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The authors present a clinical case of severe osteoporosis with periprothesic femoral fracture and numerous vertebral fractures in a 87 years old patient. Treatment had consist in reposition of prosthesis, fracture reduction with internal fixation plate. Teriparatide drug was administer as usual protocol. Clinical and X-rays controls after 3, 6 and 12 months showed a good result of therapy, with a healing fracture, a orthostatism and normal deambulation, with improvement of densimetry values and a less dorsolombar pain, as well as a significant improvement of patient's quality of life. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We report a case of iliac artery-ureteral fistula (IAUF) between the right ureter and a pseudoaneurysm of the right common iliac artery. The patient was known at our institution due to recurrent replacements of the right ureteral stent for iliac ureteral stricture following surgical repair of a right iliac artery aneurysm with prosthesis positioning. The patient presented gross hematuria. Diagnosis was made with retrograde pyelography and arteriography. The placement of an endo vascular stent graft produced exclusion of the IAUF and quick resolution of the hematuria. An ureteral catheter was inserted for five days. IAUF is a rare and potentially fatal entity that requires a high degree of suspicion for diagnosis. A combined endoscopic approach with arteriography and retrograde pyelography can simultaneously provide an opportunity to detect the IAUF and insert an endovascular stent graft to stop bleeding as well as a ureteral catheter to protect ureteral mucosa and renal function. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Fulminant liver failure is characterized by massive acute Hepatocyte dysfunction associated with severe coagulopathy, acute hyperdynamic circulatory failure and hepatic encephalopathy. According to the more recent classification, which takes into account the interval between the onset of jaundice and the hepatic encephalopathy, three are the main forms of ALF hyperacute, acute or subacute. Despite recent and relevant advances in intensive care management and organ support techniques (both artificial and bioartificial), mortality remains extremely high, early deaths being related to cerebral oedema and circulatory failure, whereas late deaths are associated with sepsis and multiple organ failure. Orthotopic liver transplantation has proven to be the only treatment modality able to change radically the ALF natural course. he experiences with artificial and bioartificial devices, in spite of being interesting and sometimes very promising, are far from giving a real impact on survival and remain, so far, important interim measures for patients eventually candidate to liver transplantation.

The artificial endocrine pancreas or artificial beta cell, consists of a continuous blood glucose monitoring system, a computered set-up which responds to glycemia and the hormone delivery system. This system provides a technique which can completely normalize blood glucose concentration in diabetic patients, during both food assumption and after. This paper deals with the characteristics of the artificial beta cell, its possible applications and its limits.