Anterior shoulder dislocation and injuries of the rotator cuff in patients aged over 40 years. Clinical and sonographic study.

A total of 39 patients with a mean age of 64 years (41 to 88) who had had anterior shoulder dislocation were followed-up an average of 2 years after trauma in order to evaluate the conditions of the rotator cuff. All of the patients were evaluated clinically, radiographically, and sonographically. Clinical evaluation revealed significant differences between the dislocated shoulders and the contralateral ones: the mean Constant score was 67 in the group with dislocated shoulders and 87 in the contralateral group. Ultrasound revealed partial injury of the cuff in 31% of cases and complete injury in 28%. Mean score was 81.4 in the group with a normal ultrasound, 67.1 in that with partial injury of the cuff, and 46.5 in that with complete injury of one or more tendons. These data confirm the high frequency of partial or complete injuries of the rotator cuff in patients aged over 40 years that have undergone anterior shoulder dislocation. Ultrasound confirms it is an excellent diagnostic method in the pathology of the rotator cuff, demonstrating good correlation with the clinical evaluation.

[Single umbilical artery (SUA) and congenital eye abnormalities. 2 case reports]. / Arteria ombelicale singola (SUA) e malformazioni congenite oculari. Descrizione di due casi clinici.

Two cases of single umbilical artery (SUA) are reported, associated respectively with unilateral microphthalmia the first case, with bilateral congenital glaucoma (buphthalmos) the second one. While the association between single umbilical artery and microphthalmia is reported in international literature, the association between single umbilical artery and congenital glaucoma (buphthalmos) described for the first time.

[Epidemiologic study on small-for-gestational-age neonates carried out at the Velletri civil hospital (U.S.L. RM 31) 1981-83]. / Studio epidemiologico sul neonato di peso basso per l'età gestazionale (PEG), eseguito presso l'ospedale civile di Velletri (U.S.L. RM 31) nel triennio 1981-83.

The authors at the Ospedale of Velletri performed a study about the relationship between the small for date infants, and various medical, socio-economical and cultural conditions of the parents. From the collected data we affirm that, since 1981 an evident and continuous lowering of small for date natality rate occurred and, on the other hand, socio-economical and cultural conditions of the parents improved as well. We guess, that what we remarked was due to the educational work performed by medical and paramedical staff of the services of neonatology and obstetrics on the "Ospedale civile di Velletri", and by the staff of the consultatory of U.S.L. RM 31.