Diagnosis of intra-abdominal injuries can be challenging in multitrauma patients with associated injuries. Our experience and review of the literature

ntroduction. Trauma is the most common cause of death and disability among patients during the first four decades of life. Abdominal trauma is reported to be the 3rd most common injured region. Clinical examination may be unreliable in the evaluation of these patients especially in the presence of associated injuries. Therefore the use of diagnostic tools is essential in the management of the injured patient with abdominal trauma and additional injuries. Patients and Methods. During 1 year period from December 2010 to November 2011 we recorded the patients that presented to the emergency department of our hospital and were found to suffer from intra-abdominal injuries. These patients were divided in two groups depending on whether they had additional comorbid injuries or not. Several parameters were recorded and compared between the two groups, such as mechanism of injury, general status and hemodynamic stability of the patient on presentation, physical examination, use of imaging modalities and concomitant findings, need for surgical intervention and mortality rates. Furthermore the discrepancy between physical findings and final diagnosis after the use of diagnostic adjuncts is reported. Results. We recorded 31 patients with abdominal trauma. 13 (42%) patients were found to suffer from abdominal trauma and associated injuries (Group I), whereas 18 (58%) presented with abdominal trauma alone (Group II). The patients of the first group presented hemodynamic instability in 38% of cases while the patients of the second in 22% of cases. Reduced consciousness was present in 38% in group I versus 17% in group II. Signs of abdominal injury during clinical examination were present in only 15% in group I versus 72% in group II that represented a remarkable difference between the two groups. Conservative treatment was possible in 15% of patients with additional injuries and in 22% of patients with abdominal injury alone. In group I there were two deaths whereas in group II all patients survived. Conclusion. In patients with abdominal trauma, associated injuries seem to add to the severity of injury and indicate a worse prognosis. Clinical examination is unreliable and misleading in the majority of these patients and the use of diagnostic tools cannot be overemphasized

Confluent hepatic fibrosis as the presenting imaging sign in nonadvanced alcoholic cirrhosis

Confluent hepatic fibrosis (CHF) is usually a feature of advanced cirrhosis, while occurrence in early stage compensated cirrhosis is uncommon. We report the imaging findings of masslike CHF in a patient with previously unsuspected compensated alcoholic cirrhosis. The combination of partially wedge shape, minimal capsular retraction, and homogeneous delayed enhancement on multiphase contrast-enhanced spiral CT led to the characterization of the lesions and establishment of the diagnosis of cirrhosis. © 2004 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved

Confluent hepatic fibrosis as the presenting imaging sign in nonadvanced alcoholic cirrhosis

Confluent hepatic fibrosis (CHF) is usually a feature of advanced cirrhosis, while occurrence in early stage compensated cirrhosis is uncommon. We report the imaging findings of masslike CHF in a patient with previously unsuspected compensated alcoholic cirrhosis. The combination of partially wedge shape, minimal capsular retraction, and homogeneous delayed enhancement on multiphase contrast-enhanced spiral CT led to the characterization of the lesions and establishment of the diagnosis of cirrhosis. (C) 2004 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved

Progetto Fest\uf2s. Ricognizioni archeologiche di superficie: le campagne 2007-2009

L\u2019esigenza di ampliare la conoscenza dell\u2019abitato di Fest\uf2s attraverso l\u2019indagine, in senso diacronico, delle forme di occupazione e dello sviluppo urbano, ha indotto la Scuola Archeologica Italiana di Atene ad avviare, nell\u2019estate del 2007, una synergasia italo-greca nella consapevolezza che solo un reciproco scambio di informazioni e una stretta ed efficace collaborazione scientifica con la locale eforia potessero consentire uno studio sistematico di Fest\uf2s e della regione circostante. Da tale necessit\ue0, che va di pari passo con lo studio e la pubblicazione dei vecchi scavi, \ue8 nata l\u2019idea di elaborare un progetto basato su indagini di superficie, ricerche di archivio e analisi dei mate riali affidato a un\u2019\ue9quipe coordinata dalle universit\ue0 di Salerno e di Pisa e dall\u2019Eforia di Iraklion sotto la responsabilit\ue0 rispettivamente di Fausto Longo, Mario Benzi e Maria Bredaki e in collaborazione con la SAIA, in particolare, con lo stesso direttore Emanuele Greco al quale si deve l\u2019idea generale del progetto che ha poi concorso a realizzare. Il programma definito nel 2006, avviato concretamente a partire dall\u2019anno successivo e accresciutosi negli anni seguenti, ha come obiettivo lo studio di una parte della Messar\ue0 occidentale con particolare attenzione all\u2019area intorno al sistema delle colline di Fest\uf2s. Di questo territorio ci prefiggiamo di indagare forme e modalit\ue0 di trasformazione del paesaggio antico dal Neolitico sino alle fasi tardo antich

New and updated convex shape models of asteroids based on optical data from a large collaboration network

Context. Asteroid modeling efforts in the last decade resulted in a comprehensive dataset of almost 400 convex shape models and their rotation states. These efforts already provided deep insight into physical properties of main-belt asteroids or large collisional families. Going into finer detail (e.g., smaller collisional families,asteroids with sizes ≲20 km) requires knowledge of physical parameters of more objects.Aims.  We aim to increase the number of asteroid shape models and rotation states. Such results provide important input for further studies, such as analysis of asteroid physical properties in different populations, including smaller collisional families, thermophysical modeling, and scaling shape models by disk-resolved images, or stellar occultation data. This provides bulk density estimates in combination with known masses, but also constrains theoretical collisional and evolutional models of the solar system.Methods. We use all available disk-integrated optical data (i.e.,classical dense-in-time photometry obtained from public databases and through a large collaboration network as well as sparse-in-time individual measurements from a few sky surveys) as input for the convex inversion method, and derive 3D shape models of asteroids together with their rotation periods and orientations of rotation axes. The key ingredient is the support of more that 100 observers who submit their optical data to publicly available databases.Results. We present updated shape models for 36 asteroids, for which mass estimates are currently available in the literature, or for which masses will most likely be determined from their gravitational influence on smaller bodies whose orbital deflections will be observed by the ESA Gaia astrometric mission. Moreover, we also present new shape model determinations for 250 asteroids, including 13 Hungarias and three near-Earth asteroids. The shape model revisions and determinations were enabled by using additional optical data from recent apparitions for shape optimization

New and updated convex shape models of asteroids based on optical data from a large collaboration network

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