Takotsubo Syndrome during COVID-19 Pandemic in the Veneto Region, Italy.

Background: During the COVID-19 pandemic, the risk of SARS-CoV-2 infection, the public health measures of social distancing, the freedom limitations, quarantine, and the enforced homeworking under the lockdown period, as well as medical causes including COVID-19 infection per se, may have caused major emotional distress, especially in the most vulnerable patients. We aimed to evaluate the variations in the number of admissions due to Takotsubo syndrome (TTS) during the COVID-19 pandemic in the Veneto region. Methods: We retrospectively reviewed and analyzed the number of admissions because of TTS in 13 Divisions of Cardiology located in the Veneto region, the northeastern area of Italy, covering a population of more than 2.

Clinical experience with eperisone in the treatment of acute low back pain.

Aim: A muscle contracture is the main responsible for low back pain and it consists of a persistent and involuntary muscle shortening, but it may be also the consequence of back pain thus fostering the painful condition. The goals of a pharmacological treatment for acute low back are, therefore, not only the relief of pain, but also the reduction of muscle spasm and inflammation, since nociception often results from local secondary inflammation and muscle spasm. Although systematic reviews have shown that muscle relaxants are effective in the management of non-specific low back pain, the use of these compounds is often limited by adverse effects on central nervous systems (CNS), such as drowsiness.

Congenital coronary artery anomalies in the adult: a new practical viewpoint.

There is a certain confusion as to the universal classification of coronary artery anomalies (CAAs), since the existing classifications are often fragmented and difficult to apply as they combine many anatomical, angiographic, and clinical elements. A practical global classification of CAAs for diagnostic and clinical purposes has not been proposed previously. The authors propose to describe CAAs on the basis of seven angiographic patterns (1: hypoplasia/atresia, 2: hyperdominance, 3: fistula, 4: originating from other arteries, 5: originating from the wrong sinus, 6: splitting, and 7: tunneling) and four clinical significance classes (benign--class A, relevant--class B, severe--class C, and critical--class D).

Coronary artery anomalies: what we know and what we have to learn. A proposal for a new clinical classification.

The anatomic details and pathophysiological patterns of most coronary artery anomalies (CAAs) are presently well known. On the contrary, few data exist on the clinical relevance of different CAAs which necessitate a proper management and follow-up protocol. Clinical, invasive and interventional cardiologists often continue to encounter CAAs as incidental findings during routine diagnostic work up for other cardiac diseases and are sometimes unable to fit them into a specific pathophysiological context and a corresponding management protocol.

A review of the concept of circulatory bioassist focused on the "new" demand dynamic cardiomyoplasty: the renewal of dynamic cardiomyoplasty?

After the initial enthusiasm, the dynamic cardiomyoplasty lost its reputation owing to the poor long-term results, caused by the muscular degeneration subsequent to chronic continuous electrical stimulation of the latissimus dorsi. An activity-rest stimulation protocol that avoids full transformation of the skeletal muscle, maintaining muscular properties over time, has been successfully tried. This "demand" stimulation protocol showed in humans good results improving NYHA class, ejection fraction value, and survival.

Cardiocirculatory bio-assist: is it time to reconsider demand dynamic cardiomyoplasty? Review and future perspectives.

In the last 15 years, dynamic cardiomyoplasty has remained an experimental procedure even after the enthusiastic short- and mid-term results, mainly because of the disappointing long-term outcome caused by muscular degeneration secondary to chronic continuous electrical stimulation of the latissimus dorsi. In Italy, a group of muscular pathologists, cardiologists, and cardiac surgeons conducted an experiment of an activity-rest stimulation protocol in humans that should avoid complete transformation of the skeletal muscle, maintaining its properties overtime. This "demand" stimulation protocol gave good results, improving New York Heart Association class, ejection fraction value, and survival.

Maintained benefits and improved survival of dynamic cardiomyoplasty by activity-rest stimulation: 5-year results of the Italian trial on "demand" dynamic cardiomyoplasty.

