Bleeding Pseudocyst of the Pancreatic Head. The role of Omentoplasty and Local Hemostasis

Treatment of bleeding psedoaneurysms and pseudocysts of the pancreas is controversial. Surgical treatment with pancreatic resection or trancystic arterial ligation is not always satisfactory since postoperative mortality rate is high, especially for lesions located in the pancreatic head and rebleeding is not unusual. Two patients with bleeding pseudoaneurysms (one post traumatic, one spontaneous) and one with a hemorrhagic pseudocyst of the pancreatic head were treated surgically with arterial suture and omentoplasty. Bleeding was controlled in all, without any postoperative mortality or morbidity. No rebleeding occurred with a follow up of 33, 26 and 12 months. Trancystic ligation of bleeding vessels with omentoplasty may be a useful approach, which should be compared to arterial embolization in the future

Novi podaci o maču srebrnjaku Trachipterus trachypterus Gmelin, 1789. i srporibi srebrnici Zu cristatus (Bonelli, 1820) (Pisces: Trachipteridae) iz Sredozemnog mora

In this paper we report data on four juvenile individuals of T. trachypterus and one adult of Z. cristatus, from the Strait of Messina and southern Tyrrhenian Sea, respectively (Mediterranean Sea). Information on morphometric and meristic characters are provided together with some biological data such as prey and age estimation. Only stomachs of T. trachypterus contained prey: copepods, amphypods and pelagic snails. The analysis of growth patterns in vertebrae of Z. cristatus allowed to estimate an age of 4 years for this individual. We also combined our data together with information from bibliographic sources and estimated the relationships between total length and standard length, as well as total length and body mass, for these two species.U ovom radu objavljujemo podatke o četiri juvenilne jedinke T. trachypterus i jednoj zreloj jedin- ki. Z. cristatus, iz Mesinskog tjesnaca, odnosno južnog Tirenskog mora (Sredozemno more). Podaci o morfometrijskim i merističkim značajkama daju se zajedno s nekim biološkim podacima kao što su plijen i procjena starosti. Samo želuci T. trachypterus sadržavali su plijen: kopepode, amfipode i pelagične puževe. Samo želuci T. trachypterus sadržavali su plijen: kopepode, amfipode i pelagične puževe. Anali- za obrazaca rasta u kralješcima Z. cristatus omogućila je procjenu starosti ove jedinke od 4 godine. Također smo spojili naše podatke zajedno s informacijama iz bibliografskih izvora i procijenili odnose između ukupne duljine i standardne duljine, kao i ukupne duljine i tjelesne mase za ove dvije vrste

Age, Growth and Otolith Microstructure of the Spotted Lanternfish Myctophum punctatum Rafinesque 1810

This study investigated, for the first time, the age and growth of the spotted lanternfish Myctophum punctatum through an analysis of otolith microstructure. A total of 377 individuals were collected from the Strait of Messina (central Mediterranean Sea), ranging between 20.3 and 73.7 mm of standard length. Their length–weight relationship was estimated, and these outputs indicated an isometric growth, for all specimens and when males and females were analysed separately. The sagittal otoliths were removed from 185 fish, although the microincrement readings were considered valid for only 173 otoliths. Microincrement counts ranged from 32 to 48 (average = 37.6) in the otolith central zone, 30 to 56 (average = 44.3) in the middle zone, and 36 to 384 (average = 165.5) in the external zone. Overall, total microincrements ranged between 106 and 469. Different growth models (Gompertz, von Bertalanffy and logistic models) were considered, to understand which one fit best in describing the growth patterns in M. punctatum. The Gompertz model was then selected as the best-fitting model and its parameters for all individuals were L∞ = 74.79, k = 0.0084 and I = 139.60

Drain after elective laparoscopic cholecystectomy. A randomized multicentre controlled trial

n/

Prevalence of temporomandibular disorders in adult obstructive sleep apnoea patients: A cross-sectional controlled study

Background: Obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA) is characterised by partial or complete obstruction of the upper airways during sleep and it has been associated with temporomandibular disorders (TMDs) on the basis of several pathophysiological hypotheses. Objectives:To assess the prevalence of TMDs in a population of patients affected by OSA compared to a control group of subjects not affected by OSA. MethodsA cross-sectional controlled study was conducted on a group subjects studied by polygraphy (PG) at the snoring section of the ENT department, Sant'Orsola-Malpighi Hospital - University of Bologna. Patients who received a diagnosis of OSA were included in the study group and subjects with a negative PG diagnosis for Sleep Disordered Breathing and PG respiratory pattern that did not suggest the occurrence of sleep disorders were enrolled in the control group. Both the subjects included in the study group and the control group underwent an examination following the Diagnostic Criteria for Temporomandibular Disorders Axis I and II. Results: Forty-three OSA patients (29 M, 16 F, mean age 52.26 +/- 11.40) and 43 healthy controls (25 M, 18 F, mean age 49.95 +/- 7.59) were included in the study. No significant differences were found between groups in demographic data. TMD prevalence and Axis II results did not differ between groups. Conclusions: This paper does not highlight a higher prevalence of TMDs in adults with OSA compared to healthy controls. Further high-quality studies are needed to confirm the results and to give possible pathophysiological explanations, providing reliable evidence

