CT-guided fine-needle ago-biopsy of pulmonary nodules: predictive factors for diagnosis and pneumothorax occurrence.

Objective: To evaluate variables that could predict diagnosis during CT-guided fine-needle aspiration.

Methods: Data from 249 patients who underwent FNAB from January 2010 to December 2012 were analyzed in a retrospective observational study.

Results: Mean age was 66.

The phenotype of migraine with unilateral cranial autonomic symptoms documents increased peripheral and central trigeminal sensitization. A case series of 757 patients.

Background: Migraine with unilateral cranial autonomic symptoms (UAS) is a putative migraine endophenotype with convincing response to trigeminal-targeted treatments that still needs a thorough characterization.

Objective: The objective of this article is to carefully investigate the clinical phenotype of migraine with UAS in a large group of patients for more accurate migraine diagnoses, improved clinical management, and better outcome prediction.

Methods: We studied 757 consecutive episodic and chronic migraineurs in a tertiary headache clinic with face-to-face interviews, detailing in depth their lifestyle, sociodemographic and headache characteristics.

'Locus of control', health-related quality of life, emotional distress and disability in Parkinson's disease.

This cross-sectional study evaluated locus of control and its subscales in Parkinson's disease. A total of 50 consecutive Parkinson's disease participants and 50 healthy volunteers (control group) were enrolled. External locus of control was significantly higher in Parkinson's disease participants, whereas internal locus of control had no significant differences.

Prognostic grading after complete resection for thymic malignancies.

Objective: Despite the World Health Organization (WHO) and Masaoka classifications have been widely accepted as the main describers of prognosis determinants in thymic malignancies, so far, these have been considered independently from one another. We have reviewed our single-centre 40-year results after surgical treatment of thymic malignancies evaluating the inter-relationships between the clinical, surgical and pathological variables and investigating their prognostic impact in completely resected patients.

Patients And Methods: A surgical series of 347 patients was reviewed and, of these, 305 with complete resection enrolled.

The Lee Silverman Voice Treatment (LSVT®) speech therapy in progressive supranuclear palsy.

Background: The Lee Silverman Voice Treatment (LSVT®) was specifically created and tested to comply with the needs of individuals with Parkinson's disease (PD) and other neurological problems. This is a high effort intensive treatment that aims at increasing vocal intensity through the increase of subglottal air pressure, i.e.

Is chronic inhibition of phosphodiesterase type 5 cardioprotective and safe? A meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.

Background: The myocardial effects of phosphodiesterase type 5 inhibitors (PDE5i) have recently received consideration in several preclinical studies. The risk/benefit ratio in humans remains unclear.

Methods: We performed a meta-analysis of randomized, placebo-controlled trials (RCTs) to evaluate the efficacy and safety of PDE5i on cardiac morphology and function.

Dispositional optimism, depression, disability and quality of life in Parkinson's disease.

Very little research on dispositional optimism (DO) has been carried out in the field of Parkinson's disease (PD). The present cross-sectional study, focusing on this personality trait, was performed with two main aims: i) to compare DO between patients with PD and a control group (CG); ii) to perform, in the PD group, a regression analysis including health-related variables, such as depression, anxiety, quality of life (QoL) and activities of daily living. Seventy PD participants and 70 healthy volunteers were enrolled in the study.

The sense-of-coherence predicts health-related quality of life and emotional distress but not disability in Parkinson's disease.

Background: Personality traits are deemed important in many fields of Medicine. The present study aimed at evaluating i) the presence of Sense-of-Coherence (SOC) in patients suffering from Parkinson's Disease (PD) in comparison with an age-matched general control population, ii) the influence of SOC on health-related variables, such as depression and anxiety, quality of life (Qol), and activities of daily living (ADL).

Methods: SOC was measured in 50 PD patients and in 50 matched controls enrolled in cross-sectional study.

A systems medicine clinical platform for understanding and managing non- communicable diseases.

Non-Communicable Diseases (NCDs) are among the most pressing global health problems of the twenty-first century. Their rising incidence and prevalence is linked to severe morbidity and mortality, and they are putting economic and managerial pressure on healthcare systems around the world. Moreover, NCDs are impeding healthy aging by negatively affecting the quality of life of a growing number of the global population.

Is organic farming safer to farmers' health? A comparison between organic and traditional farming.

