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This article discusses the laparoscopic resection of a retrorectal cystic tumor, which is a rare condition that primarily affects women between the ages of 40 and 50. The diagnosis of these tumors is often incidental, with many cases being asymptomatic. Surgical treatment is recommended due to the risk of malignant degeneration. The laparoscopic approach is preferred over robotics as it allows for shorter operating times. The article provides a case study of a 50-year-old woman who underwent laparoscopic excision of a retrorectal cyst, with successful results and no evidence of recurrence after 6 months. [Extracted from the article]

Background: To date, standardized methods for assessing the disease progression of linear scleroderma of the face (LSF) are lacking. Objectives: We investigated whether Cone Beam Computed Tomography (CBCT) may represent a reliable tool for assessing linear scleroderma of the face (LSF). Methods: Ten patients with LSF and five age-matched controls underwent CBCT assessment. The transverse sections at three anatomic levels of the maxillofacial bones were analyzed. Measurements of soft tissue and total thickness of both affected and unaffected side of the face were made by a standardized methodology. Six raters evaluated CBCTs twice and blindly one from the other. The intra and inter-rater reliability was assessed by the Intraclass Correlation Coefficient (ICC). Results: CBCT was fast and well tolerated by the patients. The inter-rater concordance for the total thickness was excellent, mean ICC 0.75 for patients, 0.89 for controls. The mean ICC for soft tissue thickness was 0.49 for patients, 0.66 for controls. 58.3% of the measurements for patients and 91.2% of those for controls showed excellent ICC results (⩽ 0.75). The intra-rater concordance resulted optimal (ICC 0.77-0.99). Conclusions: CBCT is a reliable technique to assess skin and bony changes of LSF. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Allogeneic haematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) is an increasingly widespread therapy method. It is associated with many socio-psychological and physical risks. Forty-four subjects, who were clinically monitored at the Bolzano BMT Centre including a follow-up period of at least 3 months, completed the questionnaire Functional Assessment of Chronic Illness Therapy-Bone Marrow Transplantation (version 4). Semi-structured, problem-oriented interviews were conducted with seven randomly selected subjects, the results of which were subjected to a summarising content analysis according to Mayring. The results from the quantitative and qualitative parts were compared based on triangulation. In the random sample, 22.7% stated that they were highly satisfied with their current quality of life (QOL). Throughout all dimensions of the questionnaire, women showed lower scores than men. The results revealed a positive correlation between the post-HSCT period and QOL ( rs = 0.338, P = 0.025), especially regarding the social/family ( rs = 0.411, P = 0.006) and emotional well-being ( rs = 0.306, P = 0.043). The interviews primarily revealed dependence and inability to work. The support received from family, friends and hospital staff and the shift in priorities because of the transplantation were perceived as positive. The comparison mainly leads to corresponding results of the quantitative and qualitative parts of the study. Patient self-rating using questionnaires and interviews plays a direct and relevant role in the assessment of the QOL after allogeneic HSCT. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

It is estimated that around 20% of patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) have their onset in childhood but there have been conflicting data about the prevalence and severity of the clinical features in different age classes. We conducted this study to analyse the clinical features of patients with pediatric SLE (pSLE) with onset in infancy, prepubertal and postpubertal age. The charts of patients followed at the Department of Pediatrics, University of Padua, who met the criteria for SLE diagnosis, were reviewed. Patients were divided into three groups based on age at disease onset: group A, patients ⩽2 years old, group B patients aged between 2 and 10 years, group C patients between 11 and 16 years of age. The clinical and laboratory characteristics of each group were compared. Forty-two patients with pSLE entered the study: 2 were diagnosed before the age of 2 years, 11 between 2 and 10 years and 29 between 10 and 16 years. Eleven more patients with infantile (onset <2 years) SLE (iSLE) were found by a systematic literature search on PubMed and EmBASE and added for analysis to the group A. The female preponderance was significant only in postpubertal patients (F:M = 6.3: 1) whereas the other two groups presented a similar F:M ratio (1.2: 1). In comparison with the other two groups, iSLE showed a significantly higher prevalence of cardiovascular and pulmonary involvement, anemia and thrombocytopenia and a shorter disease duration at time of diagnosis. The postpubertal group showed a higher frequency of musculoskeletal involvement and leukopenia. In prepubertal patients there was no female preponderance and the frequency of clinical features was intermediate between infantile and postpubertal patients. Complement fractions level, antinuclear antibodies (ANA), anti-dsDNA, anti-cardiolipin antibodies and lupus anti-coagulant autoantibodies were not significantly different in the three groups. In general, the prevalence of internal organs involvement in pSLE seems to decrease with age. In infants, SLE is more severe than in the following ages. Postpubertal patients have a strong female preponderance and more specific signs of disease at onset. Prepubertal patients have an intermediate disease severity and no gender predilection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: To evaluate the feasibility and value of a modified Papanicolaou counterstain for p16INK4a immunostaining in liquid-based cervicovaginal samples. Methods: Immunocytochemical analyses were carried out with p16INK4a and modified Papanicolaou counterstain on 81 liquid-based samples, including 23 of within normal limits (WNL), 6 of low-grade squamous intraepithelial lesion (LSIL), 20 of high-grade squamous intraepithelial lesion (HSIL), 1 6 of atypical squamous cells of undetermined significance (ASC-US) and 16 of atypical squamous cells, high- grade lesion cannot be excluded (ASC-H). Results were compared with histological or cytological follow- up. For comparison, samples from 29 more cases (10 of LSIL, 10 of ASC-H and 9 of HSIL) were immunostained with p16INK4a and conventionally counterstained with haematoxylin. The intensity of immunostaining in cases of squamous intraepithelial lesion (SIL) was assessed using a 0-3 scoring system. Interobserver agreement was calculated by K statistics. Results: Expression of p16INK4a was detected in 3 of 23 cases of WNL, 4 of 6 cases of LSIL, all cases of HSIL, 5 of 16 cases of ASC-US and 13 of 16 cases of ASC-H. Excluding two cases with no residual dysplastic cells in the immunocytochemistry, all cases of cervical intraepithelial neoplasia (CIN)2 or CIN3 at follow-up expressed p16INK4a and none of the p16INK4a-negative cases showed a high-grade lesion at follow-up. No evident differences in pattern or intensity of p16INK4a expression were observed between the specimens of the study and control groups. Interobserver agreement was significantly better in the study group than in the group with conventional immunostaining (combined κ 0.773 v0.549; p<0.05), and still better, albeit statistically not significant, than with conventional immunostaining and cervical smear test together (combined κ 0.773 v 0.642). Conclusion: Immunocytochemistry with p16INK4a and modified Papanicolaou counterstain may add to the cervicovaginal cytology the full potentiality of p16INK4a without the need of a further slide and the risk of loss of dysplastic cells, yet maintaining the typical morphological features of the smear test. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An abstract of the conference paper "Tonsillectomy efficacy is comparable to the standard medical treatment in PFAPA syndrome," by G. Vigo, and colleagues, is presented.

An abstract of the conference paper "Unexplained recurrent arthritis as presenting sign of hereditary autoinflammatory syndromes," by G. Vigo, and colleagues, is presented.

An abstract of the conference paper "Complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) in pediatric rheumatology: an European perspective," by G. Zanon, and colleagues, is presented.

An abstract of the conference paper "Long-term methotrexate efficacy in juvenile localized scleroderma," by F. Zulian and colleagues is presented.