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This case report describes a 27-year-old man with von Recklinghausen's neurofibromatosis, manifested as cutaneous cafè au lait spots and neurofibromas, associated with duodenal somatostatinoma. The patient presented with ultrasonographic evidence of dilatation of the biliary and pancreatic ducts, in absence of clinical symptoms. The reason for the performance of ultrasonography was to identify the cause of an increase of hepatic enzymes during the last two years. Diagnostic ERCP showed an ulcerated tumor in the papillary region and pathological findings were compatible with somatostatinoma. Endoscopic sphincterotomy with placement of endoprostheses was successful in achieving biliary and pancreatic drainage. Subsequently a curative resection of the tumor was performed by the Whipple procedure and provocative tests demonstrated normal plasma somatostatin concentrations.

The Authors show and discuss the classification proposed till now for dividing chronic atrophic gastritis into subtypes different in hystological, functional or immunological aspects. In accordance with the more recent reports, the classification into type A, type B and type AB is accepted. Genetical (factor A) and environmental agents (alcohol, smoke, drugs) as well as immunological (parietal and gastrin cell antibodies) and functional abnormalities (duodenogastric reflux), suggested to play a role in the aetiopathogenesis of chronic atrophic gastritis, are also re-examined. Finally, dynamic aspects of chronic atrophic gastritis and its association with anemia and gastric carcinoma are widely reviewed.

A group of patients with athero-arteriosclerotic vascular disease (coronary heart disease and atherosclerosis of the extremities) have been subjected to platelet antiaggregating-antidyslipidaemic treatment with a chlofibrate-dipyridamol association; a control series was treated with chlofibrate alone. Frequency of angina pectoris, pain intensity and trinitrine consumption ware evaluated in patients with coronary heart disease, claudicometry, oscillometry and thermometry in patients with atherosclerosis of the extremities. The following laboratory parameters were also analysed: cholesterolaemia, triglyceridaemia, prothrombin activity, fibrinogenaemia, uricaemia and tolerance of oral glucose loading. Analysis of the results has shown that the association improved the parameters considered in statistically significant fashion; chlofibrate alone led to significant modifications of coronaropathic group parameters (with the exception of pain intensity) whereas it did not lead to significant changes in parameters evaluated for atherosclerosis of the extremities. All laboratory parameters were modified favourably by the association to a statistically greater extent than by chlofibrate alone. Both the association and chlofibrate were well tolerated.