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Among Carlo Conti Rossini’s many merits it should be recalled that he was the first to recognize traces of an early layer in the textual history of the Gädlä Sämaᶜtat (or “Acts of the martyrs”), a well-known collection of Vitae of foreign saintly martyrs mostly translated from Arabic, and to connect this layer to the Greek-based translational phase that characterized the Askumite age (4th–7th cent.). In the wake of Conti Rossini’s contribution, this study intends to carry out a text-critical survey of the Ethiopic Passio of Anicetus and Photius, commemorated in Ethiopia on 12 Taḫśaś. A large amount of textual evidence, including faithful transcriptions of Hellenistic god names and numerous instances of misinterpretation and preservation of the Greek word order, make a strong case for a direct Greek Vorlage at the root of the Ethiopic version. In accordance with the thesis advocated in this paper, the Ethiopic Passio of Anicetus and Photius is added to the increasing number of hagiographic sources reasonably datable to the Aksumite age.

Xanthogranulomatous pyelonephritis (XGPN) is a rare disorder affecting the kidney which can fistulise to the colon in exceptional cases. We herein report a case of XGPN with renocolic fistula and large vessel thrombosis presenting with sepsis and pulmonary embolism. Preoperative diagnosis and strategic planning resulted in successful management. A 64-year-old woman presented to the emergency department with abdominal pain and a septic condition, corroborated by venous thromboembolism. Workup diagnosed a left renal abscess with calicocolic fistula. Scintigraphy confirmed a nonfunctioning left kidney. The patient underwent inferior vena cava filter placement and staged surgery. The first, damage control procedure was a loop ileostomy. Ten days later, when the patient’s conditions improved, she underwent left nephrectomy and left colectomy with primary anastomosis. Finally, a year later, the ileostomy was closed. At follow-up, the patient was well, with unremarkable renal function. Scrupulous diagnostics, multidisciplinary decision making, and staged intervention have been key to optimal outcome.

Eritrea can boast a long-lasting scribal culture on parchment which is intimately associated with the presence of monastic and ecclesiastic centres. Monastic libraries scattered throughout the country preserve historical manuscript collections, in some cases very extensive, which are veritable parchment treasures still awaiting a proper cataloguing and investigation. Research initiatives that will hopefully carry out scholarly activities on the Eritrean manuscript culture will face manifold challenges, but will have the privilege to actively re-introduce that precious heritage into the scholarly discussion.

The widely known account on the Christianization of Ethiopia by Frumentius is transmitted in a variety of Ethiopie sources. Among these, the homily De Frumentio for 18th Taḫśaś (so far preserved in two manuscripts only, neither of which is later than the 14th cent.) is here explored in a text-critical perspective. A set of peculiar readings and instances of misreading confirms that the literary core of the homily originates from an Aksumite translation made upon Socrates Scholasticus' Greek version of the account. In addition, the relationship between the homily and the Sdnkdssar commemorative notice for 26th Hamle, composed in the 16th cent., is here investigated and interpreted within the context of reuse and reworking of the earlier textual heritage under new literary forms and for different expectations.

In 1990, Ramirez introduced a new procedure to close abdominal wall hernia (AWH), called \"components separation technique (CST)\". Thanks to endoscopy, surgical repair possibilities have risen, reducing the operative trauma and preserving vascular and neuronal anatomical structures. This report aims to describe a single port endoscopic approach for CST to repair the abdominal wall of a patient undergoing surgery for abdominal aneurysm and already subject to placement of a mesh for AWH. We performed endoscopic-assisted CST, using a single-port access with a gasless technique. CST is a useful procedure to close large abdominal wall incisional hernia avoiding the use of mesh, notably under contamination, when prosthetic material use is contraindicated. The endoscopic-assisted CST produces same results than the conventional open separation technique and also minimised tissue trauma that ensures blood supply and prevents postoperative wounds complications. The described single port method was found to be safe and effective to close large midline abdominal hernias when a primary open or laparoscopic closure is not feasible or when patients have been previously treated with abdominal meshes.

Myeloid sarcoma (MS) is an extramedullary localization of immature granulocyte cells that can occur in association with acute myeloid leukemia (AML). Gastrointestinal involvement is relatively common in MS, but exclusive colonic localization is a rare occurrence. Here, we report on a 53-year-old male patient affected by AML developing a severe abdominal pain caused by intestinal perforation requiring surgical intervention. The post-mortem examination revealed an infiltrate consistent with MS. Diagnosis of colonic MS can be difficult due to non-specific symptoms and complicated by the challenges associated with exploring this area. Clinical acumen is crucial to promptly establish adequate management due to the potentially life-threatening nature of this condition.

