LAI versus oral: A case-control study on subjective experience of antipsychotic maintenance treatment.

BACKGROUND: To present real-world evidence on the differences between long-acting injectable (LAI) and oral antipsychotic maintenance treatment (AMT) in terms of subjective well-being, attitudes towards drug and quality of life in a sample of remitted schizophrenic subjects. METHODS: Twenty outpatients with remitted schizophrenia treated with either olanzapine or paliperidone and switching from the oral to the LAI formulation of their maintenance treatment were recruited before the switch (LAI-AMT group). A group of 20 remitted schizophrenic subjects with oral AMT and matching main sociodemographic, clinical and treatment variables made up the control group (oral-AMT group). All participants were assessed in terms of objective (PANSS, YMRS, MADRS) and subjective (SWN-K, DAI-10, SF-36) treatment outcomes at baseline (T0) and after 6 months (T1). RESULTS: Between T0 and T1, general psychopathology of the PANSS, DAI-10, and all but one of the SWN-K dimensions (except for social integration), showed significantly higher percentages of improvement in the LAI-AMT group compared to the oral-AMT group. A generalized expansion of health-related quality of life, with better functioning in almost all areas of daily living, was reported by the LAI-AMT group after the 6-month period. In contrast, the oral-AMT group reported a significant worsening of health-related quality of life in the areas of emotional role and social functioning in the same period. CONCLUSIONS: Our study indicates possible advantages of LAI over oral antipsychotic formulation in terms of subjective experience of maintenance treatment in remitted schizophrenic patients. Size and duration of this study need to be expanded in order to produce more solid and generalizable results.

Villous adenoma of the bladder.

Villous adenomas of the bladder are rare tumors and up to now they have not been seen to undergo malignant transformation. We report a case of villous adenoma of the bladder with areas of adenocarcinoma in a 72-year-old man. We describe all the morphological, histochemical and immunohistochemical features characterizing this tumor. We recommend adequate pathological sampling and a thorough follow-up of patients with villous adenoma. The prognosis and the behaviour of these adenomatous papillary lesions, morphologically similar to colonic adenomas, in the bladder is unclear. We report a case with focal area of adenocarcinoma and review the literature.

[Video laparoscopic cholecystectomy in situ viscerum inversus totalis]. / Videolaparocolecistectomia in situ viscerum inversus totalis.

Situs viscerum inversus totalis is a rare condition with a genetic predisposition that is autosomal recessive. We present a case in an elderly patient with transposition of the viscera and cholelithiasis, who was successfully treated with laparoscopic cholecystectomy. This paper further expands the application of this technique and shows that they can be safely and effectively applied in the setting of situs viscerum inversus totalis, although attention must be paid to the details of left-right reversal.

[Video laparoscopic cholecystectomy in a case of biliary lithiasis associated with gallbladder tuberculosis. Considerations and review of the literature]. / Videolaparocolecistectomia in un caso di litiasi biliare associata a tubercolosi della colecisti. Considerazioni e revisione della letteratura.

The authors report a case of gallbladder stones with tuberculosis of gallbladder, operated for laparoscopic cholecystectomy. From the review of the literature two basic data stand out: the exceptionality of gallbladder's tuberculosis with stones at the same time and the opportunity to make the diagnosis of tuberculosis of the gallbladder only by the histological examination after cholecystectomy.

[Our experience in the percutaneous treatment of varicocele]. / La nostra esperienza nel trattamento percutaneo del varicocele.

For its high incidence among young men and its affecting male fertility, varicocele requires an accurate screening, as well as an early and definitive treatment. The Authors report their experience in the treatment of varicocele with sclerotherapy: 24 patients underwent sclerotherapy of the left internal spermatic vein with a success rate of 91%. Complications never required hospitalization or surgery. Percutaneous therapy represents thus the treatment of choice in case of varicocele: compared with surgery, it offers similar clinical results and a lower recurrence rate, and it can be performed on an outpatient basis. Surgery should be performed only when anatomic variants make percutaneous treatment not feasible.

[Video laparoscopic cholecystectomy: our experience]. / Videolaparocolecistectomia: la nostra esperienza.

The Authors report their experience of laparoscopic cholecystectomy (VLC) from October 1993 to May 1994. Fourty patients underwent laparoscopic cholecystectomy for gallstone disease; two patients required laparotomic conversion for Mirizzi's syndrome, while complications were observed in two cases. Only one case required laparotomy in third post-operative day for duodenal electrocautery injury. Diagnostic procedures and surgical technique are also reported. On the basis of their experience, the Authors conclude that mini-invasive surgery doesn't mean less difficult surgery, but a good knowledge of the anatomy and a thorough experience of biliary open and reparative surgery are necessary before laparoscopic cholecystectomy is performed.