Eccrine-nevus (author''s transl)

The eccrine nevus is an exceptional entity, formed by well-differentiated adnexa which can be classified as hamartoma or organoid nevus. It is characterized by a high degree of structural maturation. The authors report a case of eccrine nevus observed in a 32-year-old woman and compare clinical and histological features of the lesion with literature data.     

Serum lipids in patients with liver disease (author''s transl)

A long-term controlled therapeutic trial of gefarnate (600 mg daily) in the treatment of chronic gastric ulcer was carried out in 32 patients. Assessment was based on the clinical course and on repeated radiological and endoscopic examinations, which were performed after 3-months' treatment, at the end of the 1-year trial period, and towards the end of a follow-up period of approximately 2 1/2 to 3 1/2 years. In men with gastric ulcer, gefarnate proved to be highly effective, with 10 out of the 11 patients who received this treatment showing persistent healing of the ulcer compared with only 4 out of the 11 who were on dummy treatment. In the very small group of women it was not possible to show any difference between treatments. No adverse reactions to gefarnate occurred. These results suggest that gefarnate is a safe and effective treatment for chronic gastric ulcer.     

Hydatid disease of liver and its complications (author''s transl)

This is a report on 121 cases of hydatid disease of liver. The alteration of the false cyst, explaining the most common complications of the disease, is discussed. Complications were present in 61 (50.41%) of our 121 patients: calcification in 13.22%, infection in 10.74%, perforation in bile ducts in 9.91%, thorax in 5.78% and abdominal cavity in 10.74% of our cases. Diagnostic importances of clinical findings, immunoelectrophoretic studies and radioisotopic liverscanning is emphasized. In 28 cases the complete excision of cysts were carried out, in 110 cases only removal of the hydatid membrane was performed. Other therapeutic methods are discussed. Of 108 treated patients 7 died postoperatively: they were all over 70 years old.     

Sacro-iliac osteochondritis (author''s transl)

Sacro-iliac osteochondritis is difficult to recognize, it is rather frequently a case of diagnosis by elimination, which can be only confirmed by the course. Its prognosis is excellent. The predominance of lesions on the iliac edge reflects the affinity of this epiphysitis for the accessory iliac ossification point.     

Vesicorenal reflux (author''s transl)

Antireflux procedures show high efficiency and relatively few technical complications. A tabulated comparison between the intravesical procedure (Politano-Leadbetter) and the extravesical procedure (Lich-Grégoir) reveals an overall success rate of 80%. To simplify the nomenclature, the term primary refluxing ureter is suggested for cases with a freely draining IVP and primary obstructive ureter for a dye collumnating dilated ureter. The indication for antirefluxplasty is divided into urgent cases and those with secondary priority, with immunologic tests providing helpful criteria.     

Acute liver injury in rats by praseodymium nitrate (author''s transl)

After acute intoxication with praseodymium nitrate (10 mg/kg body weight i.v.), time functions of enzyme activities of GOT, GPT, ChE, AP and of free fatty acids concentration in rat serum were analysed and the results subjected to significance and correlation analysis. Time functions of free fatty acids concentration corresponded with those of enzyme activities of GOT and GPT. In the early state of intoxication serum concentrations of palmitoleinic and oleic acid were more increased than those of stearinic acid. There seems to be an alteration in the correlations of analysed measures with regard to their temporal changes parallel to the progress of intoxication.     

Renal tubular acidosis and alcoholic liver disease (author''s transl)

Report on 8 cases of congenital atresia or severe stenosis of the choanae. In 2 cases early transnasal surgery followed by canulation was necessary. One child died of pleuropneumonia and sepsis following asphyxia on the 10th day, when mouth-breathing had already been established.     

Boston corset (author''s transl)

Nine cases of bilateral femoral shaft fractures were seen in a series of 126 patients treated from 1973--1977. Patients were multitrauma cases from automobile accidents. Treatment by traction followed by cast-bracing resulted in a high percentage of unsatisfactory results, lengthy recoveries, and the necessity of secondary surgical procedures to improve the results.     

