[Minimally invasive treatment of female urinary incontinence due to sphincter incompetence]. / Trattamento mini invasivo della incontinenza urinaria femminile da deficit sfinterico.

Urinary incontinence is one of the most frequent diseases in female urology. There are hundreds of therapeutic opportunities without sure outcomes, because of lack of the etiologic cause. Transurethral injection has good results in around of the 60% of the cases with minimal invasivity, good patients compliance, ripetitivity of the method. From 1993 to 1997 we treated 44 ladies with urinary incontinence due to low pressure of closure of the sphincter: 13 patients (29.55%) disease free, 17 (38.64%) meliorate.

Contraceptive choice in Vigevano, Italy, 1983-1993.

The authors, after general consideration of family planning programs, present a study of 22714 women, who, in the decade 1983-1993, required contraceptive protection from the Family Planning Centers in the region of Vigevano (Italy). The authors underline the importance of a protocol used before beginning treatment to help prevent women receiving methods carrying too great a health risk. The results show a very high prevalence of oral contraception, increasing in recent years with the introduction of triphasic pills, while use of intrauterine contraception seems to be declining. Other conventional methods, such as barrier (diaphragm and condom) and 'natural' methods, had a low incidence in the sample studied. The reasons for these behaviors are analyzed and the relative trends discussed.

[Transrectal echography and cystography in the assessment of female stress urinary incontinence]. / Ecografia transrettale e cistografia nella valutazione della incontinenza urinaria femminile da sforzo.

The authors report their experience in the study of urinary stress incontinence, by evaluating both affinities and differences between conventional techniques (cystography) and transrectal US. The parameters are evaluated concerning the relationship of the vesical cervix to the inferior margin of the pubis, together with the posterior urethrovesical angle (PUV), and the urethral inclination axis (AV). Twenty-five women with urinary stress incontinence were studied, and 20 subjects with different pathologic conditions. No single parameter considered appeared to be conclusive: as a matter of fact, both methods offer advantages and disadvantages, which are described.

Microinvasive carcinoma of the vulva.

A case of microcarcinoma of the vulva (depth of invasion less than 5 mm) with an unexpected natural history is reported. The 338 cases, up today, reported in literature are reviewed and therapeutical protocols discussed.

Ultrastructural modifications of cartilage matrix treated with guanidinium HCl (4.0 M and 0.4 M).

Significative modifications in cartilage matrix are induced by GuHCl 4 M and 0.4 M treatment. The first treatment (4 M) induces a complete lack of interfibrillar alcianophilic particles and the swelling of collagen fibrils in 8 nm (80 A) thin aperiodic microfilaments. Among microfilaments, come alcianophilic sheets are often present ( unextractable proteoglycans?). The rectilinear pattern of filaments inside the fibrils became helicoidal. The second treatment (0.4 M) does not modify the interfibrillar morphology of alcianophilic rod like particles but may swell collagen fibril. Aldehydic fixation completely prevents such modifications. These observations show that organization of periodic collagen fibrils is probably due to proteoglycans also.

Further evidence for syncytiotrophoblastic localization of beta 1-SP1-glycoprotein.

We have tried to localize beta 1 SP1-glycoprotein in placental tissue through an indirect immunofluorescence procedure. Some of the syncytiotrophoblastic cells were selectively immunostained. Specificity test supported the conclusion that beta 1 SP1-glycoprotein is stored in such cells.