Pulmonary impairment in workers exposed to silicon carbide.

Two hundred and sixty seven workers employed in the manufacture of silicon carbide (SiC) were examined to determine the effects of exposure to contaminants (SiC, quartz, and SO2) in the workplace on pulmonary function. No exposure concentrations exceeded the current permissible limits. Ten subjects (3.7%) showed rounded opacities (profusion greater than or equal to 1/0). Two subjects employed only in the final stages of the production process and not exposed to crystalline silica showed opacities (profusion q1/0 and q2/1) on x ray film suggesting a role of SiC in the genesis of interstitial lung disease. Chest abnormalities on x ray film were correlated with cumulative exposure to dust and pulmonary function was affected by cumulative dust exposure, profusion of opacities, and smoking. It is concluded that the current standards do not provide adequate protection against pneumoconiosis and chronic pulmonary disease in this industry.

[A simple method of studying cruciate ligaments in arthrography]. / Un semplice metodo per lo studio dei legamenti crociati in artrografia.

After a review of the methods employed for arthrographic visualization of cruciate ligaments (CL), the authors present a new technique to separately study the anterior and posterior CL during traction. This technique enables to obtain a good visualization of CL and a good diagnostic accuracy; it can radiographically demonstrate a pathologic sagittal instability of the knee; it is easy to perform and is easily repeatable in different patients.

Knee arthrography: effects of various contrast media and epinephrine on synovial fluid.

Changes in synovial fluid leukocytes, total protein, and total complement were studied in 58 patients after they underwent single contrast material-enhanced knee arthrography with ionic (sodium iothalamate, sodium meglumine diatrizoate, meglumine iothalamate) and nonionic (iopamidol, iohexol) contrast media. In 30 of 58 cases, 0.3 mg epinephrine was also injected. In patients examined without epinephrine, a significant increase in the number of leukocytes was observed when sodium iothalamate and sodium meglumine diatrizoate were used. When administered with epinephrine all ionic compounds produced significant leukocytosis; articular reactions were most evident in patients examined with sodium salts. No inflammatory changes in the synovial fluid were observed when nonionic compounds were used. These data suggest that sodium-containing compounds produce a greater reaction in the joint compared with other contrast media, nonionic compounds are better tolerated by the joint, and epinephrine increases the articular reaction to ionic contrast media.

[Ioexol in arthrography]. / Ioexolo in artrografia.

Single contrast knee arthrography was performed in a group of 50 patients, using either Urografin or Ioexol as contrast agents. Both contrast media were well tolerated clinically and no significant difference was found to exist as far as image quality is concerned. However, while Urografin produced a significant increase of the white cells in the synovial fluid, no inflammatory change was observed in the synovial fluid after Ioexol. So we believe that Ioexol is a significantly preferable contrast medium in arthrography, especially in patients with inflammatory joint diseases.

[Echography in the diagnosis of spontaneous hematoma of the rectus muscle]. / L'ecografia nella diagnosi dell'ematoma spontaneo del muscolo retto.

After a brief explanation of the pathogenesis and of the clinical picture of spontaneous rectus muscle hematoma, the Authors describe 9 diagnosed cases by ultrasonography. The various echographic appearances of this disease are described and the importance of ultrasonography for a correct diagnosis and to avoid unnecessary laparotomy is emphasized.

[Intracortical tunnels: an early sign of hyperparathyroidism in chronic uremia under periodic hemodialysis]. / I tunnel intra-corticali: precoce segno di iperparatiroidismo nell'uremico cronico in emodialisi periodica.

The authors studied the hand bones in 83 uremic patients undergoing periodic hemodialytic treatment, with microfocus and magnification, valuing particularly the debated findings of cortical striation (tunnelling). In 33 cases the radiological signs have been compared with the values of plasma parathyroid hormone and a significant relationship was found between the hyperparathyroidism and the development of cortical striation. The intracortical tunnels are proposed as an important sign for the early diagnosis of renal osteodystrophy.

[Usefulness of arthrography of the knee in assessing the unfavorable outcome from a meniscectomy intervention]. / Utilità dell'artrografia del ginocchio nella valutazione degli esiti sfavorevoli dell'intervento di meniscectomia.

Knee arthrography was performed in 22 patients suffering from persistent articular symptoms after meniscectomy. In 3 cases a surgically proved tear of the opposite meniscus was assessed. In 4 cases no meniscal tear was found, but 3 out of these patients had a significant anatomic lesion. In 15 cases meniscectomy was found to be incomplete, and a residual posterior horn of the medial meniscus was observed, normal in shape in 7 cases, torn or detached in 8. It is suggested that the persistence of the posterior horn of the medial meniscus after meniscectomy may cause the persistent symptoms; the value of knee arthrography before surgery is emphasized.

[Evaluation of left ventricular enlargement in isolated aortic insufficiency. Importance of the total cardiac volume calculated on the standard chest film]. / Valutazione dell'ingrandimento ventricolare sinistro nell'insufficienza aortica isolata. Importanza del volume totale del cuore calcolato sulla radiografia standard del torace.

A radiographic and hemodynamic investigation has been performed in 53 patients with pure isolated aortic regurgitation, in order to evaluate the most reliable method to detect left ventricular enlargement in this condition. Twelve plain chest film measurements have been compared to the end diastolic volume of the left ventricle calculated by left ventricular angiography. The most sensitive detector of left ventricular enlargement was the plain film total heart volume ( r = 0.754); the cardiothoracic ratio, the cardiac perimeter and the frontal area were less sensitive measurements, but still statistically significant (p less than 0.001). The results of our investigation support the conclusion that plain film total heart volume is the most reliable single measurement for evaluating the left ventricular enlargement in patients with isolated pure aortic incompetence.

[A rare complication of metastatic peri-articular calcifications in chronic uremia: articular bone erosions (author's transl)]. / Una complicazione rara delle calcificazioni metastatiche peri-articolari dell'uremico cronico: le erosioni ossee articolari.

A rare complication was observed of the peri-articular metastatic calcifications in patients in periodic hemodialysis, suffering from chronic uremia: the subcondral bone erosions adjacent to the calcifications. Three cases are described. A discussion follows concerning the pathogenesis of the lesion, which has not yet been reported in literature, as far as known by the authors.