Angiography in coxarthrosis (author''s transl)

The preparation of 125I-labelled tracer for digoxin radioimmunoassay (125I monoiodinated 3-succinyl digoxigenin-1-tyrosine) is described, and its performance in radioimmunoassay of plasma samples is compared with that obtained with tritiated digoxin. The accuracy levels were assessed through the evaluation of different potential sources of systematic errors, such as interference from digoxin-related molecules and plasma proteins and methodological artefacts possibly associated with the immunocomplex instability, and through a series of checks including the recovery and parallelism tests and the correspondence of results obtained with the two tracers. The slope and the repeatability with time of the calibration curves and the spread of replicate estimates were taken into consideration to assess the assay precision. An essential equivalence in terms of reliability of measurement was proved for the two methodological variants, so that practical aspects and economic factors remain the main criteria to evaluate the relative merits: from this point of view, the advantages of using 125I-labelled tracer, as an alternative to tritiated digoxin, are discussed.     

Seckel syndrom (author''s transl)

The radiophysical properties of the material "Masonit" are examined by experimental methods. Indications are given as to atomic composition, density, effective atomic number, concentration of electrons, and linear attenuation coefficient. A comparison with water shows that "Masonit" is a suitable phantom material especially for the purposes of radiotherapy.     

Bull''s-eye disease (author''s transl)

Thiamine deficiency was produced in young rats by feeding a thiamine deficient diet. At a time when neurological symptoms were severe, and cardiac and renal transketolase activities were decreased, the animals were sacrificed. Glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase and 6-phosphogluconate dehydrogenase activities, and flux through the pentose phosphate pathway were similar in pair-fed control and thiamine deficient rats. These data suggest that altered pentose phosphate pathway activity is not a vital feature of murine thiamine deficiency.     

Excessive generalized fat embolism in acutely dystrophic fat liver (author''s transl)

Two patients with systemic lupus erythematosus, who had striking angiographic abnormalities of venous contour, are presented. Both cases also had communicating hydrocephalus. Postmortem examination of one patient led to a histological explanation of the venous changes observed radiologically. Previous radiological reports have shown involvement of arteries but not veins with lupus erythematosus. The angiographic signs of phlebitis may signify a meningeal reaction which, when combined with ventricular enlargement, should suggest communicating hydrocephalus.     

Hallucinantion and illusion (author''s transl)

The value of an anaesthetic attachment during the first two postgraduate years is considered under three major headings, the value to the recent graduate, the value to the specialty, and the value to the community. The anaesthetic attachment offers all recent graduates an opportunity to perfect practical skills which should from part of the armamentarium of all doctors, and for some there is the option to acquire the ability to administer a safe anaesthetic. Exposure to the specialty at this time is important for recruitment to the specialist ranks.     

Smell in human sexuality (author''s transl)

The authors present the results of family investigations carried out in a healthy man whose serum contained anti-IDBH alloantibodies. In the erythrocytes of the propositus and one of his brothers defects in ID and IS components were found. At the same time increased expression of IT component was observed in both these men and in their brother. In the erythrocytes of the remaining family members no abnormalities in the components of I complex was found. The authors stress the importance of detection of these defects in the practice of transfusiology in patients with autoimmunohaemolytic anaemia.     

Acceleration of ageing processes by ionizing radiation (author''s transl)]

The dynamics of arterial, venous, and lymphatic flow in the mesentery were studied in dogs, using an electromagnetic flowmeter for the blood and cannulation and gravimetric measurement for the lymph. Ligation of veins caused an increased venous outflow in adjacent veins and a marked increase in lymph flow. When marginal vessels were ligated, eliminating the major collateral flow, venous flow decreased, but elevated lymph flow persisted. Simultaneous ligation of arteries and veins resulted in increases of both arterial and venous flow in adjacent vessels. Lymph flow decreased unless excessive arterial collateral flow persisted. When collateral marginal vessel flow was occluded, adjacent venous and arterial blood flow decreased to control levels. With arterial ligation, collateral arterial blood flow increased slightly, but venous and lymph flow decreased sharply. When collateral marginal vessels were eliminated, adjacent arterial blood flow decreased to control levels and venous flow virtually stopped. As a result of these studies, the technic of early primary arterial ligation followed by marginal vessel ligation appears to be the most satisfactory procedure for decreasing venous and lymphatic outflow and hopefully avoiding dissemination of cancer cells during the operation. This technic is now being used as a modification of the "no touch" technic for cancer of the colon.     

