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"Acute scrotum" in infants and children is generally due to testicular torsion, torsion of the appendix of testis or acute orchi-epididymitis. However they are other less frequent causes of "acute scrotum". The differential diagnosis is often very difficult. 265 consecutive cases of acute scrotum are reviewed. 47% of the all patients presented torsion of the appendix of testis, 26% torsion of testis and 26% acute orchi-epididymitis. The torsion of testis was most frequent in children under 1 year (67%), in the older patients the torsion of appendix of testis was most frequent (46% in patients 1-6 years old, 57% in patients over 6 years). The value and limit of ultrasound, scrotal scintigraphy and doppler ultrasound are discussed and an algorithm for the diagnosis of causes of acute scrotum is presented. In equivocal cases, early surgical exploration may be necessary to exsclude torsion of testis and to prevent testicular loss.

Hydronephrosis in infancy and childhood is a frequent urinary malformation and is almost always congenital. In over 80% of the cases it is due to ureteropelvic junction obstruction; much less frequently it is due to anomalous renal vessels, sometimes associated to ureteropelvic junction obstruction. In this paper the Authors analyze their experience in the surgical treatment of this urinary malformation. 234 hydronephrosis out of 222 patients were operated on from January 1972 to June 1985. 61 hydronephrosis were operated on in 55 infants under 1 year. Primary nephrectomy was carried out only in 9 of the 234 hydronephrosis operated on (3.9%) and in 3 of the 61 hydronephrosis operated on in infants less than 1 year old (4.9%). All the 55 infants but one showed a significant radiological improvement after pyeloplasty. 28 infants but one showed a significant radiological improvement after pyeloplasty. 28 infants for a total of 30 hydronephrosis had a glomerular filtration rate determination during sequential scan for individual kidney function assessment. 90% of the kidneys operated on showed a normal or slightly reduced glomerular filtration rate. Recent advances in prenatal echographic diagnosis and relationship between obstructive uropathy, renal development and pulmonary hypoplasia are discussed. The Authors stress out the importance of early diagnosis to improve surgical results.

The Authors report their experience in the treatment of 86 patients, in pediatric age, with Hirschsprung's disease: 40 with congenital rectosigmoid or subtotal megacolon, 8 with total colic or ileocolic aganglionosis and 38 with ultrashort aganglionic segment. Out of the patients 29% had necrotizing enterocolitis with 40% mortality rate in rectosigmoid or subtotal forms and with 75% mortality rate in total colic or ileocolic forms. In the last group the mortality was higher related also to difficulties and complications of surgical treatment. Necrotizing enterocolitis is the major cause of death in infants with Hirschsprung's disease. Early diagnosis and treatment can reduce the mortality rate.

We report an unusual case of right adrenal hemorrhage in which none of the clinical or familiar factors commonly associated with this situation were present. Diagnosis was made after sudden macroscopic hematuria, and was based on clinical and radiologic findings alone. The normal course of adrenal hemorrhage is also discussed.