Introduction: Intima-media thickness (IMT) measurement of the common carotid artery (CCA) is considered as useful indicator of carotid atherosclerosis. Early detection of atherosclerosis and its associated risk factors is important to prevent stroke and heart diseases. The aim of the present study was to investigate which risk factors are better determinants of subclinical atherosclerosis, measured by common carotidartery intima media thickness (CCA-IMT).Methods: A total of 74 subjects were randomly selected in this cross – sectional study. Information on the patient’s medical history and laboratory fi ndings were obtained from their clinical records. Risk factors relevant to this study were age, gender, cigarette smoking status, diabetes, hypertension and dyslipidemia. Ultrasound scanning of carotid arteries was performed with a 7,5 MHz linear array transducer (GE Voluson730 pro). The highest value of six common carotid artery measurements was taken as the fi nal IMT. Increased CCA-IMT was defi ned when it was > 1 mm.Results: Our data demonstrated higher CCA-IMT values in male patients compared with female patients. Increased CCA-IMT was the most closely related to age (P<0.001), followed by systolic blood pressure (P=0.001), diastolic blood pressure (P=0.003) and glucose blood level (P=0.048).Conclusion: Age, gender and hypertension are the most important risk factors in development of carotid atherosclerosis. Early detection of atherosclerosis among high-risk populations is important in order to prevent stroke and heart diseases, which are leading causes of death worldwide.

Introduction: Differential diagnosis of acute chest pain encompasses a broad spectrum of illnesses which are most likely followed by benign outcomes (pneumonia, pneumothorax, pleurisy, pericardial effusion, hiatus hernia), but also illnesses of lethal outcomes (pulmonary embolism, myocardial infarction, aortic dissection,thoracic aortic aneurysms, thoracic aortic aneurysm rupture, etc). Illnesses associated with benign and lethal outcomes may present very similar if not the same symptoms, resulting in a diffi cult establishment of accurate diagnosis. Methods : During the period of one year, 123 patients presented with non-cardiac acute chest pain were referred for the multi slice computed tomography (MSCT) examination. Scanning of thorax was conducted in two series: unenhanced and contrast-enhanced, using a window for pulmonary parenchyma and mediastinum. Results : From a total number of patients 21.1% had normal results while the other 79.9% had pathological results. Out of the total number of patients with pathological result MSCT established potentially lethal outcome for 35.0%, out of which 83.7% was contributed to vascular territory of pulmonary artery, while 16.3% was contributed to aorta. Conclusion : MSCT scanning, owe to its ability of simultaneous analysis of vascular and non-vascular thoracic structures, represents a very effi cient and reliable method for establishing accurate diagnosis and appropriate triage of patients with acute chest pain. Accurate and effi cient diagnosis enables benefi cial outcome for the patient in this group of illness. MSCT enables the differentiation of etiological factors, which present as acute onset of non-cardiac chest pain.

AIM To estimate the prevalence of asthma, allergic rhinitis, and atopic dermatitis among school children in the region of Primorsko-goranska County in Croatia, and compare the results with data from other countries. METHODS The study was conducted during the 2001-2002 school year, in complete adherence to the Phase One protocol of the International Study of Asthma and Allergies in Childhood (ISAAC). The target population comprised two age groups (6-7 and 13-14 years) in the region of Primorsko-Goranska County in Croatia. Data were collected using standardized ISAAC written questionnaire and asthma video questionnaire. RESULTS There were 1,634 participating children in the 6-7 age group (response rate 80.3%) and 2,194 participating children in the 13-14 age group (response rate 89.8%). Estimated 12-month prevalence rates of symptoms were: wheezing 9.7% and 8.4%, allergic rhinitis symptoms 16.9% and 17.5%, allergic rhinoconjunctivitis symptoms 5.6% and 6.7%, and atopic dermatitis symptoms 5.4% and 3.4%, for younger and older age group, respectively. CONCLUSION Results suggest an increase in the prevalence of atopic disease symptoms in north-west part of Croatia over the last few decades when compared to prior studies. The results are suitable for international comparison, suggesting that this part of Croatia is a county with a moderate prevalence of atopic diseases in the pediatric population. The results represent a baseline for further epidemiological research of asthma and allergic diseases.

Cores of lacustrine and lacustrine-peat deposits from the Okunin and Czerepacha sites were examined using the following methods: sedimentological analysis, radiocarbon dating, pollen, ostracod and geochemical analyses. 137 Cs distribution was determined in the top parts of these deposits. The obtained results allow us to reconstruct the main stages of evolution of the lake-mire geosystems in relation to regional changes of environmental con- ditions during the Late Glacial and Holocene.