The treatment of inguinal hernia in the elderly: open technique or laparoscopic approach?

Well defined and shared quality standards characterize the ideal treatment of inguinal hernia: it should be the least traumatic as regards both the requested type of anaesthesia and the operative technique and the least expensive; it should have the least per-and post-operative morbidity. The chosen technique should be also the easiest to learn and to perform; and his positive results should be the most reproducible. While there are a lot of studies about the comparison between open and laparoscopic surgery, the number of the studies about the specific evaluation of the problem in the aged is very limited.

[Colonic diverticulosis complicated with perforation. Analysis of several prognosis variables and criteria for emergency surgery].

The aim of this study was to analyse the clinical course, surgical strategy and results in patients with perforated large bowel diverticulitis. Over a 15-year period ending in January 1997, 25 patients (13 males and 12 females; mean age 64.1 years) underwent operation for perforation of acute diverticulitis.

[An occult pancreatic insulinoma: radio-guided surgery with 111-In-octreotide. A case report and review of the literature on pre- and intraoperative diagnosis].

Introduction: Pancreatic insulinoma is a small, rare neoplasm; its radical therapy is surgical enucleation or resection. Although clinical diagnosis is simple, instrumental and radiological localization is still difficult (occult insulinoma: 10-20%).

Material And Methods: The authors present the case of a 71-year-old patient suffering from relapsing vertigo syndrome, derangement and transient lypothymia after strong physical activity.

[Endoscopic & histopathologic features of esophageal ulcers. Considerations in 13 cases].

Chronic, severe reflux esophagitis can be complicated with an esophageal ulcer (EU), whose histomorphological characteristics change sensibly. Between 1983 and 1989, 18 EU were endoscopically identified in 13 (6%) out of 217 patients with chronic gastroesophageal reflux (GER). 2 groups were defined: EU and esophagitis, without columnar-lined esophagus and EU with localized columnar metaplasia or Barrett's esophagus.