[Comparison between serum ferritin and induced sideruria in the diagnosis of disorders of iron metabolism]. / Raffronto fra ferritinemia e sideruria provocata nella diagnostica dei dismetabolismi marziali.

The A. compare the values of serum ferritin and Desferrioxamine (DFO)-induced sideruria on 73 patients affected by different diseases. The results may be divided into three groups: a first one concerning patients with low serum ferritin and low DFO-induced sideruria, a second one of patients with normal serum ferritin and normal DFO-induced sideruria; in the third group of patients the A. found high values of serum ferritin and high or normal values of DFO-induced sideruria. The different behaviour observed in this III group of patients mostly affected by malignancy may be ascribed, in all those cases with high ferritin and normal sideruria, to a direct production of isoferritins by cancer cells.

[Hypouricemia and xanthinuria. Observation of 3 cases]. / Ipouricemia e xantinuria. Osservazione di tre casi.

The Authors refer about three cases of asymptomatic xanthinuria pointed out after the discovery of very low serum uric acid levels (below 1 mg/100 ml). The above-mentioned cases come out from 137.194 evaluation of serum uric acid carried out in a period of about four years. The values of serum and urinary uric acid and those of total oxypurines in urine of same kinsmen of the three patients have been evaluated; all these values were in the normal range.

[Desferrioxamine in the diagnosis of hypo-, normo-, and hypersiderotic hyposideremia]. / La desferrioxamina nella diagnostica delle iposideremie ipo-, normo- e ipersiderotiche

Evaluation of stored iron by means of DFOX-induced sideruria in 101 subjects with various degree of hyposideraemia with or without anaemia, is reported. Three groups were examined: 49 patients with chronic loss of blood and malabsorption and urinary iron values up to 1 mg/24hr; 43 with non-bleeding neoplasia, collagen disease, lymphoma, cirrhosis of the liver etc. and values of 1-2mg/24 hr; 9 with rheumatoid arthritis and cirrhosis of the liver and values over 2 mg/24 hr. The reasons why hyposideraemia may accompany incipient of frank tissue hypo-, normo- or hypersiderosis are discussed.

[The problem of dissecting aneurysm of the aorta and its benign course]. / I'l problema dell'aneurisma dissecante dell'aorta ad evoluzione benigna

On the basis of a personal case, the clinical, diagnostic and therapeutic problems of variants of dissecting aneurysm of the aorta with benign course are discussed. The usefulness of cardio-aortic angioscintigraphy in the interests of early diagnosis of aneurysm and aortography by catheterism for specifying its location and extent, is pointed out. Spontaneous benign development would seem to be tied up with the affected area of the aorta, the modalities of dissection, and above all with the establishment of a distal return breach for blood flow into the aortic lumen. The predominant role of cystic medionecrosis in determining dissection is stressed and the usefulness of intensive pharmacological therapy based essentially on hypotensive and beta-blocking substances confirmed.