Syncillin in bacterial skin diseases

A multicentric open clinical trial was carried out by 8 practising specialists in dermatology or paediatrics in patients with bacterial skin diseases who were subjected to a systemic therapy with Syncillin (=Azidocillin). The Syncillin presentation for adults and schoolchildren was tablets of 750 mg each, and sachets of 125 mg or 250 mg for infants. The duration of treatment was 10 days. The parameters analyzed were bacteriological findings and the clinical course of disease. 71 (=74%) of the 96 patients included in this study were considered as cured, 21 (=22%) as improved and 4 patients (=4%) as unchanged. Bacterial identification was still positive in 10 cases after the termination of treatment. However, this did not preclude the assessments of "cured' (3 cases) or "improved' (7 cases). The tolerance of the preparation was considered as "very good' or "good' in 91 and as "poor' in 5 patients. The most common side effects were nausea and diarrhoea. Exanthema was observed in 2 cases. None of these side effects, however, made a discontinuation of medication necessary. The era of rational and well-directed chemotherapy enables good therapeutic approach also to bacterial skin diseases.     

The use of the liver-spleen-scan for the diagnosis of congenital Intrahepatic cysts of the bile duct (M. Caroli) (authors transl)

After the short review of the pathogenesis, diagnosis and therapy for congenital intrahepatic cysts of the bile-duct (morbus Caroli), reference was made to the diagnostic significance of liver scintigraphy on the basis of two casuistic reports. Liver scintigraphy permits an exact localization of intrahepatic cysts as well as information regarding the course of the hepatopathy connected with morbus Caroli. In addition, 131-J-bromsulfon scintigraphy of the liver is a simple method for controlling the patency of the bile ducts. Our observations tend to indicate that preoperative and postoperative scintigraphic controls of the liver are practical for this disease.     

The diagnosis of stenoses and occlusions of the carotid arteries by means of directional Dopplersonography (author's transl)

The Doppler examination of the carotid arteries in the neck was compared with the results of the examination of the supratrochlear artery and of the angiographic controls in 76 patients. The results of this study indicate that the insonation of the carotid arteries considerably improves the diagnostic possibilities offered by the examination of the supratrochlear artery alone. There are three main advantages: 1. The reliability of the Doppler examination is improved. The insonation of the carotid arteries of the 76 angiographically controlled patients including stenoses from 50% onward gave only one false-positive and one false-negative result. The percentage of correct diagnoses thereby attained was 97%. 2. The insonation of the carotid arteries permits reliable differentiation between stenoses and occlusions. This is not possible by the insonation of the supratrochlear artery alone. There was only one case in which the distinction was wrong. 3. The localization of the pathologic process was possible in all cases. These conclusions are only valid for the detection of occlusions and stenoses of more than 50%. Low degree stenoses cannot be detected by this method.     

Cerebral ischemic events associated with prolapsing mitral valve

Twelve patients who had no evidence of arteriosclerotic cerebral vascular disease, lacked hypertension or coagulation defect, and had not been receiving contraceptive therapy had recurrent transient cerebral ischemic attacks (TIAs) and partial nonprogressive strokes. All had prolapsing mitral valve proved by angiocardiography. The average age was 38 years, compared with 62 years in a larger series of patients with TIA associated with arteriosclerosis. We propose that the ischemic events are related to emboli emanating from the abnormal mitral valve with