[Use of arginine in intruterine growth retardation (IUGR). Authors' experience].

Background: Asymmetrical intrauterine growth retardation (IUGR) represents a foetal mechanism, consequent to placental insufficiency, due to many factors: genetic, vascular, malformative. At present, no therapy is really efficient. The aim of this study was to evaluate the efficacy, in these pathological conditions, of the use of L-arginine.

Salivary ferning and the menstrual cycle in women.

The Authors report the data relative to the monitoring of menstrual cycle carried out by the observation of salivary ferning. They compared the usual physical and hormonal parameters of four groups of women with the aspect of the crystallisation of the saliva observed both by normal optical microscope and by a special type of pocket microscope which can be used by women themselves. In conclusion the Authors report a careful examination of the biochemical correlation relating the women's hormonal climate and its salivary constituents.

Objective and subjective data for fertile period diagnosis in women: comparison of methods.

The Authors have evaluated the reliability of various methods, both natural and biochemical, for the identification of the female ovulatory period in women with regular periods. They compared these methods among themselves and with echographical checking of ovulation. It emerged clearly from the study that the greatest reliability among the natural methods is obtained through the evaluation of the presence of cervical mucus, while among biochemical methods the best results are obtained by a semiquantitative colorimetric test.

Echographic aspects of the mixed müllerian tumor of the endometrium.

The Authors report a rare clinical case of mixed müllerian tumor of the endometrium. They propose the possibility of an echographic diagnosis on the basis of a careful examination of the reports indicated in Literature.

Ultrasonic visualization of the endometrial cycle.

The dynamic morphological aspects of the uterine mucosa during the various phases of the endometrial cycle were examined, by using ultrasonographic methods, in 148 patients having regular menstrual cycles and a biphasic basal body temperature. During the proliferative phase, ultrasonographic examinations permitted a visualization of the mucosa in 33%-45% of the cases, respectively in the initial and in the later part of the phase. During the secretory phase, the endometrium was identifiable in 81.