Complementary feeding patterns in Europe with a special focus on Italy.

Early nutrition is considered to be crucial for development of persistent obesity in later life. The aim of this paper is to present an overview of complementary feeding patterns across European countries. Most European infants introduce solid foods earlier than 6 completed months of age as recommended by WHO. The commonest risk factors for early introduction of solid foods have been shown to be smoking mothers of young age, low SES and no breastfeeding. The foods most frequently introduced as first solids are fruit and cereals followed by other foods that vary depending on the country of residence and the infants' type of feeding. Insufficient updated information has been made available in Europe in terms of infants' nutrient intake during complementary feeding, as well as on the potential acute metabolic effects of complementary feeding. Websites, e-forums and blogs on complementary feeding are widely spread in the web. The recipes and daily menus published in food industry websites are often nutritionally incorrect. Baby led-weaning (BLW) is based on the principle that babies, upon being started on complementary foods, should be allowed to eat whatever food they want (regular family foods included) in its normal shape. No nutrient intake and metabolic data are nevertheless available about BLW. The current scenario in terms of our understanding of complementary feeding in Europe opens several new research avenues. Not using and not improving our current knowledge of nutrition to improve children's health represents an infringement of children's rights.

Palangeal quantitative ultrasound, phalangeal morphometric variables, and vertebral fracture discrimination.

The aim of this study was to evaluate the association among phalangeal morphometric parameters, amplitude-dependent speed of sound (AD-SOS), ultrasound bone profile index (UBPI), and spinal bone mineral density (BMD) and fracture status. One hundred women (controls, mean age 53 +/- 12 years) and 40 osteoporotic women (mean age 59 +/- 7 years) with atraumatic fractures, diagnosed by spinal radiographs, were investigated. Quantitative ultrasound (QUS) assessment was performed using the DBM Sonic 1200. Morphological properties of the phalanges were measured from a digitized X-ray image of the hand acquired using industrial film. Spinal BMD was assessed by dual X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) and quantitative computed tomography (QCT). An increase in medullary canal width and a decrease in cortical thickness with aging were observed from the morphometric analysis of the hand radiographs. This phenomenon can be attributed mainly to endosteal resorption. QUS measurements at the phalanges were not significantly related to finger thickness (r <0.20, n.s.). They were significantly correlated to medullary canal ratio (r = -0.57, P <0.0001, for AD-SOS and r = -0.64, P <0.0001, for UBPI) and to cortical thickness (r = +0.52, P <0.0001 for AD-SOS and r = +0.59, P <0.0001 for UBPI). In the discrimination analysis between nonfractured and atraumatic vertebral fracture subjects we found that cortical thickness at the level of the phalanges were similar to lumbar spine BMD. The age and BMI-adjusted odds ratio ranged from 2.0 to 3.1 for QUS, 4.28 for BMD by QCT, 4.1 for BMD by DXA, and 4.1 for cortical thickness. We conclude from these data that phalangeal QUS is related to cortical thickness, which in turn is influenced by endosteal bone resorption occurring in association with spinal osteoporosis.

Measurement of bone mineral density at the spine and proximal femur by volumetric quantitative computed tomography and dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry in elderly women with and without vertebral fractures.

The goal of this study was to determine the effect of vertebral fracture status on trabecular bone mineral density (BMD) measurements obtained in the proximal femur and spine by helical volumetric quantitative computed tomography (vQCT). The study population consisted of 71 Italian women (average age 73 +/- 6) years. This group included 26 subjects with radiographically confirmed atraumatic vertebral fractures and 45 controls. The subjects received helical CT scans of the L1 and L2 vertebral bodies and the hip. The three-dimensional CT images were processed using specialized image analysis algorithms to extract measurements of trabecular, cortical, and integral BMD in the spine and hip. To compare the vQCT results with the most widely used clinical BMD measurement, dual X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) scans of the anteroposterior (AP) spine and proximal femur were also obtained. The difference between the subjects with vertebral fractures and the age-matched controls was computed for each BMD measure. All BMD measurements showed statistically significant differences, which ranged from 7% to 22% between subjects with fractures and controls. Although, given our small sample size, we could not detect statistically significant differences in discriminatory power between BMD techniques, integral BMD of the spine measured by vQCT and DXA tended to show stronger associations with fracture status (0.001 < p < 0.004). Measurements by QCT and DXA at the hip were also associated with vertebral fracture status, although the association of DXA BMD with fracture status was explained largely by differences in body weight between subjects with vertebral fractures and controls.

