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Obiettivo. Indagare possibili associazioni tra esposizione professionale a polveri di legno, sintomi e alterazioni rinocitologiche. Materiali e metodi. 73 soggetti esposti a polveri di legno e 74 controlli sono stati sottoposti a rinoscopia anteriore e scraping con Rhino-probe per studiare in microscopia ottica la presenza di cellule infiammatorie, batteri e miceti. L'esposizione personale a polveri di legno è stata monitorata con selettore IOM e analisi gravimetrica. Risultati. Gli esposti presentano più frequentemente sintomi rinologici, neutrofilia e linfocitosi. Alla lettura citologica semiquantitativa emergono associazioni significative tra esposizione e grading medio di neutrofili, linfociti e batteri. Il tabagismo sembra ininfluente sulla citologia. Suddividendo gli esposti a polveri di legno in classi di esposizione (<0.5 mg/m3, 0.5-1 mg/m3, 1-5 mg/m3 e >5 mg/m3), la neutrofilia risulta tendenzialmente associata a crescenti livelli espositivi. Conclusioni. La rinocitologia mediante scraping nella diagnosi differenziale delle rinopatie è semplice, rapida, atraumatica e applicabile a lavoratori esposti a polveri di legno. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The observation of a number of cases of intestinal carcinoid tumours prompted the authors to review the literature in order to define the principal biological and anatomopathological aspects and the current therapeutic choices. The diagnosis is often obtained on the basis of anatomopathological examination. The kind of surgical treatment is still a matter of controversy: minimal or extended resection? A number of criteria may orient the surgeon towards major surgery, such as tumour size, node involvement, infiltration of the serous membrane, and liver metastases.

Aims of the Study: With the increasing of the middle age, more and more elderly patients with incarcerated inguinal hernia have to be surgically treated with lower operatory time and lower anesthesiological stress. The Authors present a personal tension-free hernioplastic technique., Materials and Methods: Thirthy-seven male patients (range 80-92 years) recovered for incarcerated inguinal hernia (Gilbert II tipe) without vascular injury, underwent to tension-free hernioplastic technique without inguinal canal opening, in local anaesthesia., Results: The average operative time was 33 minutes (range 25-42 min). Follow-up at 10 days, 3 months and 5 years shows a correct position of the plug, no recurrence, no alterations of normal testicular vascolarization in absence of paresthesia or chronic pain. The post-operative pain was absent or trascurable whitout the use of any antalgical therapy.

Aim: Acute postoperative pancreatitis is a rare event, but, at the same time, it represents one of the most frightening complications, because it is associated with high mortality risk., Methods: From January 1985 to December 2005, we observed 30 cases (12 males, 18 females) of acute postoperative pancreatitis. Twenty cases of low and medium gravity have been treated with only medical therapy, 10 cases, instead, have requested surgical therapy (necrosectomy and application of abdominal drains in 7 cases, necrosectomy and ileostomy in 1 case, necrosectomy and colostomy in 1 case, ligation of pancreatic vessels in 1 case of haemorrhagic pancreatitis)., Results: In the form of low and medium gravity, fast and pharmacological support (somatostatin and gabexate mesilate) are enough to resolve the event. In the form of high gravity the early surgical treatment has represented the clinical solution in 7 patients, while 3 others patients have died for septic and metabolic complication., Conclusions: Still today acute postoperative pancreatitis represents a frightening complication associated with high mortality risk that the surgeon has to treat with great care to avoid each bilio-pancreatic injury.

Gastrointestinal stromal tumours account for fewer than 1% of malignant tumours of the digestive system. Analysing a case referred to us for observation, we review the literature with regard to diagnostic and therapeutic difficulties. A 68-year-old patient was referred to our institute with a diagnosis of "retroperitoneal haematoma". Computerised tomography showed a solid mass with a liquid component, occupying almost the whole of the abdominal cavity. An ultrasonography-guided biopsy examination suggested the presence of a sarcoma. Exploratory laparotomy and the histological examination, which was positive for CD117, CD34 and the smooth muscle marker caldesmon, allowed a diagnosis of gastrointestinal stromal tumour to be made. Thus, no thoroughly reliable and accurate diagnosis of gastrointestinal tumour can be made without surgical exploration and consequent histological and immunohistochemical examinations that still represent the only method capable of confirming or ruling out a diagnosis of gastrointestinal stromal tumour. Such tumours are rare and aggressive and their prognosis is closely related to tumour size and the mitotic index per high power field. Radical resection affords the only possibility of long-term survival.