[Protective effect of ranitidine in acute experimental pancreatitis in the rat]

Acute experimental pancreatitis was induced in rats, with a polyethylene splint placed into the duodenum, by the closed duodenal loop technique. Ranitidine (20 mg . kg-1) or saline were administered intraperitoneally every 8 hrs, beginning 15 min prior to surgery. The degree of pancreatitis and the amylase to creatinine clearance ratio (ACCR) were evaluated in all the animals after sacrifice. Ranitidine-treated animals showed significant by reduced pancreatic damage and ACCR values in comparison with non-treated rats. These data confirm the efficacy of ranitidine as a preventive agent in the development of acute pancreatitis and suggest that controlled trials should be performed with this H2-antagonist in the human subyects with this disease.

[Our experience in the treatment of nonneoplastic obstructive pathology of the common bile duct by papillosphincteroplasty (author's transl)]

Starting from a discussion of the controversial views on the indications and correct execution of papillosphincteroplasty (PSP), the Authors report their own experience with the procedure and their first-hand evaluation of its merits, based on a series of 77 patients treated by PSP over the last 3 years (out of a total of 650 patients treated surgically for nonneoplastic pathology of the biliary tract). Their followup to date (up to 3 years after surgery), based on clinical, biohumoral and radiological findings, shows that the long-term results were excellent in 85%, good in 13%, and poor in 2% of the cases.

[Biliary lithiasis in patients aged over 70 years: considerations on 125 operations]

An experience with 125 over 70 aged patients, undergone surgery for biliary lithiasis, is here reported. These operations represent 17 percent on the whole performed ones for non malignant biliary tract diseases in Institute of Surgical Pathology of the University of Parma. As the age gets elder, we can see a percent increase of complications of lithiasis, and particularly of acute cholecystitis, of common bile duct diseases and generally of emergencies. Mortality rate was 5,6%. After cholecystectomy for uncomplicated gallstones mortality rate was zero. After operations for complications of cholelithiasis it was 9.3% (6,8% in elective, 18,7% in emergent surgery). According to the Authors, these results suggest that surgical elective indications in the aged patients have to be extensive, in order to reduce the risk of worse and often unavoidable complications.

[Cimetidine after operations on Vater papilla (author's transl)]

The effectiveness of Cimetidine in preventing complications, like acute pancreatitis and hemorrhagic gastritis, after operations on Vater papilla (ISP) is studied. In patients treated with Cimetidine the volume of nasogastric secretion was smaller and diastasemia and diastasuria treated values returned to the normal range earlier than in non-treated patients. In the latter group a case of pancreatitis and one of post-operative hemorrhagic gastritis were found. The treated patients, instead, did not suffer these complications. It was concluded that Cimetidine after IPS is useful, because it complies with the request that determined its employ.