Health related quality of life in adults with repaired tetralogy of Fallot: psychosocial and cognitive outcomes.

OBJECTIVE: To assess the health related quality of life of patients who were operated on during childhood for total correction of tetralogy of Fallot, focusing on the psychosocial and cognitive outcomes. PATIENTS: 54 patients (24 men and 30 women, mean (SD) age 32 (4) years), operated on for total correction of tetralogy of Fallot at mean age of 8.2 years, underwent a cardiological examination, psychological assessment (semistructured interview, Minnesota multiphasic personality inventory), evaluation of quality of life (36 item short form health survey), and neuropsychological assessment with an extensive neuropsychological battery of tests. RESULTS: Psychological characteristics-(1) a lower than normal academic level, (2) a job inadequate for educational level, (3) a preference for an overprotective familiar setting, and (4) a difficulty communicating own corporal image. Denial of the cardiopathy was found to be a common behaviour to normalise functioning. Very few patients had a deficit in memory, learning, or attention functions; rather, patients had a deficit in the executive functions, problem solving, and planning strategies. CONCLUSIONS: Despite a satisfactory health related quality of life, there are residual psychological and social problems in addition to impaired cognitive outcomes in the presence of a normal intelligence quotient.

[Oral surgery and histologic reports: the incidence of various diseases in eastern Sicily]. / Chirurgia orale e referti istologici: considerazioni sull'incidenza delle varie pathologie in Sicilia orientale.

According to the histological exams executed from January 1975 to June 1988, the authors assessed the frequency in the years, in the sex and in the decades and of the pathology surgery executed. For simplicity of graphic representation, the authors subdivided the pathologies in nine groups: phlogistic trial, cysts, epulis, leukoplakia and precancerous lesion, epithelial tumor, connectival tumor, vascular tumor and osseous tumor. With the voice "other" we consider some neoplasies which are not numerous and which are not differently classificable. According to the present statistics numerous operations are excluded like dysodontiasis, dental embedding, fractures, supernumerary teeth and so on. The authors ascertained on elevated frequency of cysts and of osteitis of maxillary bone caused by an inadequate and late treatment of the cavity. During the passing of the years the incidence of phlogistic trial is particularly reduced while the cysts presented a notable increase. Comparison of leukoplakia was exceptional while among the tumors predominate the epithelial tumors one. According to the presented information the Authors come to an end hoping a more preventive sensibility of people and dentistries.

[Therapeutic choices in myeloma]. / La scelta terapeutica nel mieloma.

After having considered the elements which can rightly address to a precox diagnosis of the multiple myeloma, the AA. analyse the principal laboratory exams. Then, they refer about different therapeutic certificates underlining that the obtained results by the Prof. Reizenstein and Mathè teams are nearly corresponding. They discuss about the compositions and posologies of the most present therapeutic certificates underlining the importance of a precox diagnosis.