Post-traumatic aneurysm of the radial artery: A case report.

An aneurysm is defined as a permanent localized dilation of an artery with a diameter increased by more than 50% compared to the normal diameter. An aneurism arising from the radial artery of the wrist is a rare injury and it usually occurs after a blunt trauma or as an iatrogenic injury. This paper presents the case of a 47-year-old patient with a pulsating swelling at the volar surface of the right wrist. Clinical diagnosis of aneurysm of the radial artery was confirmed by ultrasound (US) imaging. This case is reported because of the rarity of the pathology and to highlight the effectiveness of US as an important tool for further investigation and confirmation of clinical diagnosis.An aneurysm is defined as a permanent localized dilation of an artery with a diameter increased by more than 50% compared to the normal diameter. An aneurism arising from the radial artery of the wrist is a rare injury and it usually occurs after a blunt trauma or as an iatrogenic injury. This paper presents the case of a 47-year-old patient with a pulsating swelling at the volar surface of the right wrist. Clinical diagnosis of aneurysm of the radial artery was confirmed by ultrasound (US) imaging. This case is reported because of the rarity of the pathology and to highlight the effectiveness of US as an important tool for further investigation and confirmation of clinical diagnosis.

[Efficacy of Cellfood's therapy (deutrosulfazyme) in fibromyalgia]. / Efficacia del trattamento con Cellfood (deutrosulfazyme) nella fibromialgia.

OBJECTIVE: To assess the efficacy of Cellfood's therapy in the treatment of fibromyalgia. METHODS: This study was a single-blind, cross-over, randomized placebo-controlled trial. Forty female were selected from 320 cases investigated in the period 2003-2005 of June. To be included in this study, it was required that the diagnosis of fibromyalgia was made by a specialist in according to the ACR classification criteria of 1990. The patient's age was between 35-47 years, the choice of criteria were the absence of improvements with the conventional therapy and the normality of medical check-up. The patients were divided into two different-groups of thirty-one and nine subjects, each-one (group A) treated with Cellfood for six months in according to the Eurodream's scheme, and each-other (group B) treated with placebo for three months and successively with Cellfood for three months. Besides we have estimated the tender points with algometer and the health status of women with the Fibromyalgia Impact Questionnaire (FIQ) at the baseline (T0) and at three (T1) and six month (T2). RESULT: The group A had an appreciable improvement of the parameters at T1 statistically significant compared to the group B, while we observed a stability of they at T2 on the group A and an improvement of the parameters of the group B statistically non significant compared to each-one. CONCLUSION: Our result suggest that the Cellfood's therapy improve fibromyalgia symptoms and health-related quality of life.

[Prevalence of rheumatoid arthritis in North Sardinia: the Tempio Pausania's study]. / Prevalenza dell'artrite reumatoide nel Nord Sardegna: lo studio di Tempio Pausania.

OBJECTIVE: To estimate the prevalence of rheumatoid arthritis in an Italian general population. METHODS: The study was conducted in the years 2002-2003 in Tempio Pausania's health district located on the North Sardinia and involved 30264 subjects aged 18 years or more treated by 29 general practices (GP). The GP was contact first by phone and letter and secondly a Rheumatologist administered a structured interview that included a screening questionnaire for RA. Cases were defined by the 1987 American College of rheumatology criteria adapted to epidemiological surveys. Every cases were examined by Rheumatologist and General practices together. The age and sex distribution of the sample were similar to those of the Italian population from the 2001 census. RESULT: Of the 141 subjects who fulfilled the inclusion criteria, there were 113 women and 28 men, with a mean age at diagnosis of 45 years. The prevalence of RA was 0,46% in the general population, 0,73% in women and 0,19% in men. CONCLUSION: Our results suggest that the prevalence of RA is comparable to that reported in other Mediterranean countries. Women are more affected than men. Our prevalence is higher than that observed in Chiavari in 1992.