UN PROBLEMATICO GRAFFITO NELLA CRIPTA ONORIANA DEI SS. MARCELLINO E PIETRO

International audienceIn his commentary on ICUR, VI 15966B, one of the graffiti in the Honorian crypt of SS. Marcel- lino and Pietro on the Via Labicana, Fr. Ferrua wrote in 1975: “sequuntur in 3-4 quaedam quae sol- vere nequeo [nisi forte p (res) b (it) e (r) (sic, n.d.r.)]; puto enim signa quae ante P sunt suspensionem indicate”. In fact, the proscinema in question presents some problematic graphemes, which are not matched either in Latin or Greek or even in runic: they rather refer to writing systems of the Semitic context preceding the generalized adoption of the Arabic script in direct synchrony with the first ex- pansion of the Islam. The hypothesis of a pre-Islamic Arab allographic trace in early medieval Rome – almost a counterpart to the runic epigraphs relating to the more remote West, pertinent to the same context – is therefore the occasion for a first debate (with the interventions of two of the greatest ex- perts in epigraphy of the Near East) on this problematic testimony. Graffiti – in addition to specifying the traditional low term of the use of these scripts – can both consistently fall within the ‘eastern’ cli- mate of Byzantine Rome of the seventh and eighth centuries, and can also be a useful element of re- flection on the phenomenon of the voyage devotionis causa towards Rome and the East whose direc- tion, perhaps, is not necessarily to be considered one-way.La basilica ipogea realizzata da papa Onorio I (625-638) nella catacomba ad duas lauros sulla via Labicana sulla tomba dei martiri Marcellino e Pietro conserva ancora, tracciati sull'intonaco dell'abside e delle pareti, numerosi graffiti devozionali. L'unica edizione sistematica di tali testimonianze, curata da Antonio Ferrua, è nel sesto volume del corpus delle Inscriptiones Christianae Vrbis Romae-nova series n.s. (ICUR), apparso nel 1975. In venti lemmi loro dedicati sono editi nelle ICUR-in alcuni casi con la usuale riproduzione in maiuscoletto, in altri con apografi, pur schematici-142 graffiti in tutto 1. A questi si devono aggiungere altri quattordici proscinemi, rilevati nel corso di una recente ricognizione condotta nel dicembre del 2018 per la realizzazione di una brillante tesi di Laurea magistrale condotta dal dott. Emanuele Paradiso dell'Università degli Studi di Bari "Aldo Moro" 2. Le letture del Ferrua proposte nelle ICUR sono per larghissima parte del tutto condivisibili e sono confluite quindi senza variazioni nell'Epigraphic Database Bari 3 dove sono riportate però anche letture molto diverse, esito di ricognizioni epigrafiche condotte da Carlo Carletti e da chi scrive tra il 1995 e il 2002. Ad esempio la visione diretta di ICUR, VI 15966.B (r. 6), e di ICUR VI 15972 (r. 5) nel 1999 ha portato alla identificazione nei due graffiti di due nomi tracciati con rune del tipo futhorc: nel primo caso il nome femminile Faġhild (fig 1, n. 2) e nel secondo il nome maschile Aethelferth hanno sostituito nell'EDB le precedenti letture Fir(mina) filia e Firmina proposte dal Ferrua 4. Una terza epigrafe recante un nome, Eadbald, in caratteri runici del medesimo tipo, completamente sfuggita al Ferrua, fu individuata da Carlo Carletti nell'abside della basilica ipogea a sinistra delle due ultime righe del proscinema dei monaci Ioannes e Thomas dell'altrimenti ignoto monastero di sant'Elen

Complications after reoperative thyroid surgery: retrospective evaluation of 152 consecutive cases

Reoperative thyroid surgery is an uncommon procedure that is indicated in recurrent benign or malignant disease. It is associated with a high complication rate, especially of hypoparathyroidism and recurrent nerve palsy. We retrospectively reviewed our series of patients on whom reoperative thyroid surgery was performed and we compared this group with patients who underwent primary thyroidectomies. From 2002 to 2015, 4572 thyroidectomies were performed at our institution; among these, 152 (3.3%) were for benign or malignant recurrent disease. We observed a higher rate of transient hypoparathyroidism in secondary vs primary surgery (56.6% vs 25.9%; p < 0.0001), of permanent hypoparathyroidism (10% vs 2.0%; p < 0.0001) and of transient recurrent nerve injury (4.6% vs 1.4%; p < 0.05). Reoperative thyroid surgery is a technical challenge with a high incidence of complications. Scarring, edema, and friability of the tissues together with distortion of the landmarks make reoperative surgery hazardous. Careful assessment of patient's risk factors, physical examination, and if necessary fine needle aspiration cytology are crucial for selecting the patients who should undergo reoperation. Research registry n. 2617 registered 5 June 2017 (retrospectively registered)

Does hyperthyroidism worsen prognosis of thyroid carcinoma? A retrospective analysis on 2820 consecutive thyroidectomies

Background: Hyperthyroidism is associated with high incidence of thyroid carcinoma; furthermore, tumors arisen in hyperthyroid tissue show an aggressive behavior. Thyroid Stimulating Hormone (TSH) and Thyroid-stimulating antibodies, present in Graves's disease, seem to play a key role in carcinogenesis and tumoral growth. Methods: We retrospectively reviewed our series of patients who underwent thyroidectomy for thyroid carcinoma. We compared pathological features and surgical outcomes of hyperthyroid versus euthyroid patients. Results: From 2007 to 2015, 909 thyroidectomies were performed at our institution for thyroid cancer: 87 patients were hyperthyroid and 822 euthyroid. We observed, in hyperthyroid patients, a higher rate of transient hypoparathyroidism (28.1% vs 13.2%; p < 0.01) and of node metastases (12.6% vs 6.1%; p = 0.03); also local recurrence rate was higher (5.7% vs 2.5%) even if not statistically significant (p = 0.17). Five-year disease free survival rate was significant lower in the same group (89.1% vs 96.6%; p = 0.03). Conclusion: Thyroid cancers in hyperthyroid patients have an aggressive behavior, with high incidence of local invasion and a worse prognosis than euthyroid patients. All hyperthyroid patients should undergo a careful evaluation with ultrasound and scintigraphy; in case of suspicious nodules, an aggressive approach, including thyroidectomy and lymphectomy, is justified. In patients with toxic adenoma, thyroid cancer is uncommon, thus a loboisthmectomy can be safely performed. Trial registration number: Research registry n. 2670 registered 19 June 2017 (retrospectively registered)