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Erectile dysfunction caused by venous leakage is a vascular disease in which blood fails to accumulate in the corpora cavernosa due to the abrupt drainage of blood from the penis secondary to an abnormal venous network that affects 1 to 2% of men under 25 years old and about 10 to 20% over 60 years old, who do not raise a sufficient erection for penetrative sex. The study of the venous leak and its characterization in young patients with erectile dysfunction represent a diagnostic challenge, and imaging remains the best way to diagnose this condition. In the article, it is described the methods of execution and the diagnostic role of the cavernous MRI in the study of vasogenic erectile dysfunction from the venous leak, proposing it as a good alternative to the cavernous CT, considering the satisfactory results in terms of diagnostic interpretation, the absence of ionizing radiation, the higher soft tissue resolution of the imaging method and the lower administration of contrast agent.

In the transition from the operative to the conservative approach for the polytraumatized patients who undergo blunt trauma, diagnostic imaging has assumed a pivotal role, currently offering various opportunities, particularly in the follow-up of these patients. The choice of the most suitable imaging method in this setting mainly depends on the injury complications we are looking for, the patient conditions (mobilization, cooperation, medications, allergies and age), the biological invasiveness, and the availability of each imaging method. Computed Tomography (CT) represents the “standard” imaging technique in the polytraumatized patient due to the high diagnostic performance when a correct imaging protocol is adopted, despite suffering from invasiveness due to radiation dose and intravenous contrast agent administration. Ultrasound (US) is a readily available technology, cheap, bedside performable and integrable with intravenous contrast agent (Contrast enhanced US—CEUS) to enhance the diagnostic performance, but it may suffer particularly from limited panoramicity and operator dependance. Magnetic Resonance (MR), until now, has been adopted in specific contexts, such as biliopancreatic injuries, but in recent experiences, it showed a great potential in the follow-up of polytraumatized patients; however, its availability may be limited in some context, and there are specific contraindications, such as as claustrophobia and the presence non-MR compatible devices. In this article, the role of each imaging method in the body-imaging follow-up of adult polytraumatized patients will be reviewed, enhancing the value of integrated imaging, as shown in several cases from our experience.

The Kentish Plover Charadrius alexandrinus is a sensitive species whose national breeding population has been undergoing a sharp decrease, up to 50%, in 2010 compared to the previous decade. Due to the lack of updated data and fragmented knowledge about its current status and distribution in Sicily, a specific and accurate monitoring of this species was carried out during the years 2018 and 2019. About 230 km of coastline and 64 UTM squares 10x10 km were investigated during the breeding seasons, and a total of 205-287 pairs have been estimated for the whole region, distributed in 41 UTM squares (including the island of Favignana). Pairs are mainly concentrated in the complex of “Saline di Trapani and Stagnone di Marsala” and along the sandy coast of Gulf of Gela, with a higher abundance along the southeast coast of the region. Breeding population showed a decrease of 18-28% in number of pairs in comparison to the last estimation of 250-400 pairs reported for the years 2009-2010. After the investigation of 108 km of coastline and 46 UTM squares, the Sicilian wintering population has been estimated at 376- 563 ind., with wintering flocks mainly concentrated in the wetlands of “Mazara del Vallo” and along the coasts of Syracuse and the Gulf of Gela. These updated estimates place Sicily as the second most important Italian region for the wintering of this species, just after Sardinia. For the first time, the data collected have made it possible to draw up qualitative-quantitative maps of C. alexandrinus distribution in Sicily, providing an important instrument for the management and planning of specific conservation actions, which should be based on habitat protection and implementation of appropriate artificial ecological niches.

Sandy coasts are specific habitats of high ecological significance for many species of shorebirds. The Gulf of Catania, in the Eastern coast of Sicily, is considered one of the most important sandy coastal areas of the region for the wintering of different species of Charadriidae and Scolopacidae, also due to the presence of River Simeto’s mouth and other freshwater streams. Since the area has been subject to many changes in the last few decades and recent data were not available, a ten-year monitoring of the wintering shorebird community has been carried out, from January 2011 to January 2020, to understand its current ecological role and to update the knowledge about numbers and trends of Sicilian wintering shorebirds along the coast. A total of 3,171 individuals and 16 different species were observed, including a considerable amount of individuals of Calidris alba and Charadrius alexandrinus, despite the latter showed an 80% decrease in number in the last 20 years in the area. For each species, maximum numbers observed per winter and related five-year averages, estimates, IKA (Index of Abundance per Kilometre) and percentages in relation to the national wintering population have been reported. Furthermore, data about species associations were collected and analysed. This survey shows how the ecological value of River Simeto’s mouth has decreased considerably in the last decades in favour of other locations, such as the mouth of Canale Arci, where almost 50% of the birds were observed.

