The role of EHP-30 as specific instrument to assess the quality of life of Italian women with endometriosis.

AIM: Our goals were to assess the psychometrical characteristics of EHP-30, to test its higher degree of appropriateness compared to the generic Quality of Life-assessment tools for Italian women suffering from endometriosis, and to determine its ability to identify the disease's effects on the patients' psychosocial condition, highlighting critical points that can be modified for future linguistic validation. METHODS: Participants to our study were 98 women between 19 and 51-year-old (M=34.4, SD=7.5), selected from patients of the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, ARNAS Civico Hospital, Palermo, Italy. All of them had a surgical diagnosis of endometriosis with histological confirmation. Quality of Life was assessed through generic (SF-36) and specific (EHP-30) instruments. RESULTS: Our study shows that the current Italian version of EHP-30 is affected by overall weaker construct validity than the English one; it seems that this has to be ascribed to the inadequacy of the EHP-30 translation into Italian. In particular, unsatisfactory reliability levels have been observed for social support and self-image scales. An incorrect order of response categories has been in addition found out for several items of the Italian version of EHP-30. Research results suggest solutions to adopt for a revision of the EHP-30 Italian version that can satisfy the requirements of validity and reliability. CONCLUSION: Although requiring a structural and linguistic revision, also the Italian version of a specific measurement instrument as EHP-30 is, appears to be more appropriate than generic tools to assess the quality of life of Italian women suffering for endometriosis.

[Adenoid cystic/basal cell carcinoma of the prostate:case report].

Although most prostate carcinomas belong to the conventional acinar type, unusual variants have been reported. The adenoid cystic/basal cell carcinoma of the prostate is a rare tumor with distinctive histopathologic features. There are quite few publications in the literature concerning the diagnosis, treatment, and prognosis of this neoplasm. METHODS. A 71-year-old man had an increased PSA value (5.11 ng/dL); the prostatic biopsy examination was positive for adenoid cystic/basal cell carcinoma. For this reason we proceeded with radical prostatectomy. The histology examination showed an acinar conventional carcinoma and adenoid cystic/basal cell carcinoma. At eight months the patient did not show any recurrence. CONCLUSIONS. Various histologic and immunohistochemical features are helpful in recognizing the adenoid cystic/basal cell carcinoma of the prostate. Clinically, the only difference from a conventional adenocarcinoma is that the PSA value is usually normal or only slightly increased. This tumor has a biological potential that can result in metastases in some cases; the current treatment consists primarily in the surgical resection. A close, long-term follow-up is strongly recommended.

Study of the metabolic effects of bunitrolol (Koe 1366) in angina induced by catecholamine infusion.

In ten angina patients responding with a myocardial anaerobic metabolic pattern to isoproterenol infusion, a new beta-blocking agent, bunitrolol, was effective in normalizing the myocardial lactate extraction ratio. The correlation with lipid metabolism was also interesting because beta-blocker action reduced significantly arterial non-esterified fatty acids (NEFA) level as well as myocardial NEFA extraction. The metabolic behavior suggests the effectiveness of bunitrolol in the treatment of ischemic heart disease.

[Changes in myocardial metabolism during atrial pacing and catecholamine stimulation in normal subjects and patients with angina]. / Modifications du métabolisme du myocarde en cours de "atrial pacing" et stimulation catécholaminique chez le sujet normal et l'angineux

5 patients with angina had their threshold for angina evaluated by atrial pacing and by stimulation with catecholamine (dopamine). The authors then studied the metabolic changes induced by the two types of anginogenic load (AP and D-test) applied successively, and compared them with the post-ergometry ECG changes (lowering of the ST segment by at least 2 mm) and the findings on coronary arteriography (complete obstruction of at least 75% stenosis of a major branch vessel). The metabolic measurements were controlled against those of 5 normal subjects after standard ergometry. In the patients with angina, the AP test led to a constantly negative value for %. L. By contrast, the values of D(a-v)c and % O2 which were reduced in the normals, as indirect evidence of an increased coronary flow, remained practically static. During the dopamine infusion, although the % L was reduced, it remained essentially positive, while the D(a-v)c and % O2 were consistantly lowered.