Bone loss rate in adrenal incidentalomas: a longitudinal study.

Although by definition patients with adrenal incidentalomas (AI) do not have evident clinical syndromes, they may frequently suffer from subclinical hypercortisolism (SH). This is of some importance because of evidence that SH may lead to clinical complications, including bone loss. Thus, the understanding of bone involvement due to SH may be extremely important in the management of AI. Unfortunately, the available data on bone mineral density (BMD) in AI patients come from cross-sectional studies, which, to further complicate our understanding, are also conflicting, probably due to a different selection of patients and/or the variability in cortisol secretion (CS) often described in AI. To gain further insight about this topic, we performed a longitudinal study evaluating the rate of spinal and femoral bone loss levels in 24 females with AI. AI subjects were subdivided in two groups on the basis of the median of urinary cortisol secretion (UFC): group I (n = 12; UFC, <140.4 nmol/24 h) and group II (n = 12; UFC, >140.4 nmol/24 h). Spinal BMD was measured by both single energy quantitative computed tomography (L1-L4) and dual energy x-ray absorptiometry (DXA; L2-L4), and femoral BMD was determined by DXA. Bone loss rate was expressed as the change in z-score per yr. The spinal bone loss rate was higher (P < 0.005) in group II than in group I when measured by both quantitative computed tomography (-0.19 +/- 0.14 vs. 0.00 +/- 0.15) and DXA (-0.19 +/- 0.17 vs. 0.00 +/- 0.11). Moreover, CS and spinal bone loss rate were significantly correlated when patients were considered together. In conclusion, our data show that 1) AI patients with higher CS have increased lumbar trabecular bone loss rate than those with lower CS; and 2) the degree of spinal bone loss rate is related to the degree of CS. Thus, lumbar spine (LS) BMD has to be evaluated for well balanced decision-making on the treatment of choice for AI female patients.

The lumbar spine: imaging in rheumatic disease.

Seronegative inflammatory spondyloarthropathies include ankylosing spondylitis, psoriatic arthritis, Reiter syndrome, juvenile chronic arthritis and colitic arthritis. These diseases share some characteristics among which the most important is the presence of the histocompatibility antigen HLA B27; moreover the frequent overlapping of the various inflammation patterns have accounted for their classification in a single group. Diagnostic imaging can differentiate among the different forms only if the diagnostic algorithm, based on clinical history and laboratory findings is followed, considering the advantages and limitations of each method. In this respect, it should be kept in mind that the findings relative to the spine and sacroiliac joints allow to establish a definitive diagnosis.

Imaging in degenerative disease of the lumbar spine.

Degenerative disease involves all spinal components. Conventional radiology and digital radiology are the procedures of first choice in order to establish the diagnosis. CT and MRI should be considered of second choice, based on precise indications. The physiologic aspects of the spine during aging are differentiated from the degenerative alterations and relative complications specific of arthrosis with modern available imaging procedures.

Imaging of sacroiliac joints.

The early diagnosis of inflammatory and degenerative disease of sacroiliac joints is markedly difficult because the clinical pattern is not dissimilar from that of diseases involving the lumbar spine and sciatic nerve. Furthermore as in inflammations in general, when only structural changes in the synovial membrane and cartilage are involved, the findings of conventional radiology are often nondiagnostic. CT is now considered the gold standard procedure because in spite of its nonnegligible limitations, single lesions in the synovial and ligamentous compartments can be distinctively evidenced. MRI, unlike other procedures, affords the early nonspecific documentation of intrinsic and/or reactive alterations in the subchondral bone, therefore it appears to fill the gap between the onset of symptoms and the imaging visualization of sacroiliitis.

