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On the basis of a personal case, the clinical, diagnostic and therapeutic problems of variants of dissecting aneurysm of the aorta with benign course are discussed. The usefulness of cardio-aortic angioscintigraphy in the interests of early diagnosis of aneurysm and aortography by catheterism for specifying its location and extent, is pointed out. Spontaneous benign development would seem to be tied up with the affected area of the aorta, the modalities of dissection, and above all with the establishment of a distal return breach for blood flow into the aortic lumen. The predominant role of cystic medionecrosis in determining dissection is stressed and the usefulness of intensive pharmacological therapy based essentially on hypotensive and beta-blocking substances confirmed.

The Authors refer about three cases of asymptomatic xanthinuria pointed out after the discovery of very low serum uric acid levels (below 1 mg/100 ml). The above-mentioned cases come out from 137.194 evaluation of serum uric acid carried out in a period of about four years. The values of serum and urinary uric acid and those of total oxypurines in urine of same kinsmen of the three patients have been evaluated; all these values were in the normal range.

Evaluation of stored iron by means of DFOX-induced sideruria in 101 subjects with various degree of hyposideraemia with or without anaemia, is reported. Three groups were examined: 49 patients with chronic loss of blood and malabsorption and urinary iron values up to 1 mg/24hr; 43 with non-bleeding neoplasia, collagen disease, lymphoma, cirrhosis of the liver etc. and values of 1-2mg/24 hr; 9 with rheumatoid arthritis and cirrhosis of the liver and values over 2 mg/24 hr. The reasons why hyposideraemia may accompany incipient of frank tissue hypo-, normo- or hypersiderosis are discussed.