Geo-helminthiasis among migrants in Sicily: a possible focus for re-emerging neurocysticercosis in Europe.

A dramatic increasing immigration flow was recorded in Europe during the last years. Only in Sicily 120,239 people arrived in 2014. Immigrants may carry neglected tropical diseases endemic in their origin countries.

Misleading reporting and interpretation of results in major infertility journals.

Objective: To evaluate the proportion of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) published in top infertility journals indexed on PubMed that reported their results with proper effect estimates and their precision estimation, while correctly interpreting both measures.

Design: Cross-sectional study evaluating all the RCTs published in top infertility journals during 2014.

Setting: Not applicable.

Induction of chirality in porphyrin-(bis)calixarene assemblies: a mixed covalent-non-covalent vs a fully non-covalent approach.

CD and UV-vis measurements were carried out to demonstrate chirality induction-promoted by chiral covalently linked groups and non-covalently bound Δ- and Λ-[Ru(phen)(3)](2+) enantiomers-in metallo-porphyrin-calixarene and metallo-porphyrin-bis-calixarene non-covalent assemblies, respectively.

Circulating fibrocytes as a marker of liver fibrosis in chronic hepatitis C.

Surrogate markers of liver fibrosis are needed as an alternative to liver biopsy, which is invasive and life-threatening. Peripheral blood fibrocytes (PBF) are considered to be involved in systemic fibrogenic processes. We measured the level of PBF in patients with chronic hepatitis C by enrolling 70 patients affected with chronic hepatitis C, 20 patients with HCV-positive decompensated cirrhosis and 30 healthy volunteers.

[Repair of large defects of the abdominal wall with lyophilized dura mater. Experimental research (author's transl)].

In order to evaluate whether and how far lyophilised human dura mater deserves to be preferred in repair surgery of large defects of the abdominal wall, the Authors present and discuss the results they obtained during the course of experimental research. In the light of personal histological documents, they stress the absence of reject phenomena and the peculiar capacity of the prosthesis for substitution by cicatricial tissue, properties which, together with the complete re-epithelialisation of the peritoneal mesothelium and the resistance to mechanical stresses, evidence that lyophilised dura mater must rightly be given preference in plastic reconstruction of large defects of the abdominal wall.

[A-mode echography in surgery. Study of nodular lesions of the breast].

In the context of researches for studying the possibilities of ultrasonic A-mode research for a diagnosis of thyroid, mamma and abdominal organs affections, in this first part the authors make known the results obtained studying nodulary lesions. After a short notice about ultra-sounds, echoscopic apparati and methods for echoscopic research, they outline the semeiologic characters for echoscopic A-mode diagnostic and they stop on echoscopic obtained pictures: liquid crops, nodulary images with homogeneus echostructure scarcely ecogena and nodulary images with not homogeneus echostructure highly ecogena. Then they ended with some considerations about the principles and the indications of this method, in the light of personal experience.

[A-mode echography in surgery: a study of solitary thyroid nodules (author's transl)].

As part of their exploration of the possibilities afforded by A-mode ultrasonic investigation in several disorders of surgical interest, the authors report the results obtained in the study of solitary thyroid nodules. More precisely, after a brief explanation of ultrasonics, current apparatus for echography, and methods for echographic examination, they describe the semiological features exploited in A-mode echography: namely nodules with liquid content, mixed content, solid homogeneous content, and solid heterogeneous content. They conclude with considerations on the principles and indications of this diagnostic procedure in the light of their personal experience.

[Doctrinal and clinical aspects of cancer of the male breast].

On the base of a recent observation of one case of male mamma carcinoma, the authors examine the generalities and the etiopathogenetic factors of this rare tumor, also on the base of the most recent acquisitions on hormonal receptors. Then they stop on the characteristics of clinical picture, and outline the high frequency of unfavourable events, at the first medical examination already. In the end they outline the elective treatment and the therapy for the recovery of the cases with metastasis and they present the results of the most qualified mondial casuistry.

[A case of giant fibroadenoma of the breast in adolescence].

Starting from a personal observation of a giant fibroadenoma of the breast in a girl aged 13, the authors review the possible causes of massive swelling of the breast in adolescence. Next, they analyze the salient anatomoclinical aspects of giant fibroadenoma, benign phylloid cystosarcoma, and virginal mammary hypertrophy. The conclude that the surgeon should do everything possible to arrive at the histological diagnosis of fibroadenoma intraoperative--that is, extemporaneously--in order to avoid treating as a malignancy a possible benign phylloid cystosarcoma.

[Echinococcic cyst of the thyroid].

The Authors, starting from observation of a hydatid cyst of the thyroid, make an examination of this very rare pathological occurrence. They then put forward and evaluate the fundamental problem linked to this localisation of hydatidosis, a problem which can be summed up as the lack of pathological identification of the clinical pattern and the consequent ease of making a diagnostic error. They conclude by stating that the sole differential diagnostic criterion in relation to other diseases that may be considered (cystic uninodular goitre, adenoma, epithelial cyst, haematic pseudocyst) consists in the simple recollection of the possible existence of this very rare localisation of the echinococcus.

[Extramucosal single-layer suture with multifilament stainless steel wires in surgery of the colon. Experimental research].

With a view to evaluating whether and how far a fuller case documentation may contribute to a better knowledge of the real possibilities of multifilament stainless steel wires in surgery of the colon, the Authors present and discuss the results they obtained during the course of experimental research on extramucosa single-layer sutures. In the light of their personal histological documents, they emphasize the absolute biological inertia of this suture material, a property which, together with the capacity of not suffering the colliquative action of germs, means that multifilament stainless steel wires can be given full rights of domicile in colon surgery.