Exposure to pesticides is a major public health concern, because of the widespread distribution of these compounds and their possible long term effects. Recently, organic farming has been introduced as a consumer and environmental friendly agricultural system, although little is known about the effects on workers' health. The aim of this work was to evaluate genetic damage and immunological alterations in workers of both traditional and organic farming.

Thymectomy in myasthenia gravis: proposal for a predictive score of postoperative myasthenic crisis.

Objectives: Thymectomy plays an important role in patients with myasthenia gravis (MG). This study aimed to explore predictors of postoperative myasthenic crisis (POMC) after thymectomy and to define a predictive score of respiratory failure.

Methods: The clinical data of 177 patients with MG undergoing thymectomy from January 1995 to December 2011 were retrospectively reviewed.

Immunological alterations in individuals exposed to metal(loid)s in the Panasqueira mining area, Central Portugal.

Environmental studies performed in Panasqueira mine area (central Portugal) identified high concentrations of several metal(loid)s in environmental media, and individuals environmentally and occupationally exposed showed higher levels of As, Cr, Mg, Mn, Mo, Pb and Zn in blood, urine, hair and nails when compared to unexposed controls. To evaluate the presence of immunological alterations attributable to environmental contamination, we quantified neopterin, kynurenine, tryptophan, and nitrite concentrations in plasma, and analysed the percentage of several lymphocytes subsets, namely CD3(+), CD4(+) and CD8(+) T-cells, CD19(+) B-cells, and CD16(+)56(+) natural killer (NK) cells in a group of individuals previously tested for metal(loid) levels in different biological matrices. The environmentally exposed group had significantly lower levels of %CD8(+) and higher CD4(+)/CD8(+) ratios, whereas the occupationally exposed individuals showed significant decreases in %CD3(+) and %CD4(+), and significant increases in %CD16(+)56(+), when compared to controls.

A case-control study on the effect of metabolic gene polymorphisms, nutrition, and their interaction on the risk of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease.

The oxidative stress is a key issue in the etiology of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). The aim of our study was to evaluate the effect of metabolic gene polymorphisms involved in the oxidative stress (GSTT1, GSTM1, SULT1A1, CYP2E1, and 1A1), lifestyle and nutrition aspects, and their interaction, on the risk of NAFLD. We enrolled 294 cases and 359 controls, and collected demographics, anthropometric, lifestyle, and nutrition data.

Prognostic factors and outcomes in Italian patients undergoing curative gastric cancer surgery.

Background: Survival of patients after curative surgical resection for gastric cancer (GC) remains poor, thus emphasizing the need for better definition of prognostic factors to improve the long-term course of disease.

Methods: From 1999 to 2009, 110 patients had curative-intent gastrectomy for adenocarcinoma. Clinicopathological features, Helicobacter pylori infection, dietary habits and lifestyle, and the presence of proinflammatory gene polymorphisms were evaluated.

Surgical treatment in patient with non-small-cell lung cancer with fissure involvement: anatomical versus nonanatomical resection.

Objective: Despite the intense debate concerning the prognostic impact of fissure involvement (FI) in patients with non-small-cell lung cancer, no specific surgical strategies have been yet recommended when this condition occurs. In this setting, we report our monocentric 10-years experience to investigate this issue.

Methods: From January 2000 to January 2010, the clinical data of 40 non-small-cell lung cancer patients with FI undergoing curative resection were retrospectively reviewed.

Genotoxic effect of exposure to metal(loid)s. A molecular epidemiology survey of populations living and working in Panasqueira mine area, Portugal.

Previous studies investigating the exposure to metal(loid)s of populations living in the Panasqueira mine area of central Portugal found a higher internal dose of elements such as arsenic, chromium, lead, manganese, molybdenum and zinc in exposed individuals. The aims of the present study were to evaluate the extent of genotoxic damage caused by environmental and occupational exposure in individuals previously tested for metal(loid) levels in different biological matrices, and the possible modulating role of genetic polymorphisms involved in metabolism and DNA repair. T-cell receptor mutation assay, comet assay, micronucleus (MN) test and chromosomal aberrations (CA) were performed in a group of 122 subjects working in the Panasqueira mine or living in the same region.

Biomonitoring of several toxic metal(loid)s in different biological matrices from environmentally and occupationally exposed populations from Panasqueira mine area, Portugal.

