Benign tumours of the intestinal tract (author's transl)

Benign tumours of the intestinal tract are rare. Frequently they tend to being malignant. Clinical symptoms are massive bleeding, stenosis, invagination, perforation. A reliable diagnosis is difficult.     

Hyperoxaluriaas a complication of intestinal diseases (author's transl)

Urinary oxalate excretion was measured in healthy persons and patients with Crohn's disease, colitis ulcerosa, sprue and other diseases accompanied with malabsorption, and patients with insufficiency of the exocrine pancreas gland. Further measurements were made in patients after resection of parts of the small intestine or the colon. We found a clear increase of urinary oxalate excretion in patients with resected parts of the small intestine, sprue or other malabsorption syndromes. In 4 patients with resected parts of small intestine or pancreas we even found urolithiasis. Urinary oxalate excretion correlated significantly with steatorrhoea and increased if larger parts of small intestine were resected. Increased resorption of oxalate from food causes increased urinary excretion. Details about the patho-mechanism of this increased excretion are not known yet; an important factor seems to be the reduced absorption of fat in the small intestine.     

Mycobacterial intestinal disease in woodpigeons (Columbia palumbus) (author's transl)

During and shortly after the second world war, an infection bearing a resemblance to avian tuberculosis was observed in woodpigeons in Denmark and Great Britain. These birds had been found dead or been shot. The patogenic agent, however, could not be isolated by the usual methods. In the Netherlands, the disease was also detected in woodpigeons and occasionally in psittacine birds. The histological changes bore a resemblance to those observed in Johne's disease. Detailed bacteriological and experimental studies showed that there were two different infections. One agent was a mycobacterium of the species, which could not be grown on the usual culture media for M. tuberculosis, whereas it could on the media used in the culture of M. paratuberculosis, particularly Smith's medium. The bacterium also soon becomes rough on this culture medium. As a result, differentiation of serological types by Schaefer's method failed. The other type of mycobacterium (which indeed causes a similar form of intestinal disease) could be readily cultured and was identified as M. avium type 2. The former mycobacterium is still nameless in point of fact but is sometimes wrongly referred to as Mycobacterium columbae. This rod was not found to be pathogenic for the domesticated pigeon (Columba livia), not even when intestinal mucosa containing large numbers of bacteria and obtained from a diseases woodpigeon which had died recently, was inoculated orally in recently hatched specimens of the domesticated pigeon. To account for the appearance of tuberculosis in native woodpigeons, it is suggested that low plasma transferrin levels could result in marked susceptibility to infections such as tuberculosis and trichomoniasis.     

Endoscopic electromyographic study on upper gastrointestinal tract (author's transl)

Recently we made the electromyographic study on human gastrointestinal tract using the endoscopic method is useful for the clinical studies of the patho-physiological aspects on human gastrointestinal tract. The silver bipolar needle electrode which was 0.2 mm in diameter, 10 mm in length and 1.0 mm in interpolar distance and the electroencephalography recorder provided with pen-writer were used for this research. The endoscopy was done to the volunteer anesthetized his pharynx with xylocaine spray. 20 cases of gastro-electromyograms, 35 cases of duodeno-electromyograms and 5 cases of the electromyograms of duodenal papilla were recorded. On these endoscopic electromygorams, the typical rhythms and patterns of electrical activities were disturbed by various kinds of factors; that is, on the endoscopic manipulation, the sticking of needle electrode into the shallow layer of gastrointestinal wall and automatical pouring of water into canal through the endoscope. On volunteers' condition, his deep breathing, electrocardiogram and vasotonic condition were important factors. Typical duodeno-electromyograms showed the grouped spikes synchronizing with the duodenal peristalsis observed endoscopically. The electromyograms of the duodenal papilla showed the similar patterns and rhythms to those of duodeno-electromyograms on active phase. In the clinical study on the correlation and propagation between gastric and duodenal motility, the rhythms of electrical activities on duodeno-electromyograms were not similar to the rhythms of gastric peristalsis at the prepyloric region. The propagation of gastric movement to duodenal bulb were not able to be clarified. We assumed that the gastric and duodenal motility occurred each other on the different rhythms.     

Methods for measuring the intestinal absorption of calcium in humans (author's transl)

For the determination of intestinal absorption of calcium, the fasting (12 hours) patient receives radioactive labeled calcium (45Ca, more frequently 47Ca) by mouth. After 10, 20, 30, 60, 90, 120, 180 and 240 min, samples of venous blood are taken. The stool is also collected for three days. The determination of radiocalcium in the plasma and in the stool samples is done with a Geiger counter. This oral test provides informative results on numerous aspects of the pathophysiology of intestinal assimilation of calcium. In humans, the duodenum seems to be of the greatest importance for calcium absorption.     

Dumping-prophylaxis (author's transl)

The dumping syndrome is due to a vigorous reflex distension of the jejunum, caused by the stomach violently evacuating its contents. The aim of treatment is to overcome the drastic evacuation by restoring the rhythmic peristalsis of the stomach (eukinetics). This can be achieved by a special diet. Every meal should begin with well chewed solids (pulp) and avoid all fluids. With a well organised medical staff a complete success can be achieved. Surgical measures in Dumping can be avoided.     

Treatment of a traumatic intestinal prolaps in a lizard (author's transl)

A serious intestinal prolaps in a lizard (Lacerta pityusensis pityusensis) that was sent by parcel post package, was replaced and the wound sutured. Anaesthesia, surgery and post-operative course are described.