Prostatic Artery Embolization as an Alternative to Indwelling Bladder Catheterization to Manage Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia in Poor Surgical Candidates.

Purpose: To prospectively assess discontinuation of indwelling bladder catheterization (IBC) and relief of lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS) due to benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) following prostate artery embolization (PAE) in poor surgical candidates.

Methods: Patients ineligible for surgical intervention were offered PAE after at least 1 month of IBC for management of urinary retention secondary to BPH; exclusion criteria for PAE included eligibility for surgery, active bladder cancer or known prostate cancer. Embolization technical and clinical success were defined as bilateral prostate embolization and removal of IBC, respectively.

Inflammatory cytokines imbalance in the very early phase of acute coronary syndrome: correlations with angiographic findings and in-hospital events.

The aim of this study is to investigate the release of some inflammatory cytokines (Cks) during the very early phase (first 24 h) of acute coronary syndrome (ACS). Twenty-six consecutive subjects admitted to coronary care unit with ACS underwent serial blood sampling in order to evaluate concentrations of interleukin (IL)-2, IL-10, IL-18, tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α, and interferon (IFN)-γ. Blood samples were taken within 6 h after onset of chest pain (T₀), at 12 h (T₁), and at 24 h (T₂).

The high frequency of manic symptoms in fibromyalgia does influence the choice of treatment?

Background: Mood disorders were found associated with fibromyalgia (FM) and clinical studies have revealed the efficacy of antidepressant drugs in the treatment of FM. However no specific instruments to identify manic symptoms were used.

Objectives: To assess the frequency of anxiety and mood disorders (particularly bipolar disorders and manic symptoms) in a consecutive sample of women affected by FM using standardized diagnostic tools and to compare the prevalence of these disorders with that observed in a sample of healthy controls from the general population.