In the Panasqueira mine area of central Portugal, some environmental media show higher metal(loid) concentrations when compared with the local geochemical background and the values proposed in the literature for these environmental media. In order to evaluate the effect of the external contamination on selected indexes of internal dose, As, Cd, Cu, Cr, Fe, Hg, Mg, Mn, Mo, Ni, Pb, S, Se, Si, and Zn were quantified by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry and inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometry in blood, urine, hair and nail samples from individuals environmentally (N = 41) and occupationally exposed (N = 41). A matched control group (N = 40) was also studied, and data from the three groups were compared.

Post-operative rehabilitation for surgically resected non-small cell lung cancer patients: serial pulmonary functional analysis.

Introduction: Post-operative pulmonary rehabilitation in patients who have undergone surgery for lung cancer is a subject of open debate. Clinical practice in this setting is based on the results of observational trials, such as the one described here. Prospective randomized controlled trials have been registered and recruitment is ongoing.

Pneumonectomy with and without induction chemo-radiotherapy for non-small cell lung cancer: short and long-term results from a single centre.

Background And Objectives:   Pneumonectomy for non small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) after induction radio-chemotherapy (IT) has been associated with high peri-operative risk and its safety and efficacy is still debated. The aim of this retrospective study was to compare short and long-term results of pneumonectomy in patients treated with and without IT (radiotherapy plus chemotherapy) for NSCLC.

Materials And Methods: From 1995 to 2008, 85 consecutive patients underwent pneumonectomy: 49 received pre-operative radiotherapy and chemotherapy (IT group), and 36 patients did not (non-IT group).

Long-term results in patients with pathological complete response after induction radiochemotherapy followed by surgery for locally advanced non-small-cell lung cancer.

Objectives: The outcome of locally advanced non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients with pathological complete response (pCR)-pT0N0 -after induction chemoradiotherapy (IT) followed by surgery has, to date, only rarely been investigated. The long-term results in this highly selected subset of patients were evaluated and reported here to identify any predictive factors associated with prognosis.

Methods: From January 1992 to December 2009, 195 consecutive locally advanced (T1-T4/N0-2/M0) NSCLC patients underwent IT, and after clinical restaging, 137 were operated upon with radical intent.

Rationale and clinical benefits of an intensive long-term pulmonary rehabilitation program after oesophagectomy: preliminary report.

Patients who undergo oesophagectomy for oesophagealcancer (OC) usually have an overall poor prognosis and, still more preoccupying, an unsatisfactory quality of life (QoL). Considering that, as already noted, post-operative pulmonary function has a strong correlation with the long-term outcome and QoL after surgery, we have assumed and speculated on the clinical benefits of an intensive long-term pulmonary post-operative rehabilitation program in this particular subset of patients.Herein, we report the preliminary results of a comparative retrospective analysis in a series of 58 patients who underwent radical oesophagectomy and post-operative chest physical therapy (CPT) under two different protocols, from October 2006 to January 2011.

Induction therapy followed by surgery for T3-T4/N0 non-small cell lung cancer: long-term results.

Background: The aim of this study was to analyze the impact of the induction chemoradiotherapy (IT) on the survival pattern in T3/T4-N0 non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients.

Methods: The data of 71 patients treated from January 1992 to May 2007 were reviewed. Of these, 31 patients received IT prior to surgery (IT group: T3, 20 patients; and T4, 11 patients), and 40 directly underwent surgery (S group: T3, 34 patients; and T4, 6 patients).

Rizatriptan in migraineurs with unilateral cranial autonomic symptoms: a double-blind trial.

The objective and background is to confirm in a double-blind, placebo-controlled study the high triptan response rates we had previously reported in an open study in migraine patients with unilateral cranial autonomic symptoms. In this randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study 80 migraineurs with unilateral cranial autonomic symptoms were assigned to receive rizatriptan 10 mg wafer or placebo (ratio 1:1) and treated for a single moderate or severe migraine attack. The primary endpoints were pain freedom at 2 h and total migraine freedom at 2 h.

An observational study on electrolyte disorders in the acute phase of ischemic stroke and their prognostic value.

Data on electrolyte disorders in neurological conditions and in acute stroke are somewhat scanty and not easily compared. In our Stroke Unit we studied patients hospitalized within six hours of the onset of an acute ischemic stroke and recorded their demographic and clinical data. Blood test results were recorded before any pharmacological therapy.