Effectiveness of a home-made meat based formula (the Rezza-Cardi diet) as a diagnostic tool in children with food-induced atopic dermatitis.

The aim of this study was to investigate the effectiveness of a home-made meat based formula (the Rezza-Cardi diet), as a diagnostic tool for children with atopic dermatitis and suspected multiple food hypersensitivity. Severity scores for atopic dermatitis, body weight and serum lipid profile were evaluated at baseline and four weeks following the feeding with the home-made meat based formula in 16 children with atopic dermatitis and suspected multiple food hypersensitivity. The severity score of the skin lesions improved considerably in all the children; no significant difference was observed in the serum lipid levels before and after one month following the feeding with the home-made meat based formula. All children gained weight according to the Italian Standards. The results of this study indicate that the home-made meat based formula is a useful elimination diet in children with atopic dermatitis and suspected multiple food hypersensitivity.

[Nailfold capillaroscopy in normal children between 0 and 16 years of age]. / La capillaroscopia periungueale in soggetti normali di età compresa tra 0 e 16 anni.

BACKGROUND: Nailfold capillaroscopy is a technique used in childhood and adults for morpho-functional study of peripheral microcirculation. The aim of the present study is to evaluate the evolution of the microcirculation. METHODS: Nailfold capillaroscopy was performed in eighty-six healthy children (48 boys and 38 girls) aged 5 months to 16 years. All the subjects were divided into 5 groups for age. RESULTS: A progressive morphological and dynamic development of peripheral microcirculation in the early years of life was observed. CONCLUSIONS: Therefore, nailfold capillaroscopy is a simple, noninvasive, easily repetitive method which allows to observe the physiological development and a possible pathology of naifold capillaries.

[An anomaly in Poland. A description of a clinical case of a three years and four months-old boy]. / Anomalia di Poland. Descrizione di un caso clinico in un bambino di tre anni e quattro mesi.

The authors describe Poland's anomaly in a boy aged three years and four months, characterised by a depression in the right hemithorax caused by the absence of the medial extremity of the large pectoral muscle with hypoplasia of the remaining venter musculi. Moreover, the scan showed the absence of the small homolateral pectoral muscle. The vascular alteration of the subclavian artery and/or its branches during embryogenesis might be related, in this case, to the fact that the mother took sex hormones during the 6th and 7th week of gestation.

Follow-up of obese child.

A long-term follow-up which is still being carried out was started in the school-year 1985-86 in a Primary School of Rome and we suggested a written diet of 1300 calories and correct physical exercises. During this long follow-up we studied the changes in percentage of obesity of these subjects, considering their familiarity with obesity. It resulted that after a starting benefit due to the diet and the sport activity, which lasted till 1989, the youngsters with familiarity have subsequently regained the initial situation in 62.5% of cases, unlike those without familiarity who have kept themselves slim in 75% of cases. Even many other facts have been considered, as for example the psychologic approach, blood-tests for cholesterol, triglycerides etc, arterial pressure and above all a very careful feeding recall that has shown as the now obese subjects intake more calories than not obese one, with and excess of calories from fats to the detriment of carbon hydrates.