[Clinical heterogeneity of Kawasaki disease]. / Eterogeneità clinica della malattia di Kawasaki.

Kawasaki's disease is a systemic vasculitis typical of infancy that affects children under five years old. Given that it is important to make an early diagnosis and to start prompt treatment of this disease owing to possible cardiac complications, even in the long term, the authors felt it important to report a number of cases referred to their attention in order to underline the polymorphism of onset. The symptoms that are considered to be typical of the disease, namely fever, laterocervical adenopathy, alterations of the extremities, polymorphous rash, orolabial modifications, conjunctival hyperemia, can often be masked by the symptoms provoked by the possible involvement of all the organs and apparatuses.

[Can breast feeding prevent atopic dermatitis? Epidemiologic study of 144 cases]. / L'allattamento al seno può prevenire una dermatite atopica? Studio epidemiologico su 144 casi.

A retrospective epidemiological investigation was conducted on 144 infants in order to discover the connection between breast feeding and the appearance of allergic disease. The data obtained indicate that: mothers' milk offers no such protection and at most may delay the onset of symptoms in respiratory allergic diseases. In contrast, it seems that atopic dermatitis arises earlier in breast fed babies, particularly if the mother is atopic.

[What role does the immune system play in the condition of a double form of atopy? Note I. Considerations on the behavior of the lymphocyte population and the immunoglobulins in children with atopic dermatitis in whom asthma develops]. / Quale ruolo gioca il sistema immunitario nel condizionare una forma duplice di atopia? Nota I. Considerazioni sul comportamento delle popolazioni linfocitarie e delle immunoglobuline in bambini affetti da dermatite atopica in cui si è sviluppato asma.

Certain humoral and cellular immunological parameters were assessed in patients with either pure atopic dermatitis or dermatitis combined with asthma in order to discover if there were any significant differences between the two clinical forms. The study was conducted on 15 children of both sexes who were investigated for a familial history of atopy, serum immunoglobulins including the IgE group and certain lymphocyte populations. The data reveal that apart from the immunoglobulins, the other immunological parameters perform no differently in pure dermatitis than in dermatitis and asthma. It is therefore deduced that the immunological damage might be caused by the basic eczema.

[Contribution and considerations on cranio-facial abnormalities caused by chromosomic aberrations in children]. / Contributo e considerazioni sulle malformazioni cranio-facciali da aberrazioni cromosomiche in soggetti di età pediatrica.

Sociological and clinical aspects concerning the craniofacial malformations resulting from chromosome abnormalities are discussed; paediatrician role in this field is pointed out.