[Echo-color Doppler in the study of hypothyroidism in the adult]. / Eco-color-Doppler nello studio dell'ipotiroidismo dell'adulto.

Color-Doppler US was performed on 20 patients with sub-clinic hypothyroidism which had been confirmed by laboratory tests. In all cases, color-Doppler US showed increased parenchymal flow, whose semiology was similar to the one known as "thyroid inferno" and currently associated, in the literature, with diffuse hyperfunction conditions. Quantitative measurements yielded no further element for differential diagnosis, while showing high flow speeds which were similar to those in hyperfunction. On the basis of consequent physiopathologic considerations, hypervascularization, as observed in hypothyroidism, is likely to be referred to the hypertrophic action of TSH, which was reported as high in all patients. In conclusion, the color-Doppler "thyroid inferno" pattern, which has been to date considered as specific of thyroid hyperfunction, has lost part of its diagnostic specificity, and further investigation--e.g. hormonal titers, scintigraphy--is needed for an unquestionable diagnosis to be made.

[Multimedia and didactics++. Application to the normal echographic anatomy of the female reproductive system]. / Multimedia e didattica. Applicazione all'anatomia normale ecografica dell'apparato riproduttivo femminile.

It is widely known that US results strictly depends on operators and that each operator follows individual pathways. Therefore the authors have tried to develop high-interactivity tools, allowing the "customization" of learning to the user's demands. Progress linked to microprocessors' technology allowed a wide spread of cost-effective electronic processors with high graphic performances, capable of supporting sophisticated softwares which are useful to develop multimedial programs. Our experiment is aimed at integrating a multimedial management system for US studies, with the training activity of the medical staff US-expert. The system is structured on a hardware platform based on the Motorola microprocessor, class 68040, an application software developed by Apple. The environment for multimedial applications development uses the "Hypercard" interface of graphic presentation, by Apple. The software allows the realization of a multimedial environment of learning, where US images are associated with graphics, drawing and text references. The application allows a multimedial environment of learning for normal eidodiagnostic anatomy of the female reproductive system, where different courses can be followed autonomously. On the basis of a check performed on a group of students, although in a preliminary stage, the combination of conventional didactic material with either a paper or television support, with devices allowing the connection of texts, graphics and images in a dynamic way, proved to be very useful and to allow personal courses of learning, which can be always modified in an interactive way.