Fraser syndrome in a 96-year-old female.

Fraser syndrome is an autosomal recessive disorder in which the life expectancy is <1 year. The main features are cryptophthalmos, ear, nose and skeletal malformations, syndactyly, laryngeal stenosis and malformation of the uro-genital system, lungs, liver and central nervous system (CNS). We report the clinical, laboratory and post-mortem findings of this condition in an elderly woman aged 96 years.

[Air pollution and mortality and hospital admission for respiratory disease in Parma on 1992-2001 period].

A study into the effects of atmospheric pollution on the health of people living in the city of Parma (population 170,000) shows motor vehicle traffic of average density and light industrial activities that have little impact on air pollution. General mortality and hospitalisation for all causes and for DRG specific were considered as sanitary events. The day values of the total PT, PM10, SO2 and NO2, CO and benzene were analysed.

Warfarin-associated thoracic aortic dissection in an elderly woman.

Background: The risk/benefit ratio of warfarin therapy changes in the over 75s, when haemorrhagic side-effects become more common. These may not always be reported in the literature.

Case Report: A woman of 80 years, on long-term warfarin therapy presented with an acute dissecting thoracic aortic aneurysm; on investigation the only precipitating factor found was an international normalised ratio of 4.

Reliability of an Italian standardized and expanded Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale (BPRS 4.0) in raters with high vs. low clinical experience.

Objective: The aims of this study were (i) to assess the inter-rater reliability of the latest Italian expanded 24-item version of the Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale, BPRS version 4.0 and (ii) to assess the feasibility of obtaining reliable BPRS 4.0 ratings by reliability training of clinically less experienced trainees (medical and rehabilitation students).