Edad y crecimiento del pámpano, Trachinotus ovatus, del Estrecho de Messina (Mediterráneo central)

This is the first paper to provide detailed information on the age and growth of Trachinotus ovatus. The size of the 244 individuals collected in the Strait of Messina ranged from 2.7 to 30.4 cm in fork length (LF) and 0.31 to 508.6 g in body mass (M). The relationship between these parameters (M - LF) was investigated and showed a good fit. Age estimation based on vertebrae and otoliths yielded similar results, suggesting a maximum age of five years. However, the precision and accuracy tests, such as percentage of agreement (PA), mean coefficient of variation (ACV) and average percent error (APE) indicated that the otolith readings (97.83% PA, 0.54% ACV and 0.38% APE) were more reliable for age estimation than vertebrae readings (82.17% PA, 5.33% ACV and 3.77% APE). The multi-model inference approach allowed us to compare different non-linear growth models. The von Bertalanffy model (L∞=29.139, k=0.496 and t0=−0.347) fitted the length-at-age data best. This species has a relatively rapid growth and an estimated longevity of five to seven years. This information could be used for management and first stock assessment studies on T. ovatus in the Mediterranean Sea.Este es el primer artículo que proporciona información detallada sobre la edad y el crecimiento de Trachinotus ovatus. El tamaño de los 244 individuos recolectados en el Estrecho de Messina osciló entre 2.7 y 30.4 cm de longitud a la horquilla (LF) y 0.31 a 508.6 g de masa corporal (M). Se investigó la relación entre estos parámetros (M - LF) y mostró un buen ajuste. La estimación de la edad basada en vértebras y otolitos arrojó resultados similares, lo que sugiere una edad máxima de cinco años. Sin embargo, las pruebas de precisión y exactitud, como el porcentaje de concordancia (PA), el coeficiente medio de variación (ACV) y el porcentaje de error medio (APE), indicaron que las lecturas del otolito (97.83% PA, 0.54% ACV y 0.38 % APE) fueron más confiables para la estimación de la edad que las lecturas de vértebras (82.17% PA, 5.33% ACV y 3.77% APE). El enfoque de inferencia de modelos múltiples nos permitió comparar diferentes modelos de crecimiento no lineal. El modelo de von Bertalanffy (L∞=29.139, k=0.496 and t0=−0.347) se ajusta mejor a los datos de talla por edad. Esta especie tiene un crecimiento relativamente rápido y una longevidad estimada de cinco a siete años. Esta información podría utilizarse para la ordenación y los primeros estudios de evaluación de poblaciones de T. ovatus en el mar Mediterráneo

When opportunistic predators interact with swordfish harpoon fishing activities: shark depredation over catches in the Strait of Messina (central Mediterranean Sea)

We describe the interaction between harpoon fishing activity and sharks, which opportunistically depredated harpoon catches in the Strait of Messina. Shark bite marks were observed on harpooned swordfish during the period 2014–2020, with different damages to the catches. Most of the depredation events have focused on large swordfish, generally weighing more than 60 kg. Data on direct observations were implemented by interviews and questionnaires to fishermen aimed to recover the information on their local fishing and ecological knowledge. Fishermen provided additional data on shark-harpoon fishing interactions also supplying information on by-catch species (i.e., bluefin tuna). Therefore, these results suggest that sharks migrating through the Strait of Messina are occasionally attracted by injured prey, due to their ability to detect chemical cues, fish distress stimuli and body fluids (i.e. blood) in the water. In addition, our investigations showed an increase in shark attacks on harpooned fish over time, likely due to an increase in harpoon swordfish catches. This may be related to the effects of the driftnets' ban enforced by European Regulations in the last decades

Association of the mtDNA m.4171C>A/MT-ND1 mutation with both optic neuropathy and bilateral brainstem lesions

Background: An increasing number of mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) mutations, mainly in complex I genes, have been associated with variably overlapping phenotypes of Leber’s hereditary optic neuropathy (LHON), mitochondrial encephalomyopathy with stroke-like episodes (MELAS) and Leigh syndrome (LS). We here describe the first case in which the m.4171C>A/MT-ND1 mutation, previously reported only in association with LHON, leads also to a Leigh-like phenotype. Case presentation: A 16-year-old male suffered subacute visual loss and recurrent vomiting and vertigo associated with bilateral brainstem lesions affecting the vestibular nuclei. His mother and one sister also presented subacute visual loss compatible with LHON. Sequencing of the entire mtDNA revealed the homoplasmic m.4171C>A/MT-ND1 mutation, previously associated with pure LHON, on a haplogroup H background. Three additional non-synonymous homoplasmic transitions affecting ND2 (m.4705T>C/MT-ND2 and m.5263C>T/MT-ND2) and ND6 (m.14180T>C/MT-ND6) subunits, well recognized as polymorphisms in other mtDNA haplogroups but never found on the haplogroup H background, were also present. Conclusion: This case widens the phenotypic expression of the rare m.4171C>A/MT-ND1 LHON mutation, which may also lead to Leigh-like brainstem lesions, and indicates that the co-occurrence of other ND non-synonymous variants, found outside of their usual mtDNA backgrounds, may have increased the pathogenic potential of the primary LHON mutation

“New records of rare species in the Mediterranean Sea” (October 2021)

“New records of rare species in the Mediterranean Sea” (October 2021