Headache Worsening after COVID-19 Vaccination: An Online Questionnaire-Based Study on 841 Patients with Migraine.

Vaccines have represented the breakthrough in the fight against COVID-19. Based on reported headache attacks after vaccination in randomized controlled trials, we focused on the effects of COVID-19 vaccine administration on the migraine population, using an online questionnaire published on Italian Facebook groups oriented to headache patients. We collected data about the demographics and clinical parameters of migraine severity, COVID-19 infection, vaccination, and characteristics of headaches following vaccination.

Microperimetric biofeedback training: fundamentals, strategies and perspectives.

Microperimetric biofeedback training (MBFT) is a visual rehabilitative strategy based on fixation stability improvement reinforcing or creating a new preferential fixation locus. The rationale consists in reeducating visual system to a new visual condition, promoting retina-brain transmission, and thus cortical plasticity. The use of MBFT found is major application in visual diseases involving central vision, but later it revealed promising functional outcomes even in myopia, inherited retinal degenerations and nystagmus.

Low levels of 17-β-oestradiol, oestrone and testosterone correlate with severe evaporative dysfunctional tear syndrome in postmenopausal women: a case-control study.

Aims: To evaluate the role of 17-β-oestradiol, oestrone and total testosterone (TT) deficiency in the pathogenesis of severe evaporative dry eye syndrome (DES), investigating the relationship between tear osmolarity, tear film break-up time (TF-BUT), Schirmer test and serum sex hormones in postmenopausal women.

Methods: 44 postmenopausal women were recruited for a case-control study: 22 women with severe evaporative DES (Group A) and 22 without DES (Group B). The tests performed included laboratory blood analysis: fasting plasma profile (17-β-oestradiol, oestrone and TT), glucose level and lipid profile.

Imaging features of constrictive pericarditis: beyond pericardial thickening.

Constrictive pericarditis is caused by adhesions between the visceral and parietal layers of the pericardium and progressive pericardial fibrosis that restricts diastolic filling of the heart. Later on, the thickened pericardium may calcify. Despite a better understanding of the pathophysiologic basis of the imaging findings in constrictive pericarditis and the recent advent of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) technology, which has dramatically improved the visualization of the pericardium, the diagnosis of constrictive pericarditis remains a challenge in many cases.

[Retroperitoneal abscess by suppurative psoas. Case report].

A 51 years old male was admitted to our Emergency Department because a severe pain in the right lumbar area irradiating to homolateral thigh, with fever. Abdomen and pelvis TC scan revealed a big retroperitoneal abscess. An urgent laparotomy was performed.

[Small bowel intussusception caused by metastasis from anaplastic thyroid carcinoma: case report and literature review].

Symptomatic involvement of the small bowel by metastasis from an extra-abdominal primary malignancy is rare, most commonly resulting from malignant melanoma and lung cancer; very rarely is small bowel involvement as first metastatic site. The Authors report a case of anaplastic thyroid carcinoma with lung metastasis, brain metastasis and an isolated metastasis to the small bowel leading intestinal obstruction due to small bowel intussusception. The Authors review the international literature about frequency, etiopathogenesis, clinical and diagnostic features and therapy of small bowel metastasis by extra-abdominal malignancies, especially by primary anaplastic thyroid carcinoma.

Effects of extracellular triphosphate nucleotides and nucleosides on airway smooth muscle cell proliferation.

Extracellular ATP and uridine triphosphate (UTP) have a range of effects on a wide variety of cells through the activation of P(2) receptors. The aim of this work was to establish if stimulation with ATP and UTP enhances airway smooth muscle (ASM) cell proliferation and to determine the type of receptor mediating this effect. Proliferation of rat ASM cells was assessed through bromodeoxyuridine (BrdU) uptake and by cell counting.