Recurrent pulmonary embolism due to echinococcosis secondary to hepatic surgery for hydatid cysts.

We describe the case of a 53-year-old man with recurrent pulmonary embolism due to intra-arterial cysts from Echinococcus. Both the patient's medical history and the computed tomographic (CT) scan abnormalities led to the diagnosis. The CT scan, performed during hospitalization in our ward, showed cystic masses in the left main pulmonary artery and in the descending branch of the right pulmonary artery. Within cystic masses, thin septa were visible, giving a chambered appearance, which was suggestive of a group of daughter cysts. In the past, our patient underwent multiple operations for recurring echinococcal cysts of the liver. After the last intervention, 4 years earlier, his postoperative course was complicated by pulmonary embolism: a CT scan showed a filling defect in the descending branch of the right pulmonary artery, which was caused by the same cystic mass as 4 years later, although smaller. This mass, not properly treated, increased in diameter. Moreover, after 4 years, there has been a new episode of embolism, which involved the left main pulmonary artery. This is the first case in which there are repeated episodes of pulmonary embolism echinococcosis after hepatic surgery for removal of hydatid cysts.

Bone healing induced by ESWT.

It has been at least two decades since the introduction of Extracorporeal Shock-Wave Treatment (ESWT) for the treatment of non-unions; despite conflicting opinions in the literature, it is recently achieving good results also in acute fractures. This paper reports Authors' clinical experience with electromagnetic shock-waves in the treatment of delayed unions and fresh fractures. Nonunion cases experienced remarkable successful results at an average of 8-10 weeks after ESWT; high success rate is been also found for the acute fractures. It can be concluded that this therapy constitutes an important aid in treatment of non-unions and can be useful also in fresh bone fractures.