Foreign body (FB) ingestion is a common clinical problem and most FBs pass through the gastrointestinal tract without the need for intervention. A wide spectrum of clinical presentations may be possible and these can be either acute or chronic. We present a case of an 83-year-old woman featuring insidious abdominal discomfort who was hospitalized in our institution due to worsening symptoms. She underwent contrast-enhanced computed tomography (CT) evaluation which showed the presence of a significant parietal thickening of the transverse and descending colon, a mesenteric loose tissue imbibition, venous engorgement, and no filling defect of visceral arteries, suggesting a condition of nonocclusive colon ischemia. A hyperdense FB was identified in the sigma and was associated with a small pseudotumoral mass. The patient underwent surgical exploration which confirmed the hypoperfusional state of the colon, showing the presence of a chicken bone perforating the sigma and lying in the context of a pseudotumoral mass. Our experience shows how contrast-enhanced CT is feasible and can be strongly recommended as a first-line imaging tool on suspicion of colon ischemia and also how it can easily identify the underlying cause, in our case a FB sealed perforation of the sigma with pseudotumoral mass formation.

COVID-19 is rapidly spreading, and due to the high morbidity and mortality caused by the pandemic many Governments have introduced social restrictions. Those measures combined with infection-related patient anxiety, led to hiding other diseases. The aim of this study was to evaluate the impact of COVID-19 on numbers and severity of acute appendicitis cases referred during the pandemic. Between March 2019 and March 2021, all patients who underwent appendectomy in Tor Vergata Hospital, Rome were included. Patients were divided in two groups (COVID-19/pre-COVID-19). Clinical features, intraoperative findings, hospital stay, and histologic examination data were included in the retrospective analysis. Out of 334 admitted patients, 36 (10.7%) had a diagnosis of acute appendicitis (COVID-19 group) vs. 59(11.2%) in the pre-COVID-19 group. The COVID-19 group presented significantly longer hospitalization, incidence of appendicular abscess, perforation, and severity of inflammation at univariate analysis p=0.002, p=0.021, p=0.001, p=0.006, p=0.001, respectively. At multivariate analysis, appendicular abscess (p=0.015) and higher serum levels of C reactive protein (p<0.008) were associated with prolonged hospital stay. This study highlights the correlation between COVID-19 pandemic and the severity of acute appendicitis presentations.

Background The nature of the relationship between Helicobacter pylori and reflux esophagitis (RE) is not fully understood. In addition, the effect of H. pylori eradication on RE and gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) is unclear. This study was designed to investigate the relationship between H. pylori infection and the grade of GERD in patients with reflux symptoms. Methods Between January 2010 and July 2013, 184 consecutive patients with daily reflux symptoms for at least one year were evaluated at the ambulatory for functional esophageal disease, Tor Vergata University Hospital, Rome, Italy. All patients underwent a pretreatment evaluation, which included anamnesis, clinical examination, Esophagogastroduodenoscopy (EGDS) with biopsy, esophageal manometry and 24-hour pH-metry. All statistical elaborations were obtained using Statigraphies 5 plus for Window XP. Results There was no statistical difference regarding Lower Esophageal Sphincter (LES) pressure between patients who were H. pylori -positive and H. Pylori -negative (19.2 ± 9.5 (range: 3.7 to 46.2) and 19.7 ± 11.0 (range: 2.6 to 61), respectively). Further, no significant difference was evidenced in esophageal wave length (mean value: 3.1 seconds in H. pylori -negative patients versus 3.2 seconds in H. pylori -positive patients) or in esophageal wave height (mean value: 72.2 ± 39.3 in H. pylori -negative patients versus 67.7 ± 28.4 in H. pylori -positive patients). We observed that hiatal hernia ( P  = 0.01), LES opening ( P  = 0.05), esophageal wave length ( P  = 0.01) and pathological reflux number ( P  = 0.05) were significantly related to the presence of esophagitis. However, H. pylori infection was not significantly related to the presence of reflux esophagitis. Conclusions Our clinical, endoscopic, manometric and pH-metric data shows no significant role of H. pylori infection in the development of GERD or in the pathogenesis of reflux esophagitis. However, current data do not provide sufficient evidence to define this relationship and further prospective large studies are needed.