Search

The article interviews Don Francesco Rossolini, creator and coordinator of Giovanni Paolo Tv and Luigi D'Ovidio, collaborator of Giovanni Paolo Tv. They revealed the circumstances that lead to the launch of the television channel. D'Ovidio disclosed the role of the parish committees in the expansion of their project. Rossolini shared his views on the relationship between church and other modes of communication.

Aim: Transient ischemic attack (TIA) has to be considered an "alarm bell" of a more or less severe organic or systemic vasculopathy. Positive findings at neuroimaging means tissue damage. The purpose of this retrospective study was to assess the role of neuroimaging in the management of patients presenting with TIA, and to consider the relative implications., Methods: In a consecutive series of 82 patients (53 males, 29 females, mean age: 65.9±13.1 years) admitted for TIA, it was possible to review the history and the clinical data of 66 patients, including ABCD2 score, laboratory including plasmatic D-dimer, and neuroimaging data including computed tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance imaging including diffusion-weighted with apparent diffusion coefficient measure (DWI-ADC) obtained at diagnosis and by a week later (16 by CT, and 50 by DWI-ADC). Thirty-three patients underwent DWI-ADC within 24 hours from symptoms onset. Statistical analysis has been performed by non-parametric tests (χ2 and Mann-Whitney), and logistic regression by a commercially available software., Results: CT and/or DWI-ADC showed signs of acute ischemic lesions in 23/66 (35%) patients. 12 out of the 35 patients with a 24-hour DWI-ADC follow-up were positive. Statistical analysis showed that positive neuroimaging was significantly associated only with familial history of cardiovascular diseases (P<0.012) and previous TIA/stroke (P<0.046)., Conclusion: In this patients series, at least 35% of patients with TIA had a positive neuroimaging, especially DWI-ADC. Positive neuroimaging seems an independent factor. Patients with TIA need an early assessment by neuroimaging including DWI-ADC, in order to obtain a correct classification and prognosis.

Eighty-two patients were observed at the Dental Department at Parma University. Seventy-six of them had renal transplant and 6 liver transplant. They were in immunosuppressive therapy with cyclosporina, 42 of them were also in calcium antagonist therapy. Gingival hypertrophy was observed in 52 subjects (63.4%) 25 (30%) patients underwent surgical operation, 6 of them (24%) showed a relapse about 3 months after the first operation. Clinical data were measured in accordance with 5 indicators: the level of oral hygiene, cyclosporinemia, contemporaneous use of calcium antagonist, the duration of therapy and the DMF index. By the results obtained, it's possible to suppose that the gravity of the disease is related to the contemporaneous use of calcioantagonist, but it wasn't highly significant (p < 0.05). The degree of oral hygiene was decidedly in relation to the most severe forms of gingival hyperplasia (grade 2-3), (p < 0.001). No relation was found for the duration of therapy, distribution of the DMF index and the level of drugs in the blood.

Cyclosporine is now the elective drug for immunosuppressive treatment in organ transplant patients. Compared to traditional immunosuppressants this molecule offers the therapeutic advantage that it does not act indiscriminately on all components of the immune system. In addition to the primary pharmacological action, cyclosporine also presents a number of undesirable effects, among which it is worth mentioning short and long-term nephrotoxicity and the development of neoplasia, in particular lymphomas. Other undesired effects of the drug are the possibility of overinfection, thrombosis, hypertension, hypertrichosis, hepatotoxicity and the development of the hypertrophic and hyperplastic gingival pathology.

The authors report the results of a study performed in 71 patients suffering from lichen planus of the mucous membranes and skin. They discuss dermatological and stomatological clinical data in relation to possible basal diseases (hepatopathies, dermopathies, diabetes, hypertension, gastrointestinal diseases, etc.) and other anamnestic data (psychological aspects, drug taking, working activity, etc.). Moreover, they report the results of the clinical protocol used (betamethasone in a gel and vitamin A base) with a follow-up of 5 years and examine the other therapeutic possibilities reported in the literature.

Erythema multiforme (EM) is characterised by a polymorphous eruptive complex which many involve the cutis and oral, genital and conjunctival mucous. Its etiopathogenesis is unclear: it is thought to be associated with various viral or bacterial infective agents (herpes virus, Coxsackie virus, mycoplasmas, etc.), numerous drugs, physical therapy, systemic pathologies of various types. The authors report their experience in relation to 11 patients suffering from EM; the clinical characteristics of each case are reported, together with the course of disease, and the diagnostic and therapeutic protocol adopted. The discussion examines the possible cause of disease: in 5 patients the etiology was traced back to viral infections (4 herpes and 1 coxsackie) and to the administration of drugs in the remaining cases (4 in relation to anti-phlogistic agents and 2 regarding antibiotics).

The function of the soft palate is complex; it takes part in speech, swallowing, and masticatory mechanisms. Its pathology ranges from morphological deficits to functional ones; these are commonly due to a central nervous system damage. The clinical analysis is based upon examination and instrumental prove, and leads to an optimum choice between surgical and prosthetic solutions. The latter is the best one in terms of quick execution, low costs and future possibilities of improvement.

