[Cardiopathies, pregnancy and labor in our hospital practice. Clinical cases from 1969 to 1987]. / Cardiopatie, gravidanza e parto nella nostra practica ospedaliera. Casistica clinica dal 1969 al 1987.

The behaviour of cardiopathies and the prognosis for labour was studied in 44 pregnant women with heart disease admitted to Muscatello Hospital Augusta in 1969-87. Improved cardiological and obstetric treatment together with the interdisciplinary approach adopted since 1971 eliminated maternal deaths and drastically reduced complications in pregnancies. Caesarian section was adopted in all but class I cases and was well tolerated. Puerperium passed without incident and the patients were up by the second or third day, released on day 8. There was also a distinct improvement in foetal prognosis with fewer small for date births and only one death due to foetal immaturity.

Drusen of the optic nerve head. An important model.

It is proposed that drusen of the optic nerve head (ONH) may provide a useful model for the study of diseases which affect the vicinity of the optic disc. Several sensitive and revealing tests of inner retinal/optic nerve function have been applied in this investigation. Fundus Photo Perimetry has confirmed that little correlation exists between visual field defects and the location of ophthalmoscopically visible ONH drusen. The Flashing Repeat Static Test (FRST) was found to be abnormal in half of our patients, indicating probable ascending dysfunction in optic nerve fibers beyond the lamina cribrosa. Alterations in transient-like and/or sustained-like functions, found in several cases, are thought to represent effects of dysfunction descending to the retinal plexiform layers.

[Scoliosis and mitral valve prolapse. An epidemiological and etiopathogenetic screening (author's transl)]. / Scoliosi e prolasso della mitrale. Rilievi epidemiologici ed etiopatogenetici.

The Authors have developed an epidemiologic screening among 299 subjects girl's secondary school (average 16.5 years) to verify the incidence of idiopathic mitral valve prolapse (MVP) and associated thoracic-skeletal abnormalities in young female people. The MVP was assessed in 10 subjects (3.3%), scoliosis in 41 subjects (13.7%). The MVP incidence among scoliotic subjects was 19.5% (8 among 41). To verify a possible common systemic connective tissue disorder between scoliosis and MVP, three groups of subjects (control, scoliosis, MVP), were visited by orthopedist, considering the incidence of following clinic parameters: recurvated knee, flat or valgus foot, pectus excavatum, lofty scapulas, joint and skin laxity. A significative increasing incidence of these parameters was found from the control group to the MVP group. Considering these parameters as index of a probable systemic connective tissue disorder, the hypothesis of a mesenchimal etiopathogenesis of MVP is confirmed.