Peptides for Skin Protection and Healing in Amphibians.

Amphibian skin is not to be considered a mere tegument; it has a multitude of functions related to respiration, osmoregulation, and thermoregulation, thus allowing the individuals to survive and thrive in the terrestrial environment. Moreover, amphibian skin secretions are enriched with several peptides, which defend the skin from environmental and pathogenic insults and exert many other biological effects. In this work, the beneficial effects of amphibian skin peptides are reviewed, in particular their role in speeding up wound healing and in protection from oxidative stress and UV irradiation.

Hip election radiographic plane (HERP) in the preoperative planning of prostheses with femoral neck preservation.

In the preoperative radiographic planning of total hip prosthesis implantation, the hip election radiographic plane (HERP) is an essential, "dedicated" tool, i.e. it is indispensable for correct implant planning, especially as regards the femoral component and specifically some types of devices which, like the Biodynamic or CFP prostheses, allow preservation of the femoral neck.

Power Doppler analysis of tendon vascularization.

Forty-nine patients with tendonitis (patellar in 16, quadriceps in two, Achilles in 12, rotator cuff disease in 19) and 47 patients with tenosynovitis (acute tenosynovitis in 25, stenosing tenosynovitis in 22) underwent ultrasound (US) and Power Doppler (PD)-US examination. Spectral analysis of flow signals was performed in all patients. Ten patients (six with tendonitis, four with tenosynovitis) were rewired after medical therapy.

[Captopril-induced changes in renal flow: evaluation using Doppler echography].

It is well known that angiotensin antagonists cause increase of renal blood flow. We have examined, using duplex Doppler sonography, the changes of renal blood flow velocity induced by oral administration of 50 mg. of Captopril.

Fine-needle aspiration cytodiagnosis: a simple and safe procedure for cancer of the pancreas.

One hundred fine-needle aspirations (45 percutaneous ultrasonically-guided and 55 intraoperative) were performed in 82 patients suspected of having pancreatic cancer, in order to evaluate the contribution of cytologic data to definitive diagnosis of this tumor. The overall success rate of both cytologic methods was 90.6 p.

Comparative study of percutaneous and peroperative fine-needle aspirations in the diagnosis of pancreatic cancer.

A consecutive series of 51 patients with suspected pancreatic cancer were studied in order to evaluate the contribution of cytologic data in establishing a definitive diagnosis of the tumor. A percutaneous ultrasonically-guided, and a peroperative fine-needle, aspiration were performed in 26 and 29 patients, respectively; 4 cases underwent both methods. Final histologic diagnosis in surgical or autopsy specimens showed cancer of the pancreas in 41 cases and chronic pancreatitis in 10.

Sonographic appearance of fecal masses.

Fecal impaction, caused by incomplete evacuation of feces over an extended length of time, may lead to the formation of a fecaloma, a large, firm mass of stool. Sonography is commonly used as the first imaging procedure in patients presenting with abdominal masses. In the five cases cited, fecaloma was suspected by sonography in four cases; confirmation was obtained by rectal examination in three cases and by radiographic studies in two cases.

Ultrasonographic appearances of gastric cancer.

In 32 patients with known gastric cancer involving different segments of the stomach, an attempt was made to image the tumour by ultrasonography. Identification of the lesion was possible in 31/32 cases. The tumour always appeared as a focal or diffuse thickening of the gastric wall, with irregular outer margins and luminal echoes; in many cases, a "target" pattern was seen.

Sonographic staging of gastric cancer.

The sonographic images obtained in 32 patients with known gastric cancer, who were referred to sonography for evaluation of liver metastases and in whom a specific attempt was made in order to visualize the tumor, were reviewed and evaluated for the extent of exogastric neoplasm. Surgical correlation was available in 21 cases. Sonography allowed identification in five of seven patients who had distant metastases, 12 of 15 who had lymphadenopathy, and nine of 12 patients who had direct spread to structures surrounding the tumor; ascites was always correctly identified.

Sonographic diagnosis of urethral polyp in a child.

Congenital urethral polyps are an uncommon cause of urethral obstruction in male children. The diagnosis is obtained at voiding cystography by demonstrating a filling defect which (typically) moves during micturition. A small polypoid mass with a stalk arising from the region of the verumontanum was observed by sonography in one such patient.

Ultrasonic findings of subcutaneous emphysema: a case report.

We have recently examined a patient in whom sonographic visualization of the most lateral part of the right lobe of the liver was impossible due to the presence of subcutaneous emphysema of the right flank. To our knowledge, this is the first ultrasonic report of this condition.

[A case of voluminous gastric fibroleiomyoma. Diagnostic problems].

The Authors present a case of gastric fibroleiomyoma characterized by its remarkable size (at least in this anatomic site) and, this notwithstanding, by the fact that, of all instrumental investigations, only abdominal echotomography supported the clinic relief of a neoplastic "mass" situated in the left hypochondriac region. Echotomography quite exactly, though not specifically, informed the Authors on the localization and conformation of the neoplasm, and on its not-infiltrating tendency and not belonging to parenchymal organs. The Authors therefore consider echotomography a determinant investigation for the surgeon willing to perform an explorative laparotomy, being in front of an abdominal "mass" of doubtful provenance.