[Pulmonary hamartoma: a case report].

The authors describe a case of lung hamartoma recently observed. Diagnosis occurred by chance through routine chest X-rays. A stationary radiological aspect of the hamartoma, regularly followed up, suggested to defer surgery up to the moment of a visible radiologic enlargement of the lesion.

Epilepsy in an Italian community as assessed by a survey for prescriptions of antiepileptic drugs: epidemiology and patterns of care.

The prescriptions of antiepileptic drugs in the years 1985 and 1986 were used to identify all possible cases of epilepsy in a population of about 50,000 people. The general practitioners of the study area filled out a questionnaire for each user of antiepileptic drugs registered as a patient of theirs. This information was integrated using data obtained by local specialist services or directly collected by visits and/or phone interviews.

[The use of propofol in short-term orthopedic surgery].

The use of propofol for induction and maintenance of anaesthesia was investigated in 77 patients undergoing orthopedic surgery scheduled to last no longer than 1 h. General anaesthesia is induced with 2 mg X kg-1 propofol, and maintained with repeated bolus of half induction dose of propofol (given when anaesthesia is judged too light). Anaesthesia was successfully induced with the single dose of propofol 2 mg X kg-1 in 93% patients, the others needed additional bolus dose of 1 to 2 mg X kg-1.