Combined imaging in spondylodiscitis.

At present, in spite of the advancement in antibiotic therapy no significant decrease in the incidence of spinal infections is observed: most likely, this is correlated to the increased immigration flows, high risk behaviors (drug addiction, alcoholism), immunosuppressive diseases (AIDS, leukemia, lymphoma), interventional procedures (iatrogenic causes). Early diagnosis, at times difficult and often misunderstood, is facilitated by the use of a correct diagnostic algorithm, supported by blood culture, needle aspiration and biopsy. Aim of this report was to evaluate the role of the different imaging procedures, CT and MRI in particular, for prompt correct therapeutic management.

Age-related changes assessed by peripheral QCT in healthy Italian women.

The purpose of this study was to describe the normal cross-sectional pattern of radial bone loss associated with aging in healthy women and to generate a normative database using peripheral quantitative computed tomography (pQCT). Subjects with suspected conditions affecting bone metabolism or receiving any drugs affecting bone mineralization were excluded. The trabecular bone mineral density (BMD) and the total bone density of the ultradistal radius at the nondominant forearm was measured using the Norland-Stratec XCT-960 pQCT scanner in 386 healthy pre-, peri-, and postmenopausal females aged 15-81 years. The long-term in vivo precision error was 1.6 % CV (coefficient of variation) for trabecular and 0.8% CV for total BMD measurements. The highest value of trabecular and total BMD measured was observed at the age group 15-39 years. Beyond these ages both trabecular and total BMD showed a linear decline with aging, decreasing by an overall slope of -1.28 and -0.55 mg/cm3 per year for total and trabecular BMD measurements, respectively. The test of parallelism between the regression slopes of the peri- and postmenopausal women showed a statistically significant difference for total BMD measurement (p = 0.003). Measurement of total and trabecular BMD was not influenced by weight, height or body mass index, but it was correlated with natural logarithm of years since menopause. We conclude that pQCT of the ultradistal radius is a precise method for measuring the true volumetric BMD and for detecting age-related bone loss in the trabecular and total bone of female subjects encompassing the adult age range and menopausal status.

MRI T-staging of laryngeal tumours: role of contrast medium.

Our aim was to evaluate the relative diagnostic accuracy of MRI without contrast medium and MRI before and after contrast medium in the assessment of T-staging of laryngeal tumours. We studied 25 men (mean age 51.8, range 41-61) with laryngeal squamous cell carcinomas, using Spin-echo (SE) T1-weighted and fast SE T2-weighted sequences. The T1-weighted sequences were then repeated after gadolinium-diethylene-triaminepenta-acetic acid (Gd DTPA) 0.1 ml/kg. All patients then underwent biopsy and surgery. Two radiologists independently assessed the anonymised images by filling-out two multiple-choice forms, one for each technique, at a 2 week interval. The forms included a judgement concerning tumour identification and infiltration of the anterior commissure, supraglottic region, arytenoid cartilage, Morgagni's ventricle, paraglottic space, thyroid and cricoid cartilages, thyro-hyo-epiglottic space, vocal cords, subglottic region, and epiglottis. Similar forms were filled out by the surgeon and the pathologist after surgery. The sensitivity, specificity and diagnostic accuracy of MRI were unaffected by the use of contrast medium. Since it did not provide additional staging information, its continued routine use in these cases is not justified.

Phalangeal US velocity discriminates between normal and vertebrally fractured subjects.

