[Educational activities for the prevention of diabetic foot: foot complications at the Center for Diabetes of Rovigo].

Diabetic patients with neuropathic or vascular foot ulcers are described and stratified according to their background risk profiles, as these relate to socioeconomic, behavioural and clinical variables. Of the 464 patients admitted to the foot clinic between January 2000 and December 2001 only 39% had been involved in educational activities for diabetic foot prevention. Seventy-five percent of the patients experienced neurologic problems; 76% socioeconomic risk factors, also related to the economical situation (unsuitable shoes, no sessions with the pedicure).

[Administrative data as source for epidemiological research: clinical pathways of diabetic patients].

Unlabelled: Objectives 1. To assess if record linkage of two different databases could improve the quality and understand the epidemiology of diabetes and its complications. 2.

[An area-wide survey of problems of domiciliary care of diabetic patients].

Diabetes is a chronic and invalidating illness, therefore diabetic patients are eligible for home care. In one of the districts of the Veneto region the main data on diabetic patients cared at home were collected, in order to know their main characteristics and problems, and the problems nurses encounter in their daily care. Three meetings were planned with home care nurses, to update their knowledge and render more effective and appropriate their care plans, The main problems are related to a.

Hashimoto's thyroiditis and Graves' disease associated with retroperitoneal fibrosis.

Retroperitoneal fibrosis is a rare disease of uncertain pathogenesis. However, its possible association with several immunopathologic conditions, the possibility of systemic involvement by the fibrous process, the presence of various autoantibodies, and the frequent response to immunosuppressive treatment all support an autoimmune pathogenesis. Riedel's thyroiditis is a rare disease the pathogenesis of which is also thought to be immune-mediated based on its optimal response to steroids; Riedel's thyroiditis is also frequently reported in association with retroperitoneal fibrosis.