[Respiratory insufficiency and cardiac arrhythmia: the rationale of treatment].

It is well known that the incidence of cardiac arrhythmia is particularly high in patients with chronic respiratory insufficiency (CRI). This study examines the prevalence, incidence and prognostic clinical importance of arrhythmia occurring during the course of CRI on the basis of data taken from the literature and the authors' personal experience using dynamic electrocardiographic diagnosis (24-hour Holter monitoring). The majority of arrhythmias observed in these patients appeared to take the form of premature ventricular and/or supraventricular beats and less frequently of atrial fibrillation and/or attacks of supraventricular paroxysmal tachycardia.

Tracheal bronchus associated with bronchiectasis. Case report.

The authors describe a case of ectopic tracheal bronchus (TB) in a 42 years old female. This TB presented bronchiectasis determining various episodes of inflammation in the pulmonary district depending on it. The result of those episodes was atelectasis and fibrotic alterations of the superior right lobe.

[Pulmonary involvement in a case of CREST syndrome].

The paper describes the clinical, X-ray and functional aspects of lung involvement in a case of CREST syndrome, a variant of systemic sclerosis. The characteristic signs of the disease were associated in this patient with lung involvement in the form of widespread interstitial fibrosis complicated by the presence of alveolar cysts in the lower lobes. The state of severe chronic respiratory insufficiency was the most unfavourable factor in the prognosis for this patient, in particular in the light of the disappointing response to corticosteroid therapy.

[Cytological exam of the pleural fluid in the diagnosis of neoplastic pleuritis. Cases contribution].

The relevance of cytologic procedures in the diagnosis of malignant pleural effusions is evaluated. Pleural fluid sample obtained from 48 patients with malignant disease (39 metastatic tumors, 9 mesotheliomas), were studied to search for cancer cells. The results were: 32 (66.

[Evaluation of the bronchial tonus, basal and following bronchodilators, in subjects with allergic rhinitis].

Data emerging from forced, basal and postbronchodilator expirograms in asymptomatic allergic rhinitis patients have been compared with those from a group of normal controls. Basal averages and average percentage variations after the bronchodilator show that MEF 75, FEF 25-75 and, to a lesser extent, FEV1 are able to differentiate atopic rhinitis patients from the normal. Comparison between percentages in patients arbitrarily considered bronchodilator positive in the two groups reveals significant differences in MEF 75 and FEF 25-75 but not in FVC and FEV1.