The authors, after a review of the literature concerning Campylobacter and Yersinia infections, report the preliminary results of an epidemiologic study carried out in florentine territory based on the stool-cultures of children with acute diarrhoea in the years 1984-85-86. From the dates results that in florentine territory too, Campylobacter isolation is second only to Salmonella isolation, as we can find in other searches++ of literature. Therefore the conclusion is that these two microorganisms, from "emergent" have become as interesting as to be investigated as routine practice.

Campylobacter Infections↗

PubMedDate not supplied

[Hypohidrotic ectodermal dysplasia].

The authors report a case of Hypohidrotic ectodermal dysplasia (Christ-Siemens-Touraine syndrome). Diagnosed at the age of 2 months.

Ectodermal Dysplasia↗

PubMedDate not supplied

[Evaluation of the respiratory function in patients with Duchenne's muscular dystrophy].

The purpose of this investigation was to compare the respiratory function of patients with different clinical stages of Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD). Twenty-three DMD patients who were followed at Paediatric Department of Florence, were studied. We found a good correlation between the subject's functional capacity and normal predicted values for forced vital capacity (FVC) as well for forced volume at first second (FEV1). Subjects whose FVCs ranging from 10% to 20% were considered mildly involved; subjects with FVCs ranging from 20 to 30% were considered moderately involved, severe involved subjects with FVCs ranging from 30% to 40%. When the FVCs were less than 40% of the predicted values, the subjects were considered to have very severe respiratory impairment. In our study 83% of patients wheelchair bound was characterised by a very severe deterioration of pulmonary function.

Adolescent↗

PubMedDate not supplied

[Robinow syndrome. Description of a case with diaphragmatic relaxation].

The authors report a case of Robinow Syndrome in a child 22 months old, who presented a relaxatio diaphragmatic too. This is the first case, among about twenty cases indicated in literature, in whom this type of malformation is present.

Abnormalities, Multiple↗

PubMedDate not supplied

[Infection by Mycoplasma pneumoniae. Epidemiologic investigation and statistical clinical study of 122 children admitted to the Institute of Pediatrics of the University of Florence during the period 1 January 1977 to 31 December 1983].

We carried out an epidemiologic research about M. Pneumoniae infection from 1977 to 1983: determination of CF antibodies has been performed by the Bacteriology and Virology Laboratory (Prof. Lamanna, USL 10/D, Florence). Serum samples were collected by the laboratory itself and by hospitals and university departments of Florence and neighbouring communes. Our research confirms cyclic behaviour of M. Pneumoniae infection: we could follow up a 3 years long epidemic after a previous 2 years long endemic disease. We found a major sera-positive rate for M. Pneumoniae in children than in adults. In the same period we carried out a clinical-statistical study on 122 children (80 males and 42 females) admitted to the Pediatric Institute "A. Meyer" in Florence because of an infection due to M. Pneumoniae. The most affected age range sems to be included between 5 and 10 years. Pneumonia is the commonest clinical feature of M. Pneumoniae infection (85.2%): furthermore, we must point out some cases in 0-2 years-old subjects. In our patients, clinical features, X-ray findings and laboratory tests strictly agree with those reported by other authors. We treated all our patients with erythromycin: in three weeks we obtained thee normalization of clinical patterns and X-ray findings in all cases.

Child↗