Gli allergo-acari della polvere domestica (Acari: Pyroglyphidae): metodi di campionamento ed estrazione

Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche (CNR). Biblioteca Centrale / CNR - Consiglio Nazionale delle RichercheSIGLEITItal

Prostate cancer detection rate of transrectal ultrasonography, digital rectal examination, and prostate-specific antigen: results of a five-year study of 6- versus 12-core transperineal prostate biopsy.

The purpose of the present comparative work was the processing and assessment of data collected in a five-year period of urological practice with more than 1.500 transperineal, ultrasound-guided, prostatic biopsies performed. Our aim was to identify advantages and limitations of 6 and 12-core protocols, by extending the evaluation not only to cancer detection rate but also to the other histological findings. A total of 1.151 patients were included in the study. Two subgroups were identified: 836 patients who had undergone a 6-core biopsy from 2001 to 2004, and 315 patients who had undergone a 12-core biopsy from 2005 to 2006. Cancer detection rate was 291/836 (34.8%) in group 1 (6-core biopsy), and 148/315 (47%) in group 2 (12-core biopsy) (P<0.0001). The total number of histological diagnoses other than cancer was 162/836 in group 1 (19.4%) and 103/315 (32.7%) in group 2 (P<0.0001). In prostate biopsy, a higher number of cores seems to definitely improve its diagnostic value by dramatically decreasing the number of negative findings. The 12-core technique is particularly effective in case of prostate-specific antigen (PSA) values ranging between 4.1 and 10 ng/mL combined with a free-to-total PSA ratio below 16%, in case of negative digital rectal examination and when serum prostate-specific antigen levels are lower than 4 ng/mL. On the other hand, in the case of abnormal digital rectal examination, especially when combined with high prostate-specific antigen levels and/or changes detected at transrectal ultrasound, the 6-core technique can be considered a reasonable strategy

Schede guida su acari e insetti di interesse sanitario

Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche (CNR). Biblioteca Centrale / CNR - Consiglio Nazionale delle RichercheSIGLEITItal

MRI and muscle signal intensities in alcoholics compared with control subjects

Objective: To evaluate by magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) the difference in muscle signal intensities between alcoholics and control subjects. Methods: Thirty-four healthy subjects and 46 alcohol-dependent individuals were assessed. MRI was carried out using a low-field magnet (0.2 Tesla) and a limb-dedicated coil. The presence of muscle changes was evaluated by measuring signal intensities at the medial (MG) and lateral heads of the gastrocnemius muscle by T1-/T2-weighted and gradient-echo short tau inversion recovery sequences. The mean signal intensities of the two sample groups were compared by ANCOVA with age as a covariate. In the alcohol-dependent group, correlations between signal intensities and plasma levels of muscular and hepatic enzymes, in addition to years of high-risk consumption and lifetime dose of ethanol consumed, were assessed. The mean signal intensities were also compared with the different degrees of pain by ANOVA. Results: Compared with healthy subjects, the alcohol-dependent group had mean higher signal intensities in both gastrocnemius heads in all sequences. The difference in the MG in T2-weighted sequences was significant (F = 48.28,p < 0.01). A modest correlation between the years of high-risk consumption and the signal intensity was found in T2-weighted sequences in the MG (r = 0.288,p = 0.057), whereas a correlation with the lifetime dose consumed was not found. Significant correlations between signal intensities and plasma levels of muscular and hepatic enzymes were not found. There were also no significant group differences on different degrees of pain. Conclusion: MRI was shown to be a sensitive, well-tolerated, and inexpensive procedure capable of detecting changes in signal intensities in the muscles of alcoholics. This technique could be included among other diagnostic tools for alcoholic myopathy with further improvements and if the signal alterations can be corroborated by biopsy evidence