[Right abdominal colonic masses. Recent diagnostic and therapeutic advances: personal experience].

The authors, referring to their experience, make a review of colic pathological features presenting as right abdominal mass. Despite of modern diagnostic means--specially radiological investigations: ultrasonographic and CT scanning--accurate clinical examination still plays a role in the initial assessment and to address diagnostic procedures. Diagnosis may be difficult as the right colon is hardly accessible even to present investigative means.

Surgery of abdominal aorta in octogenarians. Can indications be extended?

Background: This paper describes the authors' experience with the management of the abdominal aorta in patients aged over 80 years.

Methods: Ten urgent procedures were performed on patients older than 80 years during a 2 year period. In 4 cases surgery was performed because of a ruptured aneurysm of the subrenal abdominal aorta, in 2 cases for active symptomatic aneurysms, in 3 cases for severe lower limb ischemia (occlusion of the iliac and femoral arteries) and in 1 case for a secondary aortoenteric fistula.

[Traumatic retroperitoneal lesions].

The presence of lesions on the retroperitoneum generally worsens the prognosis in traumatic pathology; it implies more attention and skills from both the medical and surgical aspect. All type of trauma, blunt or open, may involve retroperitoneal structures and organs; specifically there may be lesions on the great vessels, pancreas, duodenum, oesophagus and genitourinary apparatus. Mortality is high, compared to abdominal traumatic lesions confined within the peritoneal sac.

[Splenic trauma: splenectomy in every case?].

The authors report their experience in the conservative treatment of splenic traumas observed in the period 1987-1997. They point out the difference in the incidence of splenectomy in comparison with conservative treatment (p < 0.001) and nonoperative management (p < 0.