmed diagnosis of AC was determined by the diagnostic probability calculated according to Bayes'theorem. The hierarchy of the value of parameters in the diagnosis of AC was based on their capacity to distinguish between the cases histologically confirmed and those detected on surgery, but without microscopically demonstrated changes of AC. The same decision criterion was used in building the decision trees in the exploration of the cases of presumed AC. In the 825 cases with right upper quadrant pain, the main and most frequent cause was chronic calculous cholecystitis (31.8%), followed by AC pathologically confirmed (16.6%), AC non-confirmed (14.7%) and chronic acalculous cholecystitis (12.4%). The most useful parameters in distinguishing between pathologically confirmed AC and pathologically non-confirmed AC were: 1) sudden onset of pain; 2) mild resistance to abdominal palpation; 3) frank peritoneal irritation; 4) stone impacted in the gallbladder neck (ultrasonography); 5) fever; 6) palpable gallbladder; 7) lithiasis (ultrasonography); 8) gallbladder wall with double outline (ultrasonography). Ultrasonography supplied a diagnostic probability of 85% for the correct diagnosis of AC in cases without a clinical picture suggestive for AC. The decision tree analysis supported the same conclusion: only ultrasonography gives a good distinction between pathologically confirmed AC and pathologically non-confirmed AC.</p>","PeriodicalId":76129,"journal":{"name":"Medecine interne","volume":"28 4","pages":"329-40"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"1990-10-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"13256534","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Reduced passage of alpha 2-macroglobulin into malignant serous effusions and diminished antifibrinolytic potential of the fluid.","authors":"M Cucuianu, A Cristea, A Marcu, O Riviş","doi":"","DOIUrl":"","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>The ratio of the relative concentrations of large and small proteins between effusions and serum was measured in patients with benign and malignant effusions. The ratio of values for a large protein, alpha 2 macroglobulin (alpha 2 M) was significantly (p less than 0.0005) lower in the 22 patients with tumoral effusion (0.436 +/- 0.016) and in the 16 patients with transudates (0.388 +/- 0.017) than in the 21 cases with inflammatory exudates (0.838 +/- 0.036) while the ratios between relative concentrations of the lower molecular weight alpha 1 antitrypsin (alpha 1AT) in serous fluids and sera were similar (close to 1.0) in all the above mentioned conditions. Most inflammatory exudates inhibited fibrinolysis in a urokinase activated system, while the activity of the inhibitors of fibrinolysis was very weak in tumoral effusions and in transudates. These findings suggest a rather selective passage of plasma proteins into a tumoral effusion, a fact that might be relevant for a pathogenic diagnosis.</p>","PeriodicalId":76129,"journal":{"name":"Medecine interne","volume":"28 3","pages":"209-18"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"1990-07-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"12873760","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Discriminant power of some lipid components in cardiovascular diseases.","authors":"R Băldescu, G Stoica","doi":"","DOIUrl":"","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>The object of the paper is to determine by the discriminant analysis if there is a significant difference in the lipid configuration of two samples of subjects, one formed of patients recuperated after myocardial infarction and the other one of healthy subjects without ischemic heart disease, and in case there is, which of the lipid components contributes significantly to this difference.</p>","PeriodicalId":76129,"journal":{"name":"Medecine interne","volume":"28 3","pages":"245-50"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"1990-07-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"13247603","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Immunostimulating effect of an oxygen-free radical scavenger on E-rosette forming cells.","authors":"L Stanciu, D Dejica","doi":"","DOIUrl":"","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>The influence of an oxygen-free radical scavenger, Epurox (containing superoxide dismutase, catalase and mannitol) on E-rosette forming cells (E-RFC) obtained from 40 healthy subjects, was studied using a standard method. The preincubation of lymphocytes with Epurox increased the E-rosette forming in 80% of the subjects. The mean E-rosette count after preincubation with Epurox (64.17 +/- 6.95) was greater (p less than 0.01) as compared with that obtained without scavenger addition. The stimulating effect of Epurox may be due to the inhibition of cAMP synthesis. This assumption is supported by our study regarding the antagonistic effect of Epurox on E-rosette inhibition induced by histamine, a powerful stimulator of adenylate cyclase.</p>","PeriodicalId":76129,"journal":{"name":"Medecine interne","volume":"28 3","pages":"251-4"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"1990-07-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"13247607","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"The nitroblue tetrazolium test in the estimation of urinary and serum leukocyte metabolism in urinary infections. A preliminary note.","authors":"G Gluhovschi, S Gotia","doi":"","DOIUrl":"","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>For the study of leukocyte metabolism in the serum and the urine from 52 patients with urinary infections, the Nitroblue Tetrazolium (NBT) test was used for a qualitative estimation of leukocyturia. It was observed that 26 of the 52 patients (50%) presented higher values of NBT positive urinary neutrophils than in the control group. The NBT test might be useful in the estimation of the cellular immune response in the course of urinary infections.</p>","PeriodicalId":76129,"journal":{"name":"Medecine interne","volume":"28 3","pages":"255-9"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"1990-07-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"13247610","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
