Mauro Colajacomo

The impact of perinatal urinoma formation on renal function: our experience and review of the literature.

Introduction:  A urinoma is a fluid mass consisting of extravasated urine in the perirenal space. Its impact on renal function was analysed.

Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease (NAFLD) in children and adolescents with Prader-Willi Syndrome (PWS)

We tested the hypothesis that patients with Prader–Willi syndrome (PWS) may be at lower risk of developing non‐alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) because of a higher insulin sensitivity. Twenty‐one PWS patients and 42 control subjects closely similar for age, gender, pubertal stage and body mass index (CNT), were studied. Metabolic profile and body composition were assessed. NAFLD was established by a validated method of US grading (range from G0 to G3). PWS patients showed a significantly better metabolic profile (lower waist circumference, fasting glucose levels, HOMA‐IR, cholesterol, transaminase levels and trunk fat mass/fat mass ratio). Furthermore, NAFLD G1stage was significantly more frequent in PWS subjects (P < 0.05), whereas G2 stage was significantly more frequent in control patients (P < 0.05). NAFLD grading seems to correlate with body composition in PWS, also after adjustment for sex and GH treatment. To our knowledge, this is the first report suggesting a reduced risk of NAFLD in PWS children.

A novel method for CT dosimetry with a suspended phantom setup

PURPOSE This work presents a method for estimating CT dosimetric indices with a prototype designed for suspending the phantom/ion chamber system fixed at the CT isocenter. The purpose of this study was to validate the proposed methodology, which can be used to provide a direct assessment of dosimetric indices in helical scans. METHODS The method is based on a reference setup in which the measuring system for CT dosimetry is in a stationary configuration, i.e. not bound to the CT table, and on a mathematical formalism developed for the proposed reference system. The reliability of the method was demonstrated through a set of experimental measurements. Firstly, dosimetric indices were measured with the new method and compared with the indices obtained with the procedure currently used for CT dosimetry (measuring system bound to the CT table). Secondly, dosimetric indices measured with the new method were compared with those displayed on the CT console. RESULTS There is good agreement between the dosimetric indices obtained with the standard setup and those obtained with the suspended phantom setup, within the expected range of errors. The difference between dosimetric indices estimated with the proposed method and those displayed on the CT console is below 2%. CONCLUSIONS The method enables CT dosimetry to be performed with the dose detector in a stationary longitudinal position thanks to the newly introduced suspended phantom setup. Using this approach, CT dose can be assessed for high pitch helical scans, acquisitions without complete tube rotation and for cases where dynamic collimation is used.

Circulating levels of miR-122 and nonalcoholic fatty liver disease in pre-pubertal obese children: Circulating miR-122 in obesity and NAFLD

The liver‐specific miR‐122 was proposed as biomarker for NAFLD in adults. Here, we investigated the relationship between miR‐122 levels, parameters of liver metabolism and NAFLD in pre‐pubertal obese children.

Giant appendicolith causing severe lameness in a child

An 8-year-old girl presented with a 1 year history of intermittent abdominal pain in the right lower quadrant of the abdomen associated with lameness that, in the last 3 months, had forced the patient into a wheelchair. Blood tests were normal. Ultrasonography (US) of the abdomen showed an appendicolith measuring 2.5 cm (Fig. 1a), confirmed on X-ray of the hip and pelvis (Fig. 1b) and on computed tomography (CT; Fig. 1c). Trans-umbilical laparoscopic appendectomy was successful and the patient was well at follow up. Previous abdominal US (Fig. 2a) and X-ray of the legs (Fig. 2b,c), performed 1 year before, were judged normal, but on re-analysis the stone was identified (Fig. 2). This was probably due to the fact that on the first plain radiograph a lead plate obscured the stone, while the US was focused mainly on the right hip in order to explain the lameness. The stone had not increased in size (Fig. 3). a b c