[20 years of biological monitoring (1976-1995) of occupational lead exposure in various Tuscan provinces].

We report the results of 24,475 blood lead determinations (PbB) performed by the Occupational Toxicology Laboratory of Florence between 1976 and 1995. Biological monitoring was carried out in 383 factories localized in the districts of Florence, Prato, Pistoia, Lucca and Pisa. The most represented production fields were colouring ceramic factories, artistic ceramics, transfer-pictures for ceramics, glass factories, typographies, glass decoration factories, chemical factories.

[Blood lead levels in a non-professionally-exposed population from six Tuscan provinces].

We report the results obtained in 1992 concerning the determination of blood lead levels (PbB) in 1321 subjects of the general population living in ten villages/towns of the Florence district characterised by the presence of artistic ceramic factories. We reported also the PbB values found in 2330 adults, 280 children, 39 pregnant women and their correspondent umbilical cords, who were examined during the second biological monitoring campaign against the risk of lead intoxication according to the DPR 496/82. Median PbB values were 92.

[Assessment of lead blood levels in children living in Lucca (Italy) in 1993. The study was conducted as part of the project METOS, in accordance with the decree 496 of June 1982 which adopted the directive CEE No.77/312].

Objective: Lead poisoning is a major cause of environmental concern in all countries worldwide. Saturnism in children, especially if young and neglected, represents a peculiar phenomenon both in terms of the biology of growing subjects and the epidemiological nature of poisoning. In under five-year-olds, in addition to lead levels in the atmosphere, it is equally important to evaluate the presence of contaminated dust in the house, hand-to-mouth activities and the level of care provided by parents.

[Study of the cervical portion of the facial vein of fetuses, newborns and children].

In the study of cervical posterior of the facial vein of the foetus, newborns and children we injected in the veins of the head and neck of 15 corpses, rubber material (Xantopren and or Neoprene Latex). The results showed than the retromandibular and or the facial vein form a venous trunk in 83.3%, what finish always in the intern jugular vein or join the retromandibular vein and casually also with a posterior auricular vein originating the extern jugular vein (16.

Anterior interosseous nerve syndrome.

Weakness of the flexor pollicis longus, flexor digitorum profundus and pronator quadratus is usually related to an isolated paralysis of the anterior interosseous nerve in the volar aspect of the forearm. The same syndrome may be caused by lesions of the median nerve in the supracondylar region and by involvement of the fibers assigned to the abovementioned nerve in the medial and lateral cords of the brachial plexus. We report 4 cases of the anterior interosseous nerve syndrome (3 spontaneous and one traumatic), review and discuss etiological factors, clinical features and electromyographic findings in the syndrome.

Early somatosensory evoked potentials in supratentorial brain tumors.

Early somatosensory evoked potentials were recorded in 33 patients with supratentorial brain tumors (9 benign tumors, 17 glioblastomas and 7 metastases). All the cases were studied with CT scan and all but 2 were surgically explored and histologically classified. Evoked potentials were statistically analyzed regarding the nature and site of the tumors.

[Anterior interosseus nerve syndrome (Kiloh-Nevin) (author's transl)].

The Authors describe two cases of "Anterior interosseus nerve syndrome" with spontaneous recovery. The etiopathogenesis of the syndrome is discussed after reviewing the anatomy of the nerve and muscles, as well as diagnostic procedures. The main clinical features are: 1) no sensory troubles, 2) impairment of muscles innervated by interosseus nerve (flexor pollicis longus, external portion of flexor digitorum profundus, pronator quadratus).