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the diagnostic sensitivity of phalangeal bone ultrasound velocity of the hand in the diagnosis of osteoporosis and to compare this technique to bone mineral density (BMD) measurement at the lumbar spine assessed by dual X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) and quantitative computed tomography (QCT). We investigated US velocity at the distal metaphysis of the proximal phalanx and spinal BMD in 101 women. Fifty-nine were healthy (mean age 50 +/- 11.6 years) and 42 were osteoporotic (mean age 65 +/- 6.6 years) with documented vertebral fractures. In the healthy population the relation with age was, respectively, r = -0.73 (p < 0. 0001) for quantitative US (QUS), r = -0.74 (p < 0.0001) for QCT and r = -0.48 (p < 0.01) for DXA. Both US and DXA were correlated with QCT: r = 0.74 and r = 0.77 (p < 0.0001), respectively. Correlation of QUS and DXA was r = 0.56 (p < 0.0001). Phalangeal US velocity and spinal BMD (QCT and DXA) values discriminate healthy from osteoporotic women. Age-adjusted logistic regression analysis of the data showed standardized odds ratios (OR) for vertebral fracture to be similar for US and DXA (OR = 1.8 and 1.5, respectively) and stronger for QCT (OR = 2.9). Phalangeal US velocity reflects age-related bone loss and differentiates between healthy and osteoporotic subjects.

Altered bone mass and turnover in female patients with adrenal incidentaloma: the effect of subclinical hypercortisolism.

The strategy of treatment for patients with adrenal incidentalomas (AI) may depend upon the presence of hormonal hypersecretion. Although alterations of bone turnover have been recently reported, data on bone mineral density (BMD) are not available in AI patients. We evaluated bone turnover and BMD in 32 female AI patients and 64 matched controls. Spinal and femoral BMD were similar in patients and controls. Serum bone GLA protein (6.8+/-3.5 vs. 8.8+/-3.2 ng/mL; P<0.005) and PTH (48.8+/-15.1 vs. 37.2+/-10.9 pg/mL; P<0.0001) were different in patients and controls. Patients were then subdivided into 2 groups: with (n = 8; group A) or without (n = 24; group B) subclinical hypercortisolism. PTH was higher (P<0.05) in group A than in group B and in both groups than in controls (57.1+/-13.6, 46.0+/-14.8, and 37.2+/-10.9 pg/mL, respectively), and bone GLA protein was lower in group A than in group B and controls (3.8+/-2.3, 7.5+/-3.1, and 8.8+/-3.2 ng/mL, respectively; P<0.05). Serum type I cross-linked C telopeptide and fasting urinary deoxypyridinoline/ creatinine were not different in the three groups. BMD at each site was lower (P<0.05) in group A than in group B and controls. Bone mass and metabolism are altered in AI patients with subclinical hypercortisolism and should be taken into account, therefore, when addressing the treatment of choice for these patients.

Congenital absence of the internal carotid artery.

We report three cases of congenital absence of an internal carotid artery (ICA), diagnosed incidentally by digital subtraction angiography. The analysis of the cases is based on the classification of segmental ICA agenesis proposed by Lasjaunias and Berenstein. Usually the patients with this rare vascular anomaly are asymptomatic; some may have symptoms related to cerebrovascular insufficiency, compression by enlarged intracranial collateral vessels, or complications associated with cerebral aneurysms. Diagnosis of congenital absence of ICA is made by skull base computed tomography (CT) scan, CT and magnetic resonance angiography, and conventional or digital subtraction angiography.

Diffuse idiopathic skeletal hyperostosis.

