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R De Marco

Publications and source records attributed to R De Marco.

42 records · Page 3Linked to original sources

[Current role of CT in pediatric ophthalmology].

In spite of the recent and substantial improvements in MR technique, some problems still exist relative to its applications in routine clinical exams in pediatric ophthalmology. The main problems are: inadequate MR equipment, long examination time, and MR inability to demonstrate intraocular calcifications. Ocular and orbital ultrasound (US) studies are highly operator-dependent, and US utility has been especially described in evaluating ocular, but not orbital, lesions. In order to verify the actual role of CT in pediatric ophthalmology, the CT scans of 58 children with ophthalmologic pathologies, performed over a 2-year period, were reviewed and compared with definitive diagnoses. Seven separate CT findings for each pathologic condition were independently analyzed and correlated with histology. In agreement with other CT series, optic nerve gliomas were invariably intraconal, whereas histiocytosis-X, Ewing's sarcoma, olfactory neuroblastoma (esthesioneuroblastoma), metastatic neuroblastoma and nephroblastoma were extra-conal. Rhabdomyosarcoma, principally extraconal, frequently involved the intraconal and preseptal spaces, with permeative destruction of the osseous orbit and frequent intra/extracranial spread. Orbital spread was mainly observed in vascular tumors. CT showed great accuracy in evaluating punctuate calcifications in retinoblastomas and in metastatic neuroblastomas, and bone fragments within a zone of destruction in histiocytosis-X. Various characteristics of CT attenuation values were observed in pathologic tissues, and high attenuation and marked contrast enhancement were particularly observed in metastatic neuroblastomas and rhabdomyosarcomas. In congenital orbital abnormalities and inflammatory diseases, CT readily detected ocular malformations (microphthalmos and colobomata).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Adolescent↗

[Somatesthesic, auditory and visual evoked potentials in chronic alcoholics].

The Authors examine a group of alcoholics, recording for each patients somatosensory, auditory and visual potentials, in order to check the presence in different systems of nervous fibers of subclinic alterations; they separate a group of patients with clinic polyneuropathie and a group without polyneuropathie. Subclinic alterations are confirmed in different measure in the two groups. Vit. B12 and pholic acid are also dosed in the serum.

Adult↗

Visual function before and after photorefractive keratectomy for myopia.

BACKGROUND: To date, Snellen visual acuity and postoperative refraction have been used to evaluate the results of photorefractive keratectomy. However, other parameters, such as contrast sensitivity function and glare, may be affected by refractive surgery and lead to unsatisfactory visual performance. This prospective study is aimed at evaluating the effect of photorefractive keratectomy on contrast sensitivity function and glare. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: Static contrast sensitivity function, dynamic contrast sensitivity function, and glare sensitivity were evaluated in 22 myopic eyes before as well as 1, 3, and 6 months after photorefractive keratectomy. The eyes tested were divided into three groups, according to the amount of myopia: group I, from -4.00 to -8.00 diopters (D); group II, from -8.25 to -11.00 D; group III, from -11.25 to -20.00 D. RESULTS: Both static and dynamic contrast sensitivity function at the intermediate spatial frequencies were altered at 1 month after photorefractive keratectomy, with a trend toward recovery at 3 and 6 months postoperatively. Glare sensitivity was not significantly affected by surgery. CONCLUSIONS: Contrast sensitivity function and glare testing may show abnormalities in the presence of optimal visual and refractive results. These tests may result especially important for the evaluation of new refractive surgical procedures.

Adolescent↗

[Mortality from renal causes of death in an Italian population under 20 years of age in the 1979-1991 period].

The present paper addresses mortality from urinary diseases (ICD9 codes 580-599) in the Italian pediatric population aged 0-19 years, in the period 1979-91. Mortality data were obtained from the Italian National Statistical Institute (ISTAT). A total number of 522 deaths were recorded among people aged 0-19 years, amounting to 0.33% of all casualties. Half of these deaths were due to renal failure (ICD9 codes: 584-586). While mortality from all causes decreased by 35% among the Italian pediatric population, mortality from urinary diseases remained stable during the same period, and even increased in the age range 0-4 years (from 3.47 per million person-years in 1979 to 9.83 per million person-years in 1990; p < 0.001). This outbreak in mortality was entirely due to an increase in casualties from acute renal failure (ICD9 code: 584). In conclusion, since the increase in mortality from urinary diseases among Italian children aged 0-4 years takes place in the presence of a substantial drop in mortality from all causes, attention should be paid to this problem and surveillance systems should be reinforced.

Adolescent↗