Bilateral fibromuscular dysplasia in identical twins.

Fibromuscular dysplasia is an arterial occlusive disorder that often affects the renal arteries and leads to renovascular hypertension. The cause of this disease is unknown. However, the occurrence in siblings suggests that genetic factors may play a role. We describe two cases involving hypertensive identical twins with fibromuscular dysplasia of the renal arteries. This unique clinical case reinforces a possible hereditary nature of this arterial occlusive disorder.

Correlation between immunohistochemical patterns and serum levels of PSA and PSAP in prostatic pathology: evaluation of 198 prostatic fine needle biopsies.

PSA and PSAP were examined in 198 prostatic biopsies and correlated with PSA and PSAP serum levels evaluated before biopsies. In every type of lesion there was no relation between PSA or PSAP serum levels and their expression in biopsy specimens. PSA and PSAP staining was similar in both cancer and benign hyperplasia and lower in dysplasia, atrophy and prostatitis; while serum levels were higher in adenocarcinomas than in other lesions. A significant difference of PSAP serum levels was noted in different Gleason's grading of neoplasia, found neither with PSA serum levels/nor with PSA and PSAP tissue staining.

[Biologic dosage: its use in high irradiation]. / Dosimetria biologica: l'impiego nelle irradiazioni elevate.

It is impossible, in high-dose irradiation, using only one physical dosimeter, to get any valid information to quantify biological damage to subjects, even if it's possible to measure skin-dose with great accuracy. Radiosensibility changes from one subject to another, thus it's necessary to consider some specific biological parameters to evaluate physical conditions of treated patients. Hematological, genetic and chemical tests are valid means to determine the internally distributed dose and to choose the most appropriate therapeutic "protocol".

[Computed tomography diagnosis of small intestine carcinoid]. / Diagnosi con Tomografia Computerizzata del carcinoide dell'intestino tenue.

This study was aimed at evaluating CT diagnostic capabilities in detecting carcinoid tumors of the small bowel and comparing CT results with conventional radiographic findings. The CT diagnosis of carcinoid tumor was made in 6 cases based on CT findings. All patients had undergone conventional radiographs (transit or double-contrast studies of the small intestine) and 2 patients had undergone double-contrast barium enema of the colon. 500 ml of oral contrast medium were administered 2 hours, 1 hour and 15 minutes before CT scans, respectively. A hypotonic agent was injected i.v. immediately before the examination. Primary lesion extent, mesenteric involvement, extramesenteric lymph nodes and hepatic metastases were the investigated CT patterns. The first two variables were also assessed on plain radiographs. In all patients the diagnosis of enteric carcinoid tumor was confirmed at surgery or liver biopsy. CT proved to be useful in demonstrating the primary tumor in 5 cases, mesenteric involvement in all patients, liver metastases in 3, lymphadenopathy in none. CT yielded very accurate findings and thus allowed the diagnosis of carcinoid tumor to be made in all the 6 patients, while plain films resulted normal in 2 cases and aspecific in 4. In conclusion, CT, if adequately performed, proved the best technique to detect carcinoid tumors of the small bowel. Of course, further evidence is required.

Proton-therapy, present status.

At the moment, proton-therapy is the most advanced radiotherapeutic technique in cancer treatment. The use of the high energy proton beam (from 70 MeV to 200 MeV) lets a Bragg's peak be moved to different depths, so allowing personal radiotherapeutic treatment. In recent years, many proton-therapy centers have grown up throughout the world with very satisfactory clinical results, first of all in eye melanoma treatment. The future expectations are very promising, even if the very high installation and maintenance expenses of a synchrotron (for proton production) hinder the development of such a method.

[Detection of myocardial ischemia during dobutamine stress echocardiography. Correlation with coronary cineangiography]. / Detecção de isquemia miocárdica através de ecocardiografia de estresse com dobutamina. Correlação com cinecoronariografia.

PURPOSE: To detect myocardial ischemia during dobutamine stress echocardiography (DSE). METHODS: Two hundred and seventy one patients were studied; 63 (23%) underwent coronary angiography within a month of DSE. Angiograms were analyzed independently by 3 angiographers, and coronary lesions larger than 50% of luminal occlusion were considered likely to cause ischemia. RESULTS: The global sensitivity and specificity were 95% and 75% respectively, with 89% accuracy. Of 43 patients showing obstructive coronary artery disease, there were 2 false negatives. One of 5 false positives had ischemic cardiomyopathy and another a technically difficult exam. The symptoms and side effects in decreasing order of occurrence are as follows: palpitation 46%; arrhythmia 24%; mild hypotension 24%; chest pain 8%; hypertension 5%; facial paresthesia 4%; chills 1.8%; nausea 1.8%; headache 1.4%; dyspnea 0.4% and severe hypotension 0.4%. CONCLUSION: Considering the results, the small number of complications and the feasibility, DSE seems to be a safe and promising method for detecting myocardial ischemia.

[Treatment of pulmonary thromboembolism with extrinsic plasminogen activator. A case report]. / Tratamento do tromboembolismo pulmonar com ativador extrínseco do plasminogênio. Relato de caso.

A 49 year-old woman with acute pulmonary thromboembolism and severe hemodynamic impairment was successfully treated with tissue-type plasminogen activator (r-TPA). She did not have previous pulmonary or cardiac diseases. Thirty days after immobilization of the right ankle, she had a sudden onset of dyspnea, epigastrial pain and syncope. As heparin therapy was unsuccessful, 90 mg of IV r-TPA was administered. There was rapid clinical and hemodynamic improvement of her condition. Pulmonary scanning one week later was normal and she was discharged without symptoms 12 days after the acute episode.

[The colorimetry of fruits and vegetables (author's transl)]. / La misura del colore negli ortofrutticoli freschi e conservati

The colorimetry of food has advanced during last years very much, due to the improving of the equipment and has solved several theoretical and practical problems for the food utilization. In the present paper are reviewed the procedures adopted and the results obtained for the objective evaluation of the colour of processed fruits and vegetables. These results have pointed out the importance of colorimetry in this field and outlined the future trends of the research.

[Analytical method to identify and quantitate residues of aromatic polychlorinated hydrocarbons (author's transl)]. / Identificazione e quantificazione dei residui di idrocarburi clorurati aromatici nell'ambiente

A analytical method to identify and quantitate residues of polychlorinated biphenyls, polychlorinated terphenyls, polychorinated naphtalenes and some chlorinated pesticides is described. These contaminants can be recovered from foods or other materials: a silicic acid coloumn chromatografic method previously developed is used to separate PCB's, PCT's, PCN's from organochlorinated pesticide residues. The PCB's, PCT's, PCN's residues identification and their subsequent quantitation can be achieved by conversion into well defined single perchloro-derivatives, viz decachlorobiphenyl, o.m.p. tetradecachloroterphenils and octachloronaftalene, detactable by GLC-EC. The reagnet of exhaustive chlorination of PCB's and PCT's residues is SbCl5, while the reagent used for the exhaustive chlorination of PCN's residues is SO2Cl2 with powdered anhydrous AlCl3 as a catalyst. The identity of perchloroderivatives obtained by chlorination of PCB's, PCT's, PCN's standard mixtures is confirmed on comparing their infrared spectra with the spectra of high purity standards.