[Intraorbital tumors in children. Two cases and review of the literature]. / Neoplasie endorbitarie in età evolutiva. Due casi e revisione della letteratura.

Also in childhood, the orbital cavity is a possible place for different kinds of lesions. The recent contribution of magnetic risonance imaging (MRI) enables a more accurate differential diagnosis of intraorbital pathology. The clinical and neuroradiological data of two new patients affected respectively by intraorbital meningioma and schwannoma are presented. Both patients showed exophthalmos without pain and were treated with surgery. The different etiologies of intraorbital lesions, i.e. vascular, neoplastic, inflammatory, cystic and malformative are analyzed. Sometimes the case history and neuroradiological assessment alone enable a correct diagnosis. More often, however, only surgery reveals the exact nature of the disease. The age of the patient too can represent a criteria for a possible differential diagnosis.

Evaluation of noise in the neonatal intensive care unit.

This study evaluated the noise level inside the incubators in a neonatal intensive care unit and identified its sources in order to attempt to reduce it. Although noise is not a proven risk factor as far as the sensory integrity of newborns is concerned, it is certainly an important cause of stress to them and a source of serious and dangerous changes in their behavioral and physiologic states. Noise recorded inside the incubators had two components. The first was background noise from the incubator motors, which varied from 74.2 to 79.9 dB, and was similar to environmental noise. The second source was impulsive events beyond 80 dB. These events were the result of voluntary and involuntary contact with the incubators' Plexiglas surface or to the abrupt opening and closing of their access ports. Considering its decibel levels and frequency, this latter component is undoubtedly an important source of stress to newborns. Moreover, these data reveal the need to train health care personnel on how to reduce such noise by taking more care in the handling of infants.