The Authors utilized in order to replace anterior missing teeth osseointegrated implants provided with individual angled posts. These types of abutment are used to allow a good parallel situation between implants with different angulation and also between implants and proximal teeth. The head of this abutment is thread to receive the screw that allows the crown to be fastened.

Moving from the general definition of "handicap" "the Authors suggest a classification system based upon the most important altered function of a patient. A handicap situation happens when a patient needs special care in a dental office, both for particular oral changes due to his primary pathology or related therapy and for increased operatory risks.

Facial pain often presents complex diagnosis, requiring other specialists' consultation. The use of different terminology and protocols can affect the information exchange negatively. These problems in the field of headache, cranial neuralgias and facial pain lead the International Headache Society to introduce a new classification in 1988. The chief difference with the previous ones is the presence of strictly codified diagnostic principles. Its target is research, but it can help the general practice as well. We discuss the most interesting points to the stomatologist.

Magnetic stimulation of nervous elements is a new neurophysiological technique. It easily succeeds in stimulating the brain motor cortex. We applied this technique to the trigeminal motor system, recording responses in masseter muscles. The magnetic stimulations at 4 cm laterally to the vertex on the biauricular line elicited responses in the contralateral masseter due to activation of motor cortex or adjacent elements along the cortico-nuclear pathway. The ipsilateral responses to the same stimuli and to more lateral ones presented shorter latencies and they were ascribed to direct stimulation of the trigeminal nerve, probably its intracisternal portion. The latency values were 6.9 +/- 0.71 ms and 3.6 +/- 0.3 ms respectively.

Electromyographic responses of the masseter muscles following electric transcranial stimulations by a conventional constant current stimulator were recorded with surface and needle electrodes. Ipsilateral motor evoked responses following both anodic and cathodic bipolar electrical stimulations performed at 7 and 11 cm laterally to the vertex on the biauricular line were recorded, with latencies ranging from 2 to 3.6 ms. Contralateral responses were not elicited. The ipsilateral responses to stimuli were ascribed to direct stimulation of the trigeminal nerve, probably its intracisternal portion.

Echocardiographyc has been used to study clinical signs of cardiopathy in 25 chronic alcoholics. Compared to normal control subjects, the alcoholics presented an increase in the left ventricular wall and an increase in the cross section and volume of the left myocardium. The left ventricular cavity was also increased. On the other hand, echocardiographic indices of myocardial contractility, represented by the ejection fraction, rate of circumferential shortening and rate of increase of the thickness of the left ventricular wall from telediastole to telesystole, were within normal limits.

Fourteen welders were examined with the purpose to evaluate the incidence and the type of pathologic changes of the gastrointestinal tract due to the exposure to welding fumes. The medical examination was followed by endoscopic and bioptic study of gastric and duodenal mucosa. The results show the presence of pathologic changes, mainly of flogistic type, in all the microscopic investigations, although the appearance of the mucosa was generally normal. Moreover, the results of this investigation suggest that pathologic changes of gastrointestinal tract could precede those of the respiratory tract.

The authors report the results of a survey performed in three cast iron foundries, with particular emphasis on the impairment of respiratory system in the involved workers. The results obtained showed a high prevalence of pneumoconiosis, which, as for roentgenologic and clinical features, appears to be different from usual silicotic pneumoconiosis. The highest prevalence of chronic bronchitis -- either associated or not with pneumoconiosis -- in the foundry workers examined is stressed, as well as the prevalence of squamous metaplasia of the bronchial epithelium. An important role in this aspect is supposed to be played not only by dusts, but even by tobacco smoke in favouring the onset of the above mentioned alterations is also confirmed.

The behaviour of serum GT is evaluated as an indicator of exposure to enzymatic inductors that are potentially hepatotoxic. Serum GT was measured in 437 exposed workers and 149 controls. The statistically significant variation observed in the exposed group probably indicates enzymatic induction.

After a brief review of the features and physiology of the silent period, its modifications in painful temporomandibular dysfunction are assessed with particular reference to their reliability in practical diagnosis. Six patients with the classic signs and symptoms as well as 7 healthy volunteers acting as controls were examined. In view of the results obtained as well as the discrepancies reported in the literature and the numerous variations in the methods used in stimulating, recording and measuring the silent period, it is concluded that this study can play no more than a supporting role in the diagnosis of the syndrome despite its value in experimental research.

The need for prosthesis in patients presenting losses of mandibular substance has been examined, with a subdivision of prostheses into: containment, immediate modelling and reconstructive. Technical difficulties involved in their application are described.

The Author wanted to draw the attention of the person doing the setting, on the importance, in lasting prognosis, of the general conditions of the subject as well as of the situation of the oral cavity, which can present unfavourable elements to a setting. He is in fact referring to local original lesions or secondary lesions in pathologic states and he his stating the corrective intervention in order to prepare the month for the setting.