ABSTRACT
The authors describe two cases of cardiac tamponade that were the first manifestation of an extracardiac tumor; they stress that this type of presentation described in the literature as an extremely rare occurrence, has become more frequent in recent years as a result of both a higher prevalence in absolute terms and of a more reliable detection thanks to the availability of more sensitive and more practicable diagnostic techniques. Having briefly described the pathophysiology of pericardial effusions with special reference to those of neoplastic origin, the authors detail the most sensitive tools for a correct diagnosis.
Subject(s)
Adenocarcinoma/diagnosis , Lung Neoplasms/diagnosis , Neoplasm Recurrence, Local/diagnosis , Neoplasms, Unknown Primary/diagnosis , Pericardial Effusion/diagnosis , Adenocarcinoma/complications , Adenocarcinoma/pathology , Adult , Cardiac Tamponade/diagnosis , Cardiac Tamponade/etiology , Cardiac Tamponade/pathology , Female , Humans , Lung Neoplasms/complications , Lung Neoplasms/pathology , Lymphatic Metastasis , Middle Aged , Neoplasm Recurrence, Local/complications , Neoplasm Recurrence, Local/pathology , Neoplasms, Unknown Primary/complications , Neoplasms, Unknown Primary/pathology , Pericardial Effusion/etiology , Pericardial Effusion/pathologyABSTRACT
Forty patients, mean age 56.87 yrs. with light or moderate essential arterial hypertension were randomized double-blind into two subgroups of 20 subjects each, and submitted to daily combined drug treatment with either captopril 50 mg + hydrochlorothiazide 25 mg (group A) or amiloride 5 mg + hydrochlorothiazide 50 mg (group B). Patients were monitored after the washout period and after 4 and 8 weeks of treatment approximately 20-24 after the last dose. The following parameters were studied: blood pressure, heart rate, body weight, untoward side effects. Standard laboratory tests were performed in all patients after washout and at the end of the 8-week treatment period. Both combinations significantly reduced pressure values but the captopril-hydrochlorothiazide combination reduced blood pressure more readily and proved more effective in reducing diastolic values. There were no dropouts due to subjective side effects which were of little relevance and were equally distributed among the two groups. As for laboratory data, patients taking the captopril-hydrochlorothiazide combination had a statistically significant increase in blood glucose. Neither combination induced significant changes in the other parameters, especially as far as potassemia was concerned.
Subject(s)
Amiloride/administration & dosage , Captopril/administration & dosage , Hydrochlorothiazide/administration & dosage , Hypertension/drug therapy , Aged , Clinical Trials as Topic , Double-Blind Method , Drug Therapy, Combination , Drug Tolerance , Female , Humans , Male , Middle Aged , Random Allocation , Time FactorsABSTRACT
The authors treated 30 patients (11 females and 19 males) with cystitis or cystopyelitis. Patients were randomly assigned to one of the following treatments: a) netilmicin 200 mg daily, b) netilmicin 200 mg + ampicillin 1 g daily. Clinical and bacteriologic results were positive in all cases with resolution of clinical signs of infection and negative cultures at the end of treatment. Netilmicin alone yielded the same results as its combination with ampicillin. The safety, monitored also with netilmicin serum levels, was always good.
