Long-Term Follow-Up of Testicular Microlithiasis in Children and Adolescents: Multicenter Prospective Cohort Study of the Italian Society of Pediatric Urology.

Introduction Testicular microlithiasis (TM), characterized by the presence of intratubular calcifications in a single or both the gonads, is an uncommon entity with unknown etiology and outcome in pediatric and adolescent age. In this study, the results of a multicenter long-term survey are presented. Materials and Methods From 11 units of pediatric urology/surgery, patients with TM were identified and yearly, followed up in a 7-year period, adopting a specific database. The recorded items were: age at diagnosis, presenting symptoms/associated abnormalities, ultrasonographic finding, surgery and histology at biopsy, if performed. Results Out of 85 patients, 81 were evaluated yearly (4 patients lost to follow-up). TM was bilateral in 66.6% of the patients. Associate genital abnormalities were present in 90%, more frequently undescended/retractile testis (23.4%) and varicocele (22.2%). TM remained unchanged at 4.7 years follow-up in 77 patients (93.8%) and was reduced in 4 patients after 1 to 5 years of inguinoscrotal surgery. Orchiectomy was performed in three patients (3.7%), one for severe testicular hypoplasia and two for seminoma (2.5%), respectively, concurrent and metachronous to diagnosis of TM. Tumorectomy with parenchymal sparing surgery was performed in a teratoma associated with TM. Conclusion TM is a controversial entity, often associated with several inguinogenital features, which rarely can recover. Testicular malignancy, although present in TM, has not proven definitively associated to microliths. Proper counseling, yearly ultrasound, and self-examination are long-term recommended

Blood Pressure and Body Weight Have Different Effects on Pulse Wave Velocity and Cardiac Mass in Children

Background: High blood pressure (BP) and excess weight can lead to early cardiovascular organ damage already in children. Carotid-femoral pulse wave velocity (cf-PWV) is the non-invasive gold standard method for assessing aortic stiffness, while carotid-radial PWV (cr-PWV) provides information on the distensibility of the upper limb arteries. The aim of this study was to evaluate the relationship of BP and BMI z-scores with arterial stiffness and left ventricular mass index (LVMI) in a pediatric population. Methods: In 343 children (57.7% males; age ± SD 11.7 ± 2.9 years), systolic (SBP) and diastolic (DBP) BP, BMI, cf-PWV, cr-PWV and LVMI were measured. A multiple linear regression model was used to assess the impact of BMI and SBP (or DBP) z-scores on cf-PWV, cr-PWV and LVMI. Results: About 21% of children were normal weight, 34% were overweight and 45% obese. Adjusted for possible confounders, SBP and DBP z-scores were significantly associated with cf-PWV (p < 0.001), while only DBP z-scores were related to cr-PWV (p < 0.01). BMI was neither associated with cf-PWV nor with cr-PWV values but was a strong predictor of LVMI (<0.001), whereas cardiac mass and BP z-scores were not related. Conclusions: Our study suggests that, in children, elevated BP values and excess weight may have different effects on the heart and the vessels in causing early cardiovascular alterations

Leonardo Sinisgalli. Un geniaccio tuttofare tra poesia e scienza Atti del Convegno di studi. Matera-Montemurro 14-15-16 maggio 1982

Il volume, non una semplice ristampa degli Atti del Convegno di Matera-Montemurro del 1982 (in tiratura fuori commercio e limitata all’omaggio istituzionale), consegna al lettore, in una edizione rinnovata nel titolo e nella stessa organizzazione dei contenuti, arricchita di immagini e documenti inediti; consegna non solo la testimonianza di un convegno al quale si guardò (e si guarda) come a un vero e proprio evento storico a un anno e mezzo circa dalla morte del Poeta, ma affida al lettore pagine ancor oggi imprenscidibili per la comprensione della poliedrica personalità artistica del Sinisgalli. Ad avvalorare tale affermazione bastano alcuni nomi che hanno siglato i contributi (ben trentasette) del volume: da Contini a Pampaloni, da Pontiggia a Sereni, da Bernari a Della Corte a Spagnoletti, a Nigro ..., solo per citarne alcuni