[Treatment of varicocele in the pediatric age: videolaparoscopic versus "traditional" open techniques]. / Trattamento del varicocele in età pediatrica: tecnica VLS vs open.

AIM: Varicocele is determined by an ectasia of the veins of the pampinous plexus, and its incidence ranges from 2% to 16% in the different ages. Etiology and pathogenic mechanism are not clear; on the other hand it is absolutely certain that an early onset of varicocele in the pre-puberal age can heavily condition testicular development and function, with a condition of hypo-infertility which will be irreversible in the adult age. Up to date, there are not clear data allowing to state a "gold standard" therapy, although there is a general goodwill in affirming the usefulness of an early operation to prevent a gonadic damage. The aim of our study was to carry out an accurate analysis of post-operative clinical and instrumental data and to point out advantages and disadvantages of the traditional surgical technique versus the more recent videolaparoscopic technique (VLS). METHODS: Twenty-eight patients were consecutively treated for hydiopathic, III Horner degree, I Coolsaet degree left varicocele. In the first 15 patients an "open" operation was performed, while in the other 13 VLS technique according to Palomo was used. RESULTS: Follow-up, based on 9 different parameters, such as duration of hospitalisation and postoperative recovery was continued for a mean period of 18,67 months. CONCLUSIONS: An analysis of the results showed that both techniques are effective, although VLS can offer advantages as far as reduction of hospitalisation, reduction of duration of operation and postoperative recovery are concerned, as well as an increasing of compliance due to a better cosmetic result.

Automatic analysis of high resolution atrial activation in mitral valve stenosis.

High resolution P-waves of 28 patients having a mean age of 45 years and affected by isolated mitral valve stenosis (nine of whom showed paroxysmal atrial fibrillation) have been compared with those obtained from 30 healthy subjects about 35 years old. Our primary aim was to characterize the signal-averaged P-wave in mitral valve stenosis. Parameters which differed between the two groups in time domain analysis were the P-wave duration, the abscissa of the maximum positive voltage amplitude, the peak-to-peak amplitude and the integrated voltage-time product, which turned out to be greater in the patient class than in the healthy set; furthermore, in the frequency domain analysis, amplitudes in the range from 37 to 60 Hz were greater in healthy subjects than in patients. A successive analysis carried out to predict those patients with mitral valve stenosis who are at risk of developing paroxysmal atrial fibrillation showed that the P-wave duration and the amplitudes (in the range 60-106 Hz) were the most distinctive parameters, but, unfortunately, without any significant difference with respect to those of patients with mitral valve stenosis alone. Finally, some correlations between the age, the P-wave duration and the left atrial diameter of patients, were revealed to exist only in patients affected by episodes of atrial fibrillation.

Anomalies in geophysical and geochemical parameters revealed on the occasion of the Spitak (M=6.9) earthquake

On the ocasion of the Spitak earthquake (December 7, 1988) irregularities in several geophysical and geochemical parameters were revealed. In this paper data on anomalies in the water level in deep wells and in the helium content in thermal waters are presented. Data were collected from sites located in Georgia. The presented anomalies can be attributed to the processes that preceded and accompanied the earthquake; the presence of a time delay in the onset of the helium content anomalies at different sites could be an indication of the stress propagation.(AU)