Objective: Latissimus dorsi (LD) muscular degeneration caused by continuous electrical stimulation has been the main cause of the poor results of dynamic cardiomyoplasty (DCMP) and its exclusion from the recent international guidelines on heart failure. To avoid full transformation of the LD and to improve results, a new stimulation protocol was developed; fewer impulses per day are delivered, providing the LD wrap with daily periods of rest ("demand" stimulation), based on a heart rate cut-off. The aim of this work is to report the results at 5 years of follow-up of the Italian Trial of Demand Dynamic Cardiomyoplasty and to discuss their impact on the destiny of this type of cardiac assistance.

How iliopelvic lymphoscintigraphy can affect the definition of planning target volume in radiation therapy of pelvic and testicular tumors.

Purpose: External beam radiation therapy (EBRT) of most intrapelvic and testicular tumors has been generally performed with large fields encompassing both the primary disease and lymphatic drainage. This study was carried out to map the pelvic and periaortic lymphatics by means of iliopelvic lymphoscintigraphy (IPL) in preparation for radiotherapy planning.

Methods And Materials: Between January 2000 and October 2001, 70 patients scheduled for EBRT (61 operated on, 52 females, 18 males, mean age 61, range, 24-80), affected with uterine (43), rectal (11), testicular (8), anal (4), penile (2), and vulvar (2) cancers were enrolled in the study.

Rarities in the catheterization Lab. A strange type of single coronary artery.

The single coronary artery, a rare but well described coronary artery anomaly, is considered potentially dangerous. A case of a 71-year old woman, suffering from a moderate arterial hypertension and frequent episodes of atypical chest pain is described. The woman was found to have a strange type of single coronary with hypoplastic circumflex coronary artery, difficulty classifiable as a Lipton R-II A single coronary artery.

Activity-rest stimulation protocol improves cardiac assistance in dynamic cardiomyoplasty.

Objective: No data have ever been published regarding cardiac assistance in demand dynamic cardiomyoplasty (DDCMP). We tested the efficacy of the Doppler flow wire in measuring beat-to-beat aortic flow velocity and evaluating cardiac assistance in demand cardiomyoplasty patients.

Methods: The technique was tested in seven patients (M/F=6/1; age=57.

New advances in dynamic cardiomyoplasty: Doppler flow wire shows improved cardiac assistance in demand protocol.

No data have been published on real cardiac assistance with demand dynamic cardiomyoplasty. We tested the utility of a Doppler flow wire in measuring beat by beat aortic flow velocity and evaluating cardiac assistance in demand cardiomyoplasty patients. The technique was tested in seven patients (M/W = 6/1; age, 57.

New hopes for dynamic cardiomyoplasty from use of Doppler flow wire in evaluation of demand stimulation.

Background: There are no data regarding real cardiac assistance in demand dynamic cardiomyoplasty (DDCMP). A test of the use of Doppler flow wire is presented to demonstrate cardiac assistance in DDCMP.

Methods: Comparative study in hospitalized care.

Metabolic complications of the urinary intestinal diversion: ileo-caecal bladder compared with ileal conduit.

Five patients with an ileal conduit and 5 with an ileo-caecal bladder substitute have been studied metabolically. All had undergone cystectomy for infiltrating carcinoma and they formed 2 homogeneous groups in terms of age and follow-up. Function in both groups was within normal limits but closer examination of patients with an ileo-caecal bladder revealed mild functional damage as shown by reduced creatinine secretion, a lower level of bicarbonate and lower urinary acid valency secretion.

Case report of a Burkitt-like lymphoma in a bisexual HIV-positive man.

The clinical and pathologic features of a Burkitt-like lymphoma in a bisexual HIV-sero-positive man are reported. Emphasis is placed on some histologic characteristics present in a hyperplastic lymph node removed 2 years before the development of the B-cell lymphoma.