Michele La Greca

Publications (3)2.64 Total impact

• Article: Uterine rupture after prostaglandin analogues to induce midtrimester abortion.

  Elisa Maria Pappalardo, Michele La Greca, Giusi Rapisarda, Daniele Consoli
  [show abstract] [hide abstract]
  ABSTRACT: Although prostaglandins are largely used and considered safe drugs to induce midtrimester abortion, the literature reports several cases of uterine rupture consequent to their administration. We report the second ever-described case of uterine rupture after administration of gemeprost and sulprostone for midtrimester abortion in a 45 years-old women with scarred uterus.She was admitted to our Unit for termination at 20 weeks' gestation because of trisomy 21 diagnosed by chromosomal analysis of amniotic liquid at 16 weeks' gestation. Five pessaries of gemeprost (one pessary, every 3 hours) were administered into the posterior vaginal fornix. Since the cervix remained closed and uneffaced, another cycle of 5 gemeprost administration was conducted. When the cervix changed in consistency and dilatation, we decided to administrate sulprostone. At the obstetric examination any visible fetus was evidenced. The abdominal ultrasonography showed an empty uterine cavity and the gestational sac with the dead fetus in abdomen. Emergency laparotomy was therefore undertaken. Primary suture of the ruptured uterus was initially attempted but in vain. Therefore, total abdominal hysterectomy was performed to control bleeding and eventual hypovolemic shock.Given the lack of strong evidence in literature and the fact that case reports are not an optimal method for assessing frequency of an event nor the overall risks of a procedure since they frequently report rare single events, other larger studies are needed to assess whether women with multiple risk factors (e.g. advanced age and previous uterine surgery), and administered with prostaglandins' association have a higher risk of uterine rupture.
  Journal of prenatal medicine. 01/2010; 4(1):9-11.
• Article: Unilateral ovarian and fallopian tube agenesis.

  Giusi Rapisarda, Elisa Maria Pappalardo, Anna Arancio, Michele La Greca
  [show abstract] [hide abstract]
  ABSTRACT: The unilateral agenesis of the ovary and fallopian tube is an extremely uncommon event with only few cases described in literature. Here, we report a case of a 30-year-old woman admitted to our Unit for increasing pelvic pain. In the suspect of a corpus luteum hemorrhage, we performed a laparoscopy identifying the rare anomaly. Together with the predisposing genetic and/or environmental factor not yet discovered, two are the hypotheses explaining the absence of one or both the adnexes, the mechanical hypothesis, i.e., the asymptomatic torsion of both Fallopian tube and ovary with consequent organs' ischemia and atresia and the embryological hypothesis, i.e., the congenital absence of the adnexes.
  Archives of Gynecology 04/2009; 280(5):849-50. · 0.91 Impact Factor
• Article: Hepatic intra-arterial interferon alpha 2b-based immunotherapy combined with 5-fluorouracil (5-FU)-based systemic chemotherapy for patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) not responsive and/or not eligible for conventional treatments: a pilot study.

  Felice Vito Vitale, Placido Romeo, Fabio Vasta, Vincenzo Panebianco, Stefania Calì, Stefano Rotondo, Francesco Ferraù, Michele La Greca
  [show abstract] [hide abstract]
  ABSTRACT: Surgery (partial hepatic resection or orthotopic liver transplantation) remains the mainstay for treatment of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Unfortunately, most patients have HCC that cannot be removed either as a result of its size, multiple tumors, location, proximity to major vessels or ducts within the liver, and comorbidity, such as a not well-compensated cirrhosis. For patients who cannot be treated surgically, systemic chemotherapy is frequently limited by unacceptable toxicity, poor response and low survival rates, so that locoregional approaches may be considered as alternatives. Nine patients with HCC, not eligible for conventional treatments, were treated with interferon alpha 2b-based locoregional, hepatic intra-arterial, immunotherapy and concomitant 5-fluorouracil (5-FU)-based systemic chemotherapy. Interferon was administered at a starting dose of 2,000,000 IU, which could be escalated to 9,000,000 IU, adding 1,000,000 IU weekly, depending on toxicity. 5-Fluorouracil was infused continuously over 28 days, administered as an endovenous protracted infusion weekly at a dose of 250 mg/m2/day for 4 weeks followed by a 2-week break. Eight out of nine patients were evaluable for response and toxicity. The median patient age was 68 years (range 51-77 years). All patients were suffering from cirrhosis. A total of 29 cycles of treatment were administered with a median of 3.6 per patient (range 1-11 per patients). A partial response was observed in 3 out of 8 patients; 1 had stable and 4 progressive disease. The main toxicities were: grade 3 hepatic toxicity (1 patient), grade 3 flu-like syndrome (1 patient) and grade 3 abdominal pain (1 patient). Moreover, one patient developed fatal ischemic stroke and another a fatal central venous catheter infection. The preliminary data, show that an interferon-based hepatic intra-arterial immunotherapy combined with low doses of 5-fluorouracil (5-FU)-based systemic chemotherapy, can represent a tolerable combination to apply in the palliative treatment of patients with hepatocellular carcinoma.
  Anticancer research 27(6B):4077-81. · 1.73 Impact Factor