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Objective: Postherpetic neuralgia (PHN) is a neuropathic pain syndrome following herpes zoster (HZ) infection, characterized by pain that persists for months to years after the resolution of the HZ rash. Therapeutic management remains challenging for every clinician. We report the follow-up of patients diagnosed with PHN and treated with lidocaine 700 mg medicated plaster (LMP), focusing on effectiveness, safety, and Quality of Life (QoL). Materials and methods: This study is a retrospective observational investigation of patients with PHN treated with LMP. Patients were regularly followed for pain intensity, co-analgesic consumption, adverse effects, QoL using the EQ-5D, and patient satisfaction for 8 weeks. Results: A total of 31 patients were evaluated. At enrollment, 18 patients (58.1%) were treated with at least one PHN concomitant medication, for which the number and dosing remained constant during the study. Patients had a mean average pain intensity of 6.5±1.0 at baseline, which decreased to 3.6±1.1 at week 4 and 2.8±0.9 at week 8. Four patients reported erythema, and one complained of vesicles eruption associated with pruritus. EQ-5D at weeks 4 and 8 of treatment showed persisting improvements in all domains except for the "anxiety/depression" domain. At week 8

L'aumento di indagini strumentali diagnostiche basate sull'utilizzo delle radiazioni ionizzanti pone ormai con urgenza l'attenzione sulla necessità di valutare e monitorare la dose assorbita nel tempo da ciascun paziente, come indicato nella recente direttiva EURATOM/59/2013, che evidenzia la necessità di registrare e comunicare tale informazione. Nel caso degli esami di Tomografia Computerizzata, visto il loro ampio utilizzo, risulta inoltre di particolare rilevanza la valutazione della dose assorbita anche dai singoli organi. La valutazione della dose all'organo è di alto interesse sia a livello scientifico che clinico, in quanto la radiosensibilità è tessuto e organo specifica, nonché dipendente da parametri soggettivi, quali peso, genere ed età del paziente; pertanto una sua accurata valutazione richiede un'analisi strettamente individuale. Tale valutazione necessita di elaborati sistemi di calcolo e può essere svolta con l'ausilio di simulazioni Monte Carlo che consentono di determinare la distribuzione di dose nei differenti distretti, riproducendo in modo altamente realistico la modalità di erogazione delle radiazioni ionizzanti. Verrà quindi esposta una panoramica dei software commerciali attualmente più utilizzati nella clinica per la valutazione della dose all'organo durante gli esami di Tomografia Computerizzata.

Endodontics is the branch of deciduous teeth pediatric dentistry that deals with the treatment of the root canal system. The goal of therapy is to maintain as long as possible the element in the dental arch to prevent alterations of orthognathodontic, infectious, and functional history and eruptive sequence. Although manual instrumentation has been widely used and still preferred by some practitioners, has limitations that affect the actual ability to clean the channel, the ability to create steps, perforations, dentinal plugs and fractures of the instrument. On the other hand, the disadvantages are the high cost of the instruments in nickel-titanium, which must be frequently replaced, and the risk of compromising the stability of the tooth due to an excessive consumption of dentinal tissue. The use of computed microtomography (μCT) of extracted elements has a considerable advantage in the study of dental hard tissues. The purpose of this study was to analyze the anatomy of the endodontic system of the elements deciduous.

Purpose: To evaluate the diagnostic accuracy of MRI, comparing STIR images versus T1w post-contrast fat-sat images in patients affected by perianal Crohn’s disease (CD). Material and methods: From January 2007 to July 2008, 73 patients with perianal CD underwent pelvic MRI using an external phased array coil. All studies were performed with a 1.5T MRI scanner. STIR and T1w post-contrast fat-sat images were independently analysed by two expert radiologists. Perianal fistulas were classified according to the Parks surgical classification. All patients underwent examination under anesthesia (EUA) that was considered gold standard. Results: By analysing STIR, images documented 31 simple fistulas, 58 complex fistulas, 12 perianal abscess, 4 rectovaginal fistulas and 1 enteroenterica fistula. By analysing T1w, post-contrast fat-sat images documented 33 simple fistulas, 59 complex fistulas, 12 perianal abscess, 4 rectovaginal fistulas and 1 enteroenteric fistula. Pelvic MRI clearly depicted perianal manifestations of CD in all patients with full concordance with EUA in 70 patients (96%). Conclusion: MRI can be considered an accurate technique to identify and classify perianal manifestations of CD. STIR images were almost as useful as T1w post-contrast fat-sat images to show perianal CD findings and could be used to follow-up these patients without administration of contrast-medium.

Ultrasound examination of the testis is the imaging modality of choice for the evaluation of intratesticular focal lesions. In spite of its high sensibility, eco-Doppler-elastography is lacking of specificity in discrimination between benign and malign lesions, not always allowing us to make a definitive diagnosis of malignancy. When a diagnostic doubt persists, for such lesions that are indeterminate at clinical and radiological evaluation, it is possible to recur to ultrasound-guided testicular needle biopsy. This paper describes the main application scenarios of testicular fine-needle aspiration under ultrasound guidance and the experience in our institute.