[Usefulness of long-term follow-up of patients operated on for cryptorchidism]. / Utilità del follow-up a lungo termine nei pazienti operati per criptorchidismo.

BACKGROUND: Cryptorchidism, testicular ectopia and rectractile testicle are different pathologies with conceivable different prognosis. As a matter of fact spermiogram used in these patients for the prognosis is really worse in bilateral cryptorchid than ectopic patients, because the tubular damage is present in the former than in the latter. It does not mean, anyway, that direct correlation exists between age of the patient at the operation and fertility. METHODS: 171 patients operated on for cryptorchidism or testicular ectopia at the Pediatric Surgery Department of the Regional Hospital of Treviso during the years 1974-1983 under-went follow-up at the age of 18 years with clinical evaluation, hormonal dosage (testosterone and gonadotropin after stimulus as GnRH) and spermiogram. RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONS: The present study does not differ from many other studies about hormonal levels and spermiograms of cryptorchid patients; it underlines long term follow-up utility of patients operated on for cryptorchidism and stresses the need of an eventual psychological evaluation of these patients.

[Steroid therapy of hemangioma in children]. / Considerazioni sulla terapia steroidea degli emangiomi infantili.

Hemangiomata is the more frequent pediatric tumor, absent at birth and usually growing, sometimes very quickly, during the first week of life. It potentially represents a serious problem because of his unforeseeable evolution during the time: is it more useful to use a corticosteroid therapy or to wait for the involution of the tumor? Here we have the results of the treatment on 51 babies who presented with hemangiomas of various sites: 52.6% of the lesions were on the face and head, 13.4% on chest wall, 10% on upper limbs, 4% on abdominal wall, 10% on pelvis region and 10% multiple. Therapy was compression in 10% of patients, corticosteroid injection in 66%, oral administered corticosteroid in 12%, surgery post corticosteroid therapy in 11.5%, others in 2.5%. Best results were obtained on the lesion of the head and face (good in 96%), worst in those of the abdomen (any modification in 100%).

[Phimosis: when does it require surgical intervention?]. / Fimosi: quando è patologia di interesse chirurgico?

One of the most recurrent questions in pediatric age is the phimosis; this is a frequently underestimated problem and its resolution often cause a lot of discomforts in babies and parents. In many countries it has been treated on the roots of ancient sanitary measures (circumcision) whereas in others it's routinely treated with painful and useless maneuvers; instead, until three years of age this don't represents a problem but the normal situation of the baby. Herein the authors report the results of topic corticosteroid treatment of fimosis in 83 patients aged 1-14 years, with good outcome in 86.7% of cases. Therapy and results are discussed.