[A case of watermelon stomach].

The authors describe a case of antral Watermelon Stomach (WS) in a seventy-eight year old woman with severe iron-deficient chronic anemia, liver cirrhosis and diabetes mellitus. Endoscopy was diagnostic on the 3rd-4th examination because of the disease's rarity and the concomitance of systemic pathologies, such as portal hypertension, in which often a congestive gastropathy with similar aspects is associated. Whether out of clinical evolution, or capillary thrombosis, or vertical fibromuscular hyperplasia of the lamina propria were considered distinctive elements.

[The treatment of recurrences in the surgery of reflux diseases].

The authors, basing on their own experience and after a wide review of the literature, analyse the incidence and the etiopathogenesis of the relapses after surgical operations for gastro-esophageal reflux. Furthermore they point out the actual trends in diagnosis and medical therapy and the indications for surgical therapy.

[Use of anal dilators in the conservative therapy of anal rhagades].

The AA. refer their results in the treatment of anal fissure, using surgical and conservative methods. In their experience, internal lateral sphincterotomy, according to the literature, is the best treatment.

[Rubber-band ligation of hemorrhoids].

In the last few years there has been a considerable reduction in surgical treatment of piles; on the other hand a series of therapeutic outpatient treatments has developed aiming at a conservative management of piles. This new approach is mainly due to high costs in surgical treatment. In accordance also with the experience of the most important proctologic centres, nowadays only 26% of our patients suffering from piles undergo operation, since we regard rubber band ligation as a more rational and economical method for the treatment of hemorrhoids.