Spondylitis in typhoid fever (author''s transl)

Obstructing esophageal food impaction was successfully relieved in 3 patients by the administration of intravenous glucagon. Since proteolytic enzyme digestion of bolus impaction carries a clear risk of fatal esophageal perforation, early therapeutic administration of glucagon during initial esophagography affords a safe and effective acute-care radiologic adjunct. Advantages include immediate diagnosis and therapy, effectiveness in meat and vegetable impactions, and safety for repeated doses. A glucagon-papain combination is suggested as a routine regimen during standard efforts at enzymatic disimpaction.     

Otitis externa trichophytica (author''s transl)

A comparison of the plasma levels of tetracycline obtained whilst taking standard therapeutic doses of Tetrabid-Organon was made in twelve healthy volunteers. Two standard production batches were used in the study which was conducted under double-blind conditions. Sampling 12 hours and 8 hours after dosing showed no significant differences in plasma levels, with each batch. Even at these lowest levels satisfactory concentrations were rapidly obtained following initial administration, and were maintained when the drug was given at 12-hourly intervals. No side-effects of the drug were noted.     

Hemihypertrophy with wiedemann-Beckwith-syndrome (author''s transl)

Immunosuppressive agents were used to determine the relative importance of T and B lymphocytes in conferring protection to mice vaccinated with a live gal E mutant of Salmonella typhimurium, strain G30D. Lymphocyte transformation and serum agglutination tests showed that while cyclophosphamide (CPA) suppressed B lymphocytes, antilymphocyte sea (ALS) suppressed both T and B cells. The humoral response of vaccinated animals treated with ALS was therefore supplemented by the i.v. injection of serum from untreated vaccinated mice. CPA-treated mice could not control multiplication of the vaccinal strain which eventually killed them. There was little multiplication of the vaccinal strain in the controls and ALS-treated mice, all of which survived to challenge. The vaccinated controls and vaccinated ALS treated groups each survived infection with the challenge strain which was gradually eliminated. It was concluded that humoral immunity was of greater importance than cellular immunity in mice vaccinated i.p. with strain G30D.     

Congenital arteriovenous shunts (author''s transl)

In 95 women taking reduced-level-oral contraceptives and in 24 same-aged women controls, the measure of erythrocyte and serum folate led to the following conclusions: 1) Folate levels in women consuming the pill were generally found to be of the same range as those of controls. 2) No significant difference could be shown between results for different kinds of contraceptives.     

Pseudo pectus excavatum (author''s transl)

Seventy seven angioleiomyomata from 75 patients, 19 males and 55 females, are reviewed. One patient had 2 lesions and another a local recurrence after surgical excision. Only 3 were less than 20 years old and most were beyond 30 (average age 47). Fifty four lesions were on the lower limbs, 4 on the head and legs), 9 on the upper limbs, 4 on the head and 1 on the trunk. The size of the lesions varied from a pepper grain to a pigeon egg but most were pea sized. The more significant symptom was pain, present in at least 58% of the lesions, and responsible for the diagnosis, often made, of neurofibroma, neuroma, glomus tumour and leiomyoma. Its intensity was variable and could be induced by mechanical or thermal stimuli or even arise spontaneously. Histologically the tumour was usually a deep dermal or hypodermal, well defined, ovoid or round shaped, compact nodule, composed of smooth muscle fibers often disposed around variously shaped vascular lumina. Clinical and histological similarities to glomus tumours as well as the occasional coexistence of both lesions point to a common origin from the myoarterial glomus or from a closely related arteriovenous anastomosis. The relevant features in our series are compared with those reported in the literature and their similarities and differences are discussed.