[Resistance to fracture of direct restorations with cuspal coverage in endodontically treated upper bicuspids]. / Resistência à fratura de restaurações diretas com cobertura de cúspide em pré-molares superiores endodonticamente tratados.

Endodontically treated teeth are considered more susceptible to fracture because of the loss of tooth structure. The aim of this study was to evaluate the increase of resistance to fracture of upper bicuspids that underwent endodontic access and were restored with composite resin, with cuspal coverage. Forty extracted human maxillary premolars were divided in 4 groups: I--intact teeth; II--teeth with endodontic access and MOD preparation, restored with composite resin, without cuspal coverage; III--teeth with endodontic access, MOD preparation and occlusal reduction, restored with composite resin, with cuspal coverage; IV--teeth with endodontic access and MOD preparation, without any restoration. The test specimens were submitted to compression test up to their fracture. The test of Turkey and the ANOVA analysis were used to compare and test the results. The teeth from group III (with cuspal coverage) presented with significantly greater resistance to fracture, when compared with those from groups II (restored without cuspal coverage) and IV (not restored). The composite restoration with cuspal coverage can be considered an alternative for endodontically treated premolars.

["Wandering spleen": preoperative diagnosis by echotomography of the abdomen (review of the literature and report of a case)]. / "Wandering spleen": diagnosi pre-operatoria mediante ecotomografia dell'addome (revisione della letteratura e communicazione di un caso).

Splenic wandering is a rare condition of upset position of spleen, due to congenital fault or to excessive looseness of the supporting apparatus of this organ. The literature reports about 180 cases thereof, few of which recognized as such before operation. Ultimate investigations, in this limited number of preoperative diagnoses, resulted angiography and hepato-splenic scintigraphy; only three times the diagnosis was correctly placed through ultra-sounds. The authors show a case, confirmed by the operative report, where the ultrasonic test allowed to place the diagnosis with certainty, and, due to a particular lot of circumstances, proved to be better than TAC.