Sympathoadrenergic and metabolic factors are involved in ambulatory blood pressure rise in childhood obesity.

We investigated in a young Italian obese population, the relationship between ambulatory BP (ABP) and several pathophysiological factors linking obesity to hypertension. A total of 89 obese children and adolescents underwent a 24-h ambulatory BP monitoring (ABPM) and an oral glucose tolerance test. The circulating levels of insulin, lipids, uric acid, C-reactive protein, interleukin-6, renin and aldosterone and the 24-h urinary levels of epinephrine, norepinephrine and albumin excretion rate were measured. Nine percent of subjects had daytime sustained hypertension (SH), 26% night-time hypertension and 11% a non-dipping pattern. SH subjects compared to those with sustained normotension (SN) were more obese (P<0.05), with a more frequent family history of hypertension (P<0.05), higher urinary catecholamine (P<0.05) and heart rate values (P<0.05) after adjustment for standard deviation score (SDS) of body mass index (BMI) and sex. Subjects with night-time hypertension compared to those with night-time normotension were more obese (P<0.0001), with a higher prevalence of impaired glucose tolerance (P<0.05) and metabolic syndrome (P<0.05) and higher 2-h glucose (P<0.05), uric acid (P<0.05) and triglycerides (P<0.05). In multivariate regression analysis, daytime systolic BP (SBP) remained independently correlated with urinary norepinephrine and SDS-BMI (P<0.05 for both), daytime diastolic BP (DBP) with waist circumference (P<0.05) and night-time SBP and DBP with SDS-BMI (P<0.01 for both). The risk of having systolic and diastolic hypertension increased with the increase in SDS-BMI and waist circumference, respectively. In conclusion, in our cohort of obese children and adolescents, daytime and night-time hypertension were associated with activation of the sympathoadrenal system and worst metabolic conditions, respectively.

[Carotid endarterectomy with placement of a PUR (polyurethane) patch]. / La TEA carotidea con posizionamento di patch in PUR.

In this study, 40 patients who underwent surgery for cerebro-vascular insufficiency were considered. Carotid endarterectomy was the procedure of choice in all of the patients; the arteriotomy was always closed using a PUR patch, a new material that, for its chemical and physical characteristics seems to be a good alternative to PTFE. All of the patients underwent surgery under loco-regional anesthesia, allowing a perioperative monitoring of the neurological status through the patient's active collaboration. During the postoperative period, non local or systemic pathology related to the use of the patch has been observed. During the short and half term follow-up, the patients underwent echo-Doppler of the supra-aortic trunks that didn't show either false aneurysms or thrombosis on the patch surface.

[Chemodectomas of the glomus caroticum]. / I chemodectomi del glomo carotideo.

The authors review the nature, biological evolution, diagnosis and treatment of carotid body tumors both on the basis of data reported in the literature and in the light of their own experience with a population of 11 carotid body chemodectomas. All patients (except one) were subjected to total resection of the neoplasm. In one case, surgery was confined to a partial resection. Operative mortality was nil, and complications consisted in one case of Claude-Bernard-Horner syndrome, one lesion of the XII cranial nerve and one lesion of the X cranial nerve. Follow-up of the patients (min. 6 months, max. 10 years) has shown no recurrences or metastases.

[Surgical treatment of caval obstructions]. / Il trattamento chirurgico delle ostruzioni cavali.

The vena cava is the seat of obstructive disorders for which direct reparative surgery may sometimes become necessary. S.C.S. is mainly caused by neoplastic invasions or, in the case of the inferior vena cava, by progression of phlebothrombosis of the lower limbs. Prosthesis or autologous substitution and thrombointimectomy are specifically indicated in the two cases respectively. The two methods are described in detail and exemplified through the authors' personal cases consisting in an inferior caval thrombointimectomy and four superior caval by passes. It is concluded that surgical procedures are effective when the primitive disorder can be dominated and the thrombosis is not excessively extensive.