Pneumonia Lung Ultrasound Score (PLUS): A New Tool for Detecting Pneumonia in the Oldest Patients.

Objectives: To compare the diagnostic accuracy of lung ultrasound (LUS) and standard chest X-ray (CXR) in older patients admitted to an acute-care geriatric ward for suspected acute pneumonia, and to develop an easy-to-use diagnostic tool, now called Pneumonia Lung Ultrasound Score (PLUS), for early risk stratification.

Design: Prospective, single-center, cohort study.

Setting: Acute-care geriatric ward of tertiary care center.

Sonographic visibility of the main posterior ankle ligaments and para-ligamentous structures in 15 healthy subjects.

The present article describes the ultrasound (US) appearance of ligaments and paraligamentous structures which are not included in standard US imaging of the ankle: the posterior inferior tibiofibular ligament (PITFL), the transverse tibiofibular ligament (TTFL), the posterior talofibular ligament (PTFL), the posterior intermalleolar ligament (PIL), the synovial recess (SR) of the posterior joint and the os trigonum (OT). Two skilled operators examined 15 ankles in 15 healthy volunteers. Correlation between thickness of the main ligaments and body mass index (BMI) was also analyzed.

Primary and secondary prophylaxis of spontaneous bacterial peritonitis: current state of the art.

: Spontaneous bacterial peritonitis represents a frequent and severe complication in cirrhotic patients with ascites. In daily practice, the diagnosis of spontaneous bacterial peritonitis might be challenging in the absence of the typical signs and symptoms of infection such as fever or leukocytosis. : Aim of this review is to revise the current state of the art on primary and secondary spontaneous bacterial peritonitis.

Risk factors for relapse and long-term outcome of idiopathic retroperitoneal fibrosis.

Background: Retroperitoneal fibrosis (RF) is a rare disease of unclear etiology characterized by the presence of fibroinflammatory tissue in the retroperitoneal space, which can entrap and obstruct retroperitoneal structures, notably the ureters. The disease responds well to steroid therapy, but tends to recur even after years. The aim of our study was to evaluate the long-term renal outcome of patients affected by idiopathic retroperitoneal fibrosis looking for predictive risk factors for recurrence of the disease and progression to end-stage renal disease.

Clinical differences among the elderly admitted to the emergency department for accidental or unexplained falls and syncope.

It is difficult to distinguish unexplained falls (UFs) from accidental falls (AFs) or syncope in older people. This study was designed to compare patients referred to the emergency department (ED) for AFs, UFs or syncope. Data from a longitudinal study on adverse drug events diagnosed at the ED (ANCESTRAL-ED) in older people were analyzed in order to select cases of AF, syncope, or UF.

Sonographic visibility of the sinus tarsi with a 12 MHz transducer.

Objectives: To assess the value of ultrasonography in studies of the ligaments within the sinus tarsi (ST) in healthy subjects.

Materials And Methods: We examined 20 healthy volunteers using a 12-MHz transducer with THI and compound imaging. With the foot in inversion, the following structures were examined with coronal and transverse scans: (1) the root of the inferior extensor retinaculum (RIER); (2) the interosseous talocalcaneal ligament (ITCL); (3) the cervical ligament (CL); (4) the bifurcate ligament (BL); (5) the synovial recesses, which were examined for possible distention (distended synovial recesses, DSR).

Renal colic in Pisa emergency department: epidemiology, diagnostics and treatment patterns.

The present investigation aimed to point out some epidemiological and clinical features of renal colic in our region. All emergency department (ED) visits performed from 1 January to 31 December 2005 were reviewed to select those with diagnosis of renal colic or kidney stones. There were 70,621 visits to the University of Pisa ED.

The role of the radiologist in the management of politrauma patients.

The management of trauma patients has become a very relevant issue and one of the major challenges in the western countries. In the assessment of politrauma patients, since the last 2 decades, radiological imaging methods have been increasingly used in order to provide a quick and thorough survey of craniocerebral, cervical, abdominal, pelvic and limb traumatic injuries. Among imaging methods, conventional radiographs (CR) have precise but limited indications.

Blunt submandibular gland trauma: acute CT findings.

We describe an early CT study of a rare case of blunt traumatic injury to the right submandibular salivary gland, without mandibular bone fractures, in a 30-year-old man after a car accident.

Cervical and mediastinal hematoma: presentation of an asymptomatic cervical parathyroid adenoma: case report and literature review.

The spontaneous rupture with extracapsular hemorrhage of a cervical parathyroid adenoma is a rare cause of cervical and mediastinal hematoma. We describe this case to emphasize that a failure to consider this diagnosis may result in delayed operative intervention with potentially fatal complications.