D Zdrenghea, M Beudean, D Predescu, E Bogdan, V Ossian
{"title":"Dipyridamole-exercise association in the diagnosis of ischemic heart disease.","authors":"D Zdrenghea, M Beudean, D Predescu, E Bogdan, V Ossian","doi":"","DOIUrl":"","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Dipyridamole-exercise ECG test (DET) was found to present a greater sensitivity than exercise or dipyridamole ECG test alone in detecting ischemic heart disease (IHD). A group of 39 patients with probable IHD and negative exercise test was investigated by i.v. dipyridamole administration. Eight subjects presented significant ECG changes. The remaining 31 subjects were submitted to a new exercise test which became positive in 7 subjects (23%). The percentage increases to 38% by taking into account the positive dipyridamole test. The authors concluded that DET substantially improve the diagnosis of myocardial ischemia in subjects with probable IHD and negative exercise test.</p>","PeriodicalId":76129,"journal":{"name":"Medecine interne","volume":"28 3","pages":"235-40"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"1990-07-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"13247598","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
D Munteanu, L Schioiu-Costache, I Niţă, M Serban, S Purice
{"title":"Prevalence of arterial hypertension in a collectivity of adolescents.","authors":"D Munteanu, L Schioiu-Costache, I Niţă, M Serban, S Purice","doi":"","DOIUrl":"","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Arterial hypertension in adolescents was studied in a group of 899 school boys aged 15-18 years from the vocational school No. 48 of the Bucharest Transport Enterprise (ITB) and the secondary school No. 19 ITB. Essential arterial hypertension in the group investigated was found in proportion of 2.7%, a percentage comparable with that of other European countries (1-3%).</p>","PeriodicalId":76129,"journal":{"name":"Medecine interne","volume":"28 3","pages":"241-3"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"1990-07-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"13247601","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Nonsurgical treatment of biliary lithiasis.","authors":"R Voiosu","doi":"","DOIUrl":"","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>The paper is a review of the clinical experience acquired during the last 15 years in the treatment of biliary lithiasis with cholecyst or choledochal localization using methods which were expected to exclude surgery. After a short presentation of lithogenesis a brief description is made of chemical litholysis, endoscopic treatment and extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy (ESWL). The indications, techniques of treatment results, risks and accidents are also presented with an estimation on the financial efficiency of the new procedures.</p>","PeriodicalId":76129,"journal":{"name":"Medecine interne","volume":"28 3","pages":"199-208"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"1990-07-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"13247714","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Interferon therapy in the chronic aggressive viral hepatitis.","authors":"M Voiculescu","doi":"","DOIUrl":"","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>The effects of interferon (INT) therapy in the chronic aggressive hepatitis of viral origin (CAVH) are critically reviewed. The main factor which favours the progress of acute viral hepatitis to chronic forms is the persistence of viral replication in conditions of immune deficit of the host. INT has antiviral, immunomodulating and antitumoral action. The INT alpha class proved to be the most adequate for the CAVH treatment. Many recent clinical trials have demonstrated the INT alpha effectiveness in CAVH. The results of such studies are separately analysed for each hepatitis virus. The importance of various factors, i.e., dose, treatment duration, race, sex, age, histologic lesions, ALAT level, viral DNA titer, associations with adenine-arabinoside, acyclovir, corticosteroids, a.o., is discussed in relation with the rate of therapeutic response and the risk of viral infection recurrences.</p>","PeriodicalId":76129,"journal":{"name":"Medecine interne","volume":"28 3","pages":"187-98"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"1990-07-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"12873756","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
M Vintilă, S Tănăseanu, R Luca, E Bălănescu, C Tănăsescu, S Purice
{"title":"Is cardiac involvement in collagen diseases important? A clinical study in 917 patients.","authors":"M Vintilă, S Tănăseanu, R Luca, E Bălănescu, C Tănăsescu, S Purice","doi":"","DOIUrl":"","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Cardiac involvement in collagen diseases was studied in 917 patients representing all the cases of collagen diseases diagnosed in the \"N. Gh. Lupu\" Institute of Internal Medicine between 1985 and 1987. The prevalence of the various cardiac disorders was studied within every disease or group of diseases diagnosed according to clinical, ECG, radiologic and when necessary echocardiographic data. Collagen heart disease was diagnosed in 38.2% of the patients. In the case of systemic lupus erythematosus, of polyarteritis nodosa and of progressive systemic sclerosis this proportion exceeds 50%. The most frequent cardiac disorders were the rhythm and conduction disturbances, detected in 112 patients (12.2%). The cardiomyopathies and myocarditis, not infrequent (7.4%) represented an element of severity influencing the evolution and prognosis of disease. Myocardial ischemia secondary to coronary vasculitis syndromes has proved to be an important pathogenic mechanism of cardiac disorders. By their frequency and severity, the cardiac involvements in collagen diseases have proved important, becoming sometimes a central diagnostic, therapeutic and prognostic problem.</p>","PeriodicalId":76129,"journal":{"name":"Medecine interne","volume":"28 3","pages":"219-27"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"1990-07-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"13247600","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}