High prevalence of abdominal aortic aneurysm in patients with inguinal hernia.

AIMS: There is increased prevalence of inguinal hernia (ΙΗ) in patients with abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA). As there is limited data on AAA in patients with ΙΗ our objective was to examine the prevalence of AAA in such patients. METHODS: We prospectively examined 185 consecutive patients for AAA who presented to our department for surgical repair of an ΙΗ. All patients were referred for ultrasound of the abdominal aorta. An AAA was considered to be present when the distal diameter of the abdominal aorta was over 3 cm. Patients with no AAA were followed annually with an abdominal ultrasound for 5 years. RESULTS: Out of the 185 patients (179 males, 6 females) aged from 35-81 (mean 58.6 years), AAA initially appeared in 28 patients with a mean age 61.2 years old. The range of the aortic distal diameter was between 3.4 and 8.1 cm with a mean diameter of 4.8 cm in patients with AAA. The prevalence of the ΑΑΑ was increased in smokers, with hypertension and with bilateral and direct hernia. At the end of the 5 years follow-up, 16 more patients had developed an AAA of mean diameter 3.2 cm (3-4.1 cm), increasing the prevalence of AAA to 27.7%. CONCLUSION: There is an increased prevalence of AAA in patients with ΙΗ, especially in smokers, with hypertension and with bilateral and/or direct hernia. Hence, periodic ultrasonound may play an important role in screening and early diagnosis of AAA in these patients.

Double primary venous aneurysm of the small saphenous vein.

Venous aneurysms are rare lesions and of little significance in every day clinical practice. While in many cases asymptomatic they can be the cause of great morbidity due to thrombosis and subsequent possibility of pulmonary embolism. Venous aneurysms are classified in deep and superficial according to affected vein. The diagnosis is based mainly on Doppler ultrasound, while computed tomography, magnetic resonance imaging and venography provide more details. Treatment of venous aneurysms should be surgical. We present a case of a double aneurysm of the lesser saphenous vein which according to our knowledge is the first case reported in literature. KEY WORDS: Superficial veins, Varices, Venous.

Examining the relationship between recreational sport participation and intrinsic and extrinsic motivation and amotivation.

This study aimed at investigating the effect of motivational dimensions proposed by Pelletier, et al. in 1995, both on sport participation levels and on intention for continuing participation among adult recreational sport participants. Two hundred and fifty-seven adult individuals, who reported participation in some type of sport and physical activity, completed the Sport Motivation Scale and a scale measuring intention. The study provided evidence to suggest that increased motivation leads to increased participation. Amotivation significantly decreased from the least to the most frequent participant groups, while both extrinsic and intrinsic motivation followed the reverse pattern. The results also indicated that increased intrinsic motivation to gain knowledge and accomplishment and extrinsic motivation (introjected regulation) are positively correlated with individuals' intentions to continue participation, while amotivation is negatively related. These results provide limited support for the self-determination theory. Implications for sport participation promotion are discussed.

Self-determination in sport commitment.

The study tested utility of self-determination and sport commitment theories to understanding young athletes' sport commitment. 343 young athletes (M= 13.5 yr., SD= +/- 1.1) from soccer, basketball, volleyball, handball, and water polo teams volunteered to participate. All completed the Sport Motivation Scale and the Sport Commitment Questionnaire. Pearson correlations showed a strong relationship between commitment and intrinsic motivation scores. In contrast, extrinsic motivation scores were not significantly correlated to commitment, whereas amotivation scores showed a negative correlation to commitment. Path analysis resulted in strong positive association of intrinsic motivation and commitment. Amotivation had small negative relation to commitment. According to the model tested, social constraints and involvement opportunities were not significant contributors to sport commitment. An alternative model supported the mediating role of enjoyment to psychological commitment. The results showed that high self-determination is supportive of sport commitment, whereas low self-determination reduces sport commitment.