The contribution of vision in dynamic spontaneous sways of male classical dancers according to student or professional level.

We investigated the involvement of vision in the regulation of dynamic equilibrium in male children and young adults performing a physical activity requiring a high level of spatial skill: self-induced body sways of ballet dancers on a free unstable platform, 45 professional male dancers (Paris Opera) participated in the study. They included two student groups (beginners and confirmed) and two performer groups (adolescent and adult). They maintained their equilibrium on the platform under different visual and position conditions. The displacement of the seesaw platform were calculated from accelerometer measures. Fast Fourier transform processing of stabilograms allowed spectral frequency analysis. The total spectrum energy and the energies of the three frequency bands (0-0.5 Hz, 0.5-2 Hz, 2-20 Hz) were determined. For all groups, ANOVA indicated that values were higher for eyes-closed than for eyes-open conditions. The visual dependence differed according to age: for 14-year-old students the postural control for dynamic equilibrium was less visually dependent than for 11-year-old students. The 18-year-old dancers, although professional, were more dependent on vision than 14-year-old student dancers. These 18-year-old dancers were still adolescent because they had recently undergone growth acceleration which could disturb their proprioceptive references and internal body representations. Thus, visual input may dominate over the other sensory inputs in the regulation of postural control.

[Acute diverticulitis of the cecum]. / Diverticolite acuta del cieco.

Following a brief introduction regarding the epidemiology of diverticular disease, the authors report a rare case of diverticulitis of the cecum which had developed into an abscess. The patient was a 37-year-old man who was referred to the authors' attention with classic symptoms of acute appendicitis and it was therefore decided to operate. During laparotomy a small paracecal abscess involving a diverticulum with suppurating infection was found on the anterior wall of the cecum, whereas the appendix appeared to be completely unaffected. The diverticulum was removed together with a small area of the surrounding healthy tissue using a double-layer suture of the cecal wall. In the discussion the authors analyse the similarities and rarities of the case and compare it with national and international findings. Special attention is drawn to the problems of differential diagnosis raised by this rare pathology. In conclusion, the authors state that it is difficult to make a preoperative diagnosis and that therefore the decision to operate must be extemporary.

[Observations on cancer metastasis from an unknown primary location]. / Considerazioni sulle metastasi da cancro a sede primitiva sconosciuta.

Following a short introduction in which the criteria used to classify patients suffering from cancer metastasis from an occult primary location are defined, the paper reports two cases of this type: an omental metastasis occluding the upper colon and an inguinal lymph node metastasis. Referring to the international literature, the Authors then analyse the reasons for the inability to recognise the neoplasm, its incidence, patients survival, the most appropriate diagnostic course and possible treatment of these cases. In conclusion, over and above the definition of a truly autonomous nosological status of metastasis of unknown origin, it is important to follow a correct diagnostic procedure in order to establish the most appropriate form of therapy.

[Leiomyosarcoma of the duodenum]. / Il leiomiosarcoma del duodeno.

The paper reports the case of a patient with leiomyosarcoma of the duodenum who underwent radical duodenocephalopancreatectomy and survived for 22 months after the operation. Following a review of the international literature on the topic, the diagnostic procedures and prognostic criteria of this uncommon tumour are discussed. In conclusion, leiomyosarcoma always presents considerable problems of diagnosis even with the aid of biopsy and only surgery can lead to recovery in a limited number of cases.

[Submucosal lipomas of the cecum. A case report]. / I lipomi sottomucosi del cieco. Descrizione di un caso.

The paper reports a case of submucous lipoma of the cecum. The difficulty of clinical diagnosis is underlined on account of aspecific symptoms, and in fact it is uncommon for diagnosis to be made on the basis of X-rays. Colonoscopy, in particular using bioptic techniques, allows the nature of the lipoma to be diagnosed, and in addition may act as an excellent therapeutic instrument.

[Spontaneous hematoma of the musculus rectus sheath]. / Ematoma spontaneo della guaina del muscolo retto.

