[Archiving and reporting data in an ambulatory angiologic service]. / Archiviazione dei dati e refertazione nella pratica ambulatoriale di un servizio di angiologia.

The authors report their personal experience with the archive of a Laboratory of Vascular Diseases. The most important characteristics requested of an efficacious tool are analyzed and, after a description of the various systems adopted in the past, a new computerized specific archive developed by means of a modern relational database (Microsoft Access) is proposed.

[Dissection of the epiaortic vessels: an emergency pathology as the cause of focal cerebral ischemia. The evaluation of a case load of 7 patients]. / Dissezione dei vasi epiaortici: una patologia emergente come causa di ischemia cerebrale focale. Valutazione di una casistica di 7 pazienti.

Dissection of the epiaortic vessels is an emerging cause of focal cerebral ischemia, especially in young patients. Non-invasive diagnostic devices (ultrasound, nuclear magnetic resonance) have greatly improved the ability to suspect and identify it. We report our clinical experience with 5 patients affected by carotid artery dissection and 2 patients affected by vertebral artery dissection. Vessel dissection generally occurred spontaneously; it was preceded by head or cervical trauma in 2 cases. Arterial hypertension was commonly associated, and headache was always present together with other focal neurological signs. Clinical suspicion was confirmed by ultrasound duplex scanning: although never conclusive, it always showed typical Doppler patterns. Nuclear magnetic resonance has become an acknowledged means of definitive diagnosis although angiography remains the gold standard. In any case, diagnosis requires clinical suspicion and the accurate correlation of clinical data and instrumental results. Therapy consisted in anticoagulant and antiplatelet drugs. The clinical course of our patients was favorable in all cases, and no recurrences were recorded.

[Characteristics of articular caps of the elbow in relation to flex-extension movement]. / Caratteristiche dei capi articolari del gomito in relazione al movimento di flesso-estensione.

Considering the factors limiting flexo-extension movements of the elbow, particular importance has been given to the possible existing contact between its articular ends in the final stage of the movement. However, this factor has different importance according to the angle formed by the ulnar and humeral diaphysis with their respective epiphysis. Some authors assert that humeral and ulnar articular ends do not come into any contact during the first stage of the sigmoid cavity movement on the trochlea, according to their opinion, in fact, an angle of 45 degrees should exist between the prolongation of the humeral diaphysis axis and the lower epiphysis and the great ulnar sigmoid cavity should be oriented forward and high forming an axis that is inclined of 45 degrees the horizontal plane. In order to verify this affirmation, we have measured the width of these angles in 50 soaked humeri and 50 ulnas. The same angle has been measured in 50 radiograms of partially flexed laterally projected elbows. The mean observed values have been of about 34 degrees for the distal epiphysis-diaphysis angle in humeri and of about 25 degrees for the inclination angle of the orientation axis of the great ulnar sigmoid cavity. The results show that - when humeral epiphysis-diaphysis angle is larger or eventually equal to the ulnar one - it is sufficient that the considered angles are less than 45 degrees to get a correct and complete flexo-extension movement.