Antonio Palla

Biography

• Born July 21, 1949
• 1974 – Graduated in medicine from the University of Pisa.
• 1976 – Completed specialist training in diseases and physiology of the respiratory system at the University of Pisa.
• 1978 – Completed specialist training in nuclear medicine.
• 1980–2001 – Researcher in respiratory physiopathology, initially at the Servizio di Fisiopatologia Respiratoria, Istituto di Clinica Medica II, and subsequently within the cardio-thoracic department at the University of Pisa.
• 2001–2011 – Associate Professor of Respiratory Diseases, University of Pisa.
• 2008–2014 – Director of Pulmonology and Respiratory Physiopathology at Pisa University Hospital.
• 2011 – Appointed Professor within the Department of Surgical, Medical, Molecular and Critical Area Pathology at the University of Pisa.
• 2014 – Appointed Director of the university pneumology unit at Pisa University Hospital.

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Medical Eponyms

Palla sign (1983)

Palla sign describes enlargement and characteristic shape distortion of the right descending pulmonary artery on chest radiography during acute pulmonary embolism.

In 1983, Palla and colleagues quantitatively evaluated the right descending pulmonary artery in patients investigated for PE. They described marked proximal arterial enlargement with relatively abrupt distal tapering and distortion or poor visualisation of the middle- and lower-lobe branches, producing the characteristic “sausage-shaped” appearance.

Palla’s contribution was not the first recognition of descending pulmonary arterial enlargement. Chang and Davis had described transient enlargement of the right or left descending pulmonary artery in 1965. Palla’s distinctive contribution was the quantitative assessment of the right descending pulmonary artery and description of its characteristic morphology in acute PE.

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Major Publications

• Palla A, Donnamaria V, Petruzzelli S, Rossi G, Riccetti G, Giuntini C. Enlargement of the right descending pulmonary artery in pulmonary embolism. AJR Am J Roentgenol. 1983; 141(3): 513-7. [Palla sign]
• Dalla-Volta S, Palla A, Santolicandro A, Giuntini C, Pengo V, Visioli O, Zonzin P, Zanuttini D, Barbaresi F, Agnelli G, et al. PAIMS 2: alteplase combined with heparin versus heparin in the treatment of acute pulmonary embolism. Plasminogen activator Italian multicenter study 2. J Am Coll Cardiol. 1992; 20(3): 520-6.
• Giuntini C, Di Ricco G, Marini C, Melillo E, Palla A. Pulmonary embolism: epidemiology. Chest. 1995; 107(1 Suppl): 3S-9S.

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References

• Marshall GB, Farnquist BA, MacGregor JH, Burrowes PW. Signs in thoracic imaging. J Thorac Imaging. 2006 Mar;21(1):76-90.
• Incarico importante per Palla. Lo pneumologo nominato professore ordinario a Pisa. Il Tirreno. 26 maggio 2011.
• Abbas A, St Joseph EV, Mansour OM, Peebles CR. Radiographic features of pulmonary embolism: Westermark and Palla signs. Postgrad Med J. 2014 Jul;90(1065):422-3.
• Palla A. Curriculum vitae. n.d.
• Palla A. LinkedIn profile.
• Bibliography. Palla, Antonio. WorldCat Identities
• Cadogan M. CXR eponyms in pulmonary embolism. LITFL