OBJECTIVE: To describe the axial and appendicular skeleton findings of diffuse idiopathic skeletal hyperostosis. To analyze the role of conventional radiography, computed tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in the diagnosis of this condition. To discuss the differential diagnosis and diagnostic pitfalls of this disease. MATERIAL AND METHODS: The involvement of vertebral and extravertebral sites including the pelvis, calcaneum, ulnar olecranon, and patella is frequently found in the literature. The lesions described are the anterior and lateral ossification of the spine, hyperostosis at sites of tendon and ligament insertion, ligamentous ossification, and periarticular osteophytes. The criteria for the diagnosis of diffuse idiopathic skeletal hyperostosis involving the spine are: flowing ossification along the anterior and anterolateral aspects of at least four contiguous vertebrae, preserved intervertebral disc height, no bony ankylosis of the posterior spinal facet joints, and finally no erosion, sclerosis or bony ankylosis of the sacroiliac joints. RESULTS: The disease has about the same frequency in men (65%) and women (35%); it is most common in the thoracic spine and occurs less frequently in the lumbar and cervical spine. The disease most commonly presents in the sixth and seventh decades of life and its estimated frequency in the elderly is 5-15%. Signs and symptoms include stiffness and pain in the back, dysphagia due to direct esophageal compression/distorsion, pain related to associated tendinitis, myelopathy related to core compression associated to the ossification of the posterior longitudinal ligament, and pain related to vertebral complications--e.g. fracture/subluxation. CONCLUSION: While conventional radiography clearly confirms the diagnosis of diffuse idiopathic skeletal hyperostosis, CT and MRI better detect associated findings (e.g. ossification of the posterior longitudinal ligament) and complications (e.g. spinal cord compressive myelomalacia).

Alterations of bone turnover and bone mass at different skeletal sites due to pure glucocorticoid excess: study in eumenorrheic patients with Cushing's syndrome.

The aim of the present investigation was to study the effect of glucocorticoid excess on bone mass and turnover not influenced by other diseases known to affect skeleton and/or by different gonadal status and sex. We studied several markers of bone turnover and bone mineral density (BMD) by both quantitative computed tomography (at spine and forearm) and dual x-ray absorptiometry (at spine and three femoral sites) in 18 eugonadal female patients affected by Cushing's syndrome (CS) compared to 24 eugonadal healthy female subjects matched for age and body mass index. In CS patients, serum bone Gla protein, a marker of osteoblastic function, was reduced (3.28 +/- 2.3 vs. 6.47 +/- 2.5; P < 0.01), and bone resorption was increased, as indicated by increased urinary hydroxyproline (36.6 +/- 12 vs. 29.0 +/- 9.1, P < 0.05) and urinary deoxypyridinoline (22.1 +/- 8.0 vs. 16.4 +/- 6.3; P < 0.05). BMD was significantly (P < 0.05 or P < 0.01) reduced at all sites, except cortical forearm, in CS patients compared to controls. By comparing z-scores of reduced BMD in CS patients, spinal trabecular BMD was found to be the most severely affected. Furthermore, disease activity, as measured by urinary free cortisol, was significantly correlated with bone Gla protein (r = -0.57; P < 0.02), urinary hydroxyproline (r = 0.57; P < 0.02), urinary deoxypyridinoline (r = 0.48, P < 0.05), and BMD measured at spine and femur. Our results show that compared to matched control subjects, female eumenorrheic CS patients have reduced osteoblastic function, increased bone resorption, and reduced BMD, and that the severity of these abnormalities is statistically related to the severity of disease activity, as indicated by urinary free cortisol. Moreover, our data suggest a site and tissue specificity of the effect of glucocorticoid excess on bone mass.

A photograph-based study of the incidence of fatal truck underride crashes in Indiana.

Photographs were used to estimate the incidence of fatal crashes in which passenger vehicles underrode the fronts, sides and rears of large trucks in Indiana during 1993. The photographs were obtained for 98 of the 107 eligible fatal crashes between large trucks and passenger vehicles in 1993. A protocol was developed to judge the presence and extent of underride, the presence of intrusion into the passenger vehicle compartment, and the likelihood of death or serious injury if underride had been prevented. The incidence of fatal underride was compared with the incidence reported in the Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS), a census of fatal crashes on public roads in the U.S.A. For the same 107 fatal large truck-passenger vehicle crashes, the incidence of underride reported in FARS was much lower than in the photograph-based study: 6 versus 63%. Photographs contain details absent from police reports, the primary data source for FARS, and thus enable more complete identification of underride crashes. Preventing underride would have substantially reduced the likelihood of death or serious injury in ca 20% of the underride crashes.