[Hypernatremia. Etiopathogenetic classification and description of a rare clinical case]. / Le ipernatremie. Inquadramento etiopatogenetico e descrizione di un raro caso clinico.

On the basis of a rare case of hypernatremia, the essential lines which allow a correct diagnostic and therapeutic approach to hypernatremia are underlined. Hypernatremia is classified according to the patient's state of hydratation and on the content of sodium as: hypovoloemic, euvolemic and hypervolemic. Even the concentrations of sodium in urine are often of great importance for a correct diagnosis. The patient studied suffered from hypernatremia, which is based on genetical factors. The state of dehydration, together with hypovolemia and acute tubular necrosis secondary to rhabdomyolisis, were the causes of hypernatremia. The above mentioned causes were resolved but an enterocutaneous fistula showed to be the cause, quite rare, of hypernatremia. It is suggested that this rare cause should always be mentioned when diagnosing hypernatremia; which it is important since this cause could be solved with an operation. All this was useless in our case since the patient had a drastic deterioration of his general clinical conditions.

[Reflections on mesenteric infarct]. / Riflessioni sull'infarto mesenterico.

The authors relate their statistic about mesenteric infarction in the last five years and they get out the starting point in order to check the characteristics of a disease, which is today distinguished by an infaust prognosis. After few mentions about etiopathology and pathologic anatomy they keep their attention on clinic manifestations of disease and on diagnostic research. After dealing with medical and surgical therapy they declare how more refined diagnostic technique could help early diagnosis and consequently decrease morbidity and morbidity, which are completely unacceptable.

[Primitive adenocarcinoma of the duodenum. Description of two clinical cases]. / Adenocarcinoma primitivo del duodeno. Descrizione di due casi clinici.

Two cases of a primitive adenocarcinoma of the duodenum are presented. Both cancers were localized near the papilla. Duodenocephalopancreatectomy was the surgical treatment for each patient. One patient died of myocardial infarction eight months after surgery, without any sign of recurrence of the cancer; the other is in good health three months after surgery. The rarity of such a tumor is underlined: in 44 papers published in various journals from 1971 to 1993, 88 cases of primitive adenocarcinoma of the duodenum were examined; the average number of cases per author was two. Between 1980 and 1993, an Italian multicenter study carried out in 36 hospital and university centers, showed only 89 cases of primitive duodenal adenocarcinoma.

[Laser therapy of esophageal tumors. Technical notes and personal experience]. / Il trattamento dei tumori esofagei con laser. Note di tecnica ed esperienza personale.

In Italy the incidence of oesophageal cancer is very low: 4 cases every 100,000. More than 60% of patients are observed with dysphagia and oesophageal stenosis. For these patients their is no surgical indication and prognosis is less than 1 year. We have applied the recanalization of oesophagus with laser in 137 patients (range 47-88 years). One year survival was 53.1%, three years 5.8%. The aim of this paper is to describe our techniques and analyze 5 years of activity.

[Malignant tumors of the stomach, colon and rectum. Statistico-epidemiological considerations]. / I tumori maligni dello stomaco e del colon retto. Considerazioni statistico-epidemiologiche.

Mortality figures for tumours of the stomach and colon-rectum in Italy over a 20 year period and divided by age classes, show a reduction in gastric cancer (-33%) and an increase in colo-rectal cancer (+63%). The incidence of mortality by region (greater in the North, less in the South) and town is analysed. Possible relations between varying customs and the onset of tumours in different sites of the gastro-enteric apparatus are recalled.