[The role of echotomography in sports traumatology of the lower extremity]. / Ruolo dell'ecotomografia nella traumatologia da sport dell'arto inferiore.

Sonography, which is commonly used in the evaluation of muscular traumas following exercise, quite often provides the radiologist with normal findings. One hundred and fifty-nine athletes were considered (170 US examinations), and the clinical diagnoses the patients had been referred for were compared with US findings: the pathologic condition was confirmed in 59% of the cases, while the extant 41% had normal findings. The highest percentage of positive findings was observed in the Achilles tendon region (75%), while the figure dropped to 38% in the thigh. In the latter location, muscular ruptures were confirmed in 69% of the cases, versus 17% in case of muscular distraction. As for the Achilles tendon, pathologic conditions both along the axis and in the insertion of the tendon were confirmed in 20% of the cases, but clinical accuracy was improved by US in 47% and 20% of the patients, respectively, and the diagnosis was changed in 10% and 20% of the cases, respectively. Therefore, clinical accuracy was demonstrated to depend on the pathologic condition as well as on the anatomical region involved.

The biological tumor markers' myopia: a model with CA 125 and second-look in ovarian cancer.

Preoperative CA 125 levels were measured in 36 patients with advanced epithelial ovarian carcinoma in clinical response undergoing a second-look operation. All the patients had positive levels (greater than 35 U/ml) of this tumor marker at diagnosis. The correlation between antigen levels and disease status at surgery revealed a sensitivity of this assay of 0.55 (only 11/20 patients still with tumor had positive levels) and a specificity of 0.94 (15/16 patients with no tumor had less than 35 U/ml). The predictive value of a positive test was 0.92. This method unfortunately proved unable to recognize microscopic residual tumor burden, less than 0.5 cm.

[X-ray features of the long-term follow-up (l0-12 years) of the Charnley hip prosthesis fixed with acrylic cement]. / Quadri radiografici a distanza (10-12 anni) delle protesiarticolari d'anca di Charnley fissate con cemento acrilico.

A long term follow-up (10 divided by 12 years) of Charnley total hip arthroplasties fixed with radiopaque acrylic cement is reported. Clinical results and X-rays features have been correlated and discussed with reference to the bone reaction and to the diagnostic possibilities of standard radiographs. A radiographic diagnosis of loosening preceding relevant clinical symptom may allow revision arthroplasty before anatomical situation becomes too deteriorated.