Spontaneous haematoma of the musculus rectus is a rare event and can lead to a clinical picture comparable to what is seen in acute abdomen, thus posing a differential diagnosis problem. Three personally observed cases are reported, stress being laid on the fact that echography, in the light of clinical and laboratory data, made correct diagnosis possible. On the basis of clinical and echographic findings, one patient was subjected to surgical treatment and the others to conservative medical treatment because of the small dimensions of haematoma.

[A case of primary lymphoma of the rectum]. / Considerazioni su un caso di linfoma primitivo del retto.

The Authors describe a case of primary rectal lymphoma. The primitive involvement of this area is infrequent. The Authors emphasize the difficulty of preoperative diagnosis. The therapeutic approach should allow for correct staging which is only obtained by means of diagnostic studies aimed at excluding multicentric localisation. Sensitivity to radiotherapy has led the Authors to propose it as primary treatment, at least in stage I; surgery must be considered elective in stage II or in cases of need. Chemotherapy is indicated alone or in association with radiotherapy or surgery.

[Spleen autotransplant. Natural history and description of a case]. / L'autotrapianto di milza. Storia naturale e descrizione di un caso.

After considering the natural history of spleen auto-transplant, a clinical case followed up for seven months with instrumental (echography, scintigraphy) and humoral (Jolly bodies, Heinz bodies, reticulocytes, platelets, complement, immune globulin) examinations has been considered so as to verify "take" and function. One months after reimplantation the patient was again operated on for the onset of an intestinal occlusion due to adherences. On that occasion it was possible to control that the implant had taken. It is concluded that personally used parameters proved to be well correlated and that scintigraphy and echography are two complementary, effective techniques for monitoring auto-transplants.

[Tubercular enteral fistulas]. / Le fistole enteriche tubercolari.

Personal experience in the treatment of two cases of postoperative tubercular enterocutaneous fistula is reported. This complication of abdominal tuberculosis is rather rare and may be a consequence of tubercular enteritis or of an extraintestinal localisation.

[Echographic identification of symptomatic gastric carcinoma and its lymph node metastases]. / Identificazione ecografica del carcinoma gastrico sintomatico e delle sue metastasi linfonodali.

The diagnostic capability of ultrasound in symptomatic gastric cancer is stressed, on the basis of a prospective study of 64 neoplastic and 19 non-neoplastic patients. Aspecific signs are described which suggest the presence of five layers within the gastric wall as an index of absence of disease. The prospective importance of ultrasound investigation in 5 neoplastic patients with aspecific symptoms is emphasized.

Development of antibodies reactive in antibody-dependent cellular cytotoxicity in infectious mononucleosis.

Serial sera from patients with infectious mononucleosis were examined for the emergence of antibodies reactive in antibody-dependent cellular cytotoxicity tests, using Epstein-Barr virus-superinfected Raji cells as targets. For this specific purpose, the antibody-dependent cellular cytotoxicity test proved to be of limited sensitivity because only relatively high serum dilutions can be tested dependably, due to prozone effects at low serum concentrations, and because antibody-dependent cellular cytotoxicity reactions at the 5% level are not always statistically significant. Under the conditions of the test, antibody-dependent cellular cytotoxicity-reactive antibodies were not measurable, or only barely measurable, in early-acute-phase sera, but they became detectable during convalescence and increased thereafter, gradually over many months to the range of titers seen in healthy persons after long-past-primary Epstein-Barr virus infections. The percentages of antibody-dependent cellular cytotoxicity ultimately attained were on the order of 20% in most patients and healthy individuals, but in others did not exceed 10%. The likely identity of the antibodies reactive in the test with antibodies to late Epstein-Barr virus-determined cell membrane antigens has been discussed.

Isolation and characterization of a neuroblastoma cell line from peripheral blood in a patient with disseminated disease.

Circulation in the blood stream of neuroblastoma cells was confirmed by establishment of a cell line from the peripheral blood of a child with disseminated disease. The morphologic, enzymatic, and chromosomal pattern of this cell line was similar to a cell line established from the primary tumor on a previous occasion. The peripheral blood smear did not demonstrate tumor cells but increased numbers of atypical monocytes; lymphoblasts were evident, which may have been unrecognized neuroblasts.