SISTINE 3.0: Wearable System for Remote Functional Assessment of Phlebopathics.

Phlebopathic diseases are chronic conditions that impact the health status and affect functional capacity. We developed SISTINE 3.0, a wearable system for remote monitoring of patients, and the aim of the study is to evaluate whether it can detect differences between participants with phlebology and healthy ones. Twelve patients and five healthy subjects performed a 3-metres Timed-Up-Go wearing SISTINE 3.0 system. The results support the system's potential to discriminate participants, especially based on the linear walking and turning angular velocity.

Echocolor Doppler morpho-functional study of the jugulo-subclavian confluence in chronic cerebro-spinal venous insufficiency and multiple sclerosis patients.

OBJECTIVES: The aim of this work is to measure the mean diameter of the confluence jugulo- subclavian, the impact of different types of jugular confluences and the correlation between the types of confluences and the Valsalva maneuver (jugular reflux) in subjects with Chronic Cerebro-Spinal Venous Insufficiency (CCSVI) and Multiple Sclerosis. METHOD: We investigated by Echo-Color-Doppler (ECD) 103 subjects (67 F 36M) of mean age 45 ± 12 years (a minimum of 22 to a maximum of 79 years, with a median of 44 and a modal value 42 years), mean EDSS of 4.7 and average disease duration of 12 years. RESULTS: The 103 right jugular veins investigated had an average diameter of 8.4 ± 2.4 mm (minimum 4.0, maximum 14.9 mm; median 7.9; modal value 7.6 mm). Three form types were found: 56 cylindrical, 29 conical and 18 funnel. Valsalva maneuver was positive in 30 patients. The 103 left jugular investigated had an average diameter of 8.9 ± 2.4 mm (minimum 2.8, maximum 14.4 mm; median of 8.8; modal value 8.7 mm). The form types were found: 42 cylindrical, 45 conical and 16 funnel. Valsalva maneuver was positive in 30 patients. CONCLUSIONS: The mean diameter of the jugular veins was 8.7 mm. Internal jugular veins with cylindrical morphology have a diameter smaller than other forms; this difference is statistically significant. The different morphology of the jugular vein confluence does not increase the possibility of a reflux because the positive Valsalva maneuvers are not statistically significant when compared to the various types. KEY WORDS: CCSVI, EchoColorDoppler Map, Jugulo-Subclavian Confluence Diameter.

Venous compression syndrome of internal jugular veins prevalence in patients with multiple sclerosis and chronic cerebro-spinal venous insufficiency.

OBJECTIVES: Analysis of the incidence of Venous Compression Syndrome (VCS) with full block of the flow of the internal jugular veins (IJVs) in patients with Multiple Sclerosis and Chronic cerebro-spinal venous insufficiency. METHODS: We included 769 patients with MS and CCSVI (299 males, 470 females) and 210 controls without ms and ccsvi (92 males, 118 females). each subject was investigated by echo-color-doppler (ecd). morphological and hemodynamic ecd data were recorded by a computerized mem-net maps of epidemiological national observatory on ccsvi and they were analyzed by mem-net clinical analysis programs. RESULTS: VCS of IJVs occurs in 240 subjects affected by CCSVI and MS (31% of total) and in 12 controls (6% of total). The differences between the two groups are statistical significant (X² = 36.64, p<0.0001). CONCLUSION: Up to day there are no longitudinal studies that allow us to identify the WC of jugular and/or vertebral veins as etiology of a chronic neurodegenerative disease, but we note that Venous Compression Syndrome of IJVs is strongly associated with MS and CCSVI. KEY WORDS: Chronic Cerebro-Spinal Venous Insufficiency, Multiple Sclerosis, Venous Compression Syndrome.

The role of radiotherapy in the carotid stenosis.

OBJECTIVE: Cervical radiation for head and neck cancer has been associated with an increased incidence of carotid arterial stenosis. Modern radiation therapy delivers higher doses with increasing long-term survival. In our study 50 patients with head and neck malignancies treated with radiotherapy are analized with colour Doppler ultrasonographic scanning of the carotid arteries. These patients were compared with a population of asymptomatic historical controls (40) These findings suggest that radiation has an adverse effect on large vessels. Colour Doppler follow-up may be indicated for patients receiving head and neck radiation therapy. METHODS: 50-70 Gy is the local dose that all patients received. during a period of about 8 weeks. The ecodoppler scan of carotid arteries was performed in all patients with estimation of Common and internal carotid artery's intimal medial thickness (IMT). Stenosis grade were divided into low (0-30%), moderate (31-49 %) and severe (= >50%). In add we considered ematochimics and flogosys parameters. Patients recruited from a hospital Radiation-oncology-surgery department from April 2007 to September 2011, 90 consecutive head and neck cancer patients were enrolled in this study. 50 of these patients had previously undergone RT (RT group) and 40 had no RT (control group). All patients were screened with bilateral carotid arterial duplex ultrasonography. We defined disease as "normal or mild" if the carotid stenosis was <50%, and "significant" if >50%. The relationship between standard demographic risk factors and screening outcomes was then analyzed. RESULTS: We found that severe carotid stenosis (= >50% ) was higher (41%) in patients who underwent to radiotherapy than in control group. The Eco Doppler examination demonstrated that the most affected site was Internal Carotid Arthery 's fork . There were no differences in age or gender between the two groups. The RT group had a significantly higher plaque score than the non-irradiated group. Bilateral plaque score was significantly correlated with age, hyperlipidemia, and RT. This analysis showed that in RT patients > 50 years old, age was inversely correlated with plaque score; however, in RT patients

A comparative study of fine needle aspiration and fine needle non-aspiration biopsy on suspected thyroid nodules.

Ultrasonography-guided fine needle aspiration (FNA) and fine needle non-aspiration (FNNA) biopsy were performed consecutively on 104 patients (mean age 50 +/- 15 years) affected by multinodular and uninodular goiter. Both techniques were executed on the same patients in the same clinical session beginning with the first (FNA) on half of the patients (randomly selected) and vice versa. The cytological findings on cell samples were divided into four groups: colloidal (benign), follicular (suspicious), malignant, and inadequate. The overall cytologic findings obtained with the two techniques were as follows (FNA % vs FNNA %): inadequate, 16.3% vs 5.8%; colloidal, 69.2% vs 76.9%; follicular, 9.6% vs 10.5%; and malignant, 4.8% vs 6.7%. A statistically significant difference between FNA and FNNA cytology was found only on the number of inadequate results (p = 0.015). Interestingly, the frequency of inadequate specimens for FNNA showed a significantly different distribution depending on the sequence (first or second) in which the technique was executed. In conclusion, FNA and FNNA are useful and cost-effective techniques for the pre-operative assessment of patients with thyroid nodules. However, due probably to its minimally invasive procedure, FNNA produces specimens of better quality and reduces inadequate results. For these reasons FNNA should be preferable to FNA for the cytological evaluation of thyroid nodules.

[Obesity and hypertension. Recent advances in etiopathogenesis]. / Obesità ed ipertensione arteriosa. Recenti acquisizioni eziopatogenetiche.

The aim of the study is to evaluate the pathogenetic factors which determine the association between obesity and hypertension. In particular we consider the role of adipose tissue. Activity of sympathetic nervous system, hyperinsulinemia, lower action of the atrial natriuretic peptide are important to understand the correlation between these pathologies.