Pelvic pain in reproductive age often represents a diagnostic challenge due to the variety of potential causes characterized by overlapping clinical symptoms, including gynecological and other disorders (e.g., entero-colic or urological). It is also necessary to determine if there is a possibility of pregnancy to rule out any related complications, such as ectopic pregnancy. Although ultrasound (US), computed tomography (CT), and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) are strongly integrated, the choice of which is the ideal diagnostic tool should be guided both by clinical suspicion (gynecological vs. non-gynecological cause) and by the risk ratio–benefit (ionizing radiation and instrumental costs), too. The didactic objective proposed by this review consists in the diagnosis of the cause and differential of pelvic pain in reproductive age by describing and critically analyzing the US diagnostic clues of the most frequent adnexal, uterine, and vascular causes.

Pelvic pain (PP) is common in pregnant women and can be caused by several diseases, including obstetrics, gynaecological, gastrointestinal, genitourinary, and vascular disorders. Timely and accurate diagnosis as well as prompt treatment are crucial for the well-being of the mother and foetus. However, these are very challenging. It should be considered that the physiological changes occurring during pregnancy may confuse the diagnosis. In this setting, ultrasound (US) represents the first-line imaging technique since it is readily and widely available and does not use ionizing radiations. In some cases, US may be conclusive for the diagnosis (e.g., if it detects no foetal cardiac activity in suspected spontaneous abortion; if it shows an extrauterine gestational sac in suspected ectopic pregnancy; or if it reveals a dilated, aperistaltic, and blind-ending tubular structure arising from the cecum in suspicious of acute appendicitis). Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), overcoming some limits of US, represents the second-line imaging technique when an US is negative or inconclusive, to detect the cause of bowel obstruction, or to characterize adnexal masses.

Errors in emergency ultrasound (US) have been representing an increasing problem in recent years thanks to several unique features related to both the inherent characteristics of the discipline and to the latest developments, which every medical operator should be aware of. Because of the subjective nature of the interpretation of emergency US findings, it is more prone to errors than other diagnostic imaging modalities. The misinterpretation of US images should therefore be considered as a serious risk in diagnosis. The etiology of error is multi-factorial: it depends on environmental factors, patients and the technical skills of the operator; it is influenced by intrinsic US artifacts, poor clinical correlation, US-setting errors and anatomical variants; and it is conditioned by the lack of a methodologically correct clinical approach and excessive diagnostic confidence too. In this review, we evaluate the common and uncommon sources of diagnostic errors in emergency US during clinical practice, showing how to recognize and avoid them.

Trauma is one of the most common causes of death or permanent disability in young people, so a timely diagnostic approach is crucial. In polytrauma patients, CEUS (contrast enhanced ultrasound) has been shown to be more sensitive than US (ultrasound) for the detection of solid organ injuries, improving the identification and grading of traumatic abdominal lesions with levels of sensitivity and specificity similar to those seen with MDCT (multidetector tomography). CEUS is recommended for the diagnostic evaluation of hemodynamically stable patients with isolated blunt moderate-energy abdominal traumas and the diagnostic follow-up of conservatively managed abdominal traumas. In this pictorial review, we illustrate the advantages and disadvantages of CEUS and the procedure details with tips and tricks during the investigation of blunt moderate-energy abdominal trauma as well as during follow-up in non-operative management.

We investigated the optoelectronic properties of lead sulphide (PbS) quantum dot films in lithographically tailored gold nanogap electrodes. In particular, we aimed at the correlated measurement of photoconductivity and luminescence as a tool to characterize the charge dynamics from exciton generation to carrier extraction and recombination. Combining these measurements in an optical microscope with laser scanning excitation enabled, as well, the spatially resolved observation of the involved effects.

We investigate the photoconductivity properties of lead sulphide (PbS) quantum dot ensembles in lithographically tailored gold electrodes with smallest gaps of 15 nm. We demonstrate that quantum dots are reliable nanoscale light/current converters and correlate the measured photocurrents to the quantum dot number, the gap voltage and light irradiance. For the latter, we find a photocurrent power law dependence with an exponent of 2/3. Furthermore, we probe the role of plasmonic effects in the gold electrodes and image by scanning photocurrent microscopy the spatial dependence of photocurrent generation.