[Pollutants from a plant which burns toxic waste in the Province of Arezzo (Tuscany Region, Central Italy): human biomonitoring pilot study to evaluate the possible type of environmental exposure].

Objectives: to identify the biomarkers to use in order to evaluate the level and trend of exposure to environmental pollutants from a plant which retrieves and refines precious metals and burns toxic waste.

Design: human biomonitoring cross sectional study on a small sample of population resident in the study area.

Setting And Participants: blood and urinary samples, and questionnaires from volunteers resident at least for 10 years in Civitella in Val di Chiana area (Arezzo Province, Tuscany Region, Central Italy), where the plant is located, and in a control area; they had to be 5-year non-smokers or ex-smokers, in good health status and non occupationally exposed to heavy metals and/or combustion products.

Benzene exposure in a sample of population residing in a district of Florence, Italy.

Objective: Personal exposure to airborne benzene is influenced by various outdoor and indoor sources. The first aim of this study was to assess the benzene exposure of a sample of urban inhabitants living in an inner-city neighborhood of Florence, Italy, excluding exposure from active smoking. The secondary objective was to differentiate the personal exposures according to personal usage patterns of the vehicles.

Exposure to carcinogens and mortality in a cohort of restoration workers of water-damaged library materials following the River Arno flooding in Florence, 4 November 1966.

Background: In Florence, Italy, the Arno River overflowed on 4 November 1966 and the rare library collections of the National Central Library in Florence (FNCL) were flooded. A Restoration Centre was immediately set up. For book restoration many toxic chemicals were used, such as chlorinated solvents, ethylene oxide (EtO), formaldehyde, petroleum distillates, and pesticides.

[Second-hand smoke exposure in Florence and Belluno before and after the Italian smoke-free legislation].

Introduction: a law banning smoking in enclosed public places entered into force in Italy on January 10th 2005.

Objective: to compare the SHS exposure before and after the coming into force of the new anti-smoking law, with direct measurements in public venues and workplaces.

Methods: vapour-phase nicotine was measured using passive samplers, with personal and environmental sampling.

Environmental tobacco smoke exposure in public places of European cities.

Background: Exposure to environmental tobacco smoke (ETS) has important public health implications. The results of the first European multi-centre study that measured ETS exposure in a range of public places (transport, educational settings, and leisure facilities such as bars and restaurants) are presented.

Method: Nicotine vapour phase was measured using ETS passive samplers containing a filter treated with sodium bisulfate.

[Environmental tobacco smoke exposure in public places in Florence, Italy].

Objectives: Measurements of the environmental tobacco smoke (ETS) exposure in public places in Florence. This study was part of the first European multicenter project, intended to measure ETS exposure in public places in a number of European Cities (Florence, Barcelona, Paris, Oporto, Athens, Wien and Orebro).

Design: Nicotine vapour phase was measured using passive samplers, composed of a sodium bisulphate treated filter held in a plastic cassette with a windscreen on one side.

[Passive smoking in bars, restaurants, and discotheques in Florence, Italy].

Background: "Environmental Tobacco Smoke (ETS) exposure in a sample of European cities" is the first European multicentre project intended to measure ETS exposure in public places in a number of European cities.

Objectives: To present results of measurements of nicotine concentration in a number of bars, restaurants and discotheques in Florence, Italy.

Methods: The ETS marker was vapour-phase nicotine sampled by passive monitors.

Mesial temporal sclerosis--a late complication in four allogeneic pediatric recipients with persistent seizures after an acute episode of cyclosporine-A neurotoxicity.

Mesial temporal sclerosis (MTS) is a common finding in patients with intractable temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE). In this report, we retrospectively reviewed the neuroimaging results of four children who underwent allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (allo-HSCT), and who developed recurrent, partial, intractable seizures following a first event caused by cyclosporine-A (CSA) neurotoxicity. Neuroradiologic findings of MTS were demonstrated in all these patients.

Severe neurologic complications after hematopoietic stem cell transplantation in children.

Objective: To describe and evaluate the incidence and risk factors of severe neurologic events (SNE) in pediatric recipients of allogeneic or autologous hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) for hematologic or nonhematologic diseases.

Methods: Retrospective analysis of 272 consecutive children admitted to the G. Gaslini Children's Research Institute and given HSCT (70 from unrelated donors, 115 from related donors, and 87 autologous) between June 1985 and January 2001.

"Apple-peel" intestinal atresia, ocular anomalies, and microcephaly syndrome: brain magnetic resonance imaging study.

We report on a male child with "apple-peel" atresia associated with microcephaly and ocular anomalies. To date, no magnetic resonance imagings have been published. We report on the fourth reported case with this phenotype, but the first to be studied by brain magnetic resonance imaging.

[Amendments to Directive 90/394/CEE and effects on chapter VII of Law 626/94].

The European Union (EU) has recently twice amended the framework Council Directive 90/394/CEE on the protection of workers from risks related to exposure to carcinogens at work: protective measures were extended to category 1 and 2 mutagens; a new carcinogenic agent was identified in "work involving exposure to hardwood dusts" and three exposure limit values were fixed for carcinogens. The EU Member States are required to incorporate amending Directives into national legislation not later than 29 April 2003. Italy acknowledged these directives by the Decree 66/00 of the 25/2/2000.

Medulloblastoma with extensive nodularity: a variant with favorable prognosis.

Object: Some medulloblastomas (MBs) are characterized by extreme nodularity and intranodular nuclear uniformity in a fine fibrillary background. These lesions have also been designated as "cerebellar neuroblastoma." Although numerous reports have been published in which their morphological features have been investigated, only a few studies have been focused on their neuroradiological appearance, biological behavior, and response to therapy.

Unusually prolonged survival and childhood-onset epilepsy in a case of alobar holoprosencephaly.

Alobar holoprosencephaly is one of the most severe congenital malformations of the central nervous system. Most affected infants are stillborn or have a very short life-span. The survivors can present with neonatal seizures and/or infantile spasms.

Intracranial contrast-enhancing masses in infants with capillary haemangioma of the head and neck: intracranial capillary haemangioma?

Contrast-enhancing intracranial masses are rarely found in infants with extracranial capillary haemangiomas (CH). We aimed to assess their nature and progression in three patients undergoing CT and/or MRI. The changes in size of both extra- and intracranial lesions were recorded.

Extraventricular neurocytoma with ganglionic differentiation associated with complex partial seizures.

We report an unusual case of extraventricular ("cerebral") neurocytoma with ganglion cells located in the right temporal lobe in a 9-year-old girl with complex partial seizures and precocious puberty. CT showed a calcified mass with central cystic zones. MR imaging showed a markedly hyperintense predominately solid tumor on both T1- and T2-weighted images, without appreciable contrast enhancement.

Segmental spinal dysgenesis: neuroradiologic findings with clinical and embryologic correlation.

Background And Purpose: Segmental spinal dysgenesis (SSD) is a rare congenital abnormality in which a segment of the spine and spinal cord fails to develop properly. Our goal was to investigate the neuroradiologic features of this condition in order to correlate our findings with the degree of residual spinal cord function, and to provide insight into the embryologic origin of this disorder. We also aimed to clarify the relationship between SSD and other entities, such as multiple vertebral segmentation defects, congenital vertebral displacement, and caudal regression syndrome (CRS).

[Decree 626/94, section VII "Protection from carcinogenic agents": comparison of agents tested for evidence of carcinogenicity by the EEC and IARC].

This paper reviews the assessments reported by the European Commission and the International Agency for Research on Cancer of evidence of carcinogenicity of agents. The aim was to identify the discrepancies in the classification of substances, jobs and occupational exposure situations considered by these two international bodies. This information can be of use in the risk evaluation of workers exposed to carcinogenic agents, as foreseen by Italian Decree No.

Langerhans cell histiocytosis presenting as a lumbosacral intradural-extramedullary mass.

The subject of this paper is a 2-year-old child with progressive paraparesis. MRI showed a large lumbosacral intradural-extramedullary mass and the histological diagnosis was Langerhans cell histiocytosis. The histopathological and neuroradiological findings are discussed.

Cystic malformations of the posterior cranial fossa originating from a defect of the posterior membranous area. Mega cisterna magna and persisting Blake's pouch: two separate entities.

Cystic malformations of the posterior cranial fossa are all but arachnoid cysts contained within the general context of the Dandy-Walker complex and may be further classified in two groups on the basis of their embryological origin: anomalies of the anterior membranous area (AMA) and anomalies of the posterior membranous area (PMA). Whether the latter group of malformations can be regarded as separate entities is still quite controversial. The present authors give a detailed account of the various embryological stages in the formation of the posterior cranial fossa and its contents and propose the identification of two anomalies derived from a defect of the PMA: the mega cisterna magna (MCM) and the persisting Blake's pouch, a new entity with different MRI features from MCM.

MRI in an unusual case of congenital spinal mesenchymal proliferation.

We report a child aged 2 years presenting with delayed motor development. A thoracolumbar subcutaneous mass was noticed in the first months of life. MRI showed a low conus medullaris, confirmed the presence of the mass and detected a second solid lesion in the intradural space.

Medulloblastoma in children: CT and MRI findings.

Our purpose was to determine whether medulloblastoma (MB) shows specific neuroradiological features which may be employed in differential diagnosis from other common posterior cranial fossa tumours in childhood. Preoperative MRI was performed on 20 children with MB, and preoperative CT in 17 of them. All underwent surgery and histopathological diagnosis.

Intraventricular supratentorial tumors in children.

Overall, intraventricular supratentorial tumors are rare in childhood. Classification can be based on the separation of lesions originating in intraventricular structures, such as choroid plexuses, from glial neoplasms of the ventricular wall which tend to infiltrate the ventricular cavities. Aim of the present study is to review the most common neoplasms of this region in childhood.

Chiari complex in children--neuroradiological diagnosis, neurosurgical treatment and proposal of a new classification (312 cases).

Chiari malformations are a group of anomalies particularly involving the hindbrain and cervical spinal cord. Since these malformations present many common features, we called them "Chiari Complex". After reviewing our 312 patients affected by different types of Chiari malformations we propose the following classification: Chiari I (30 cases): 1) This malformation may be divided in two sub-types: a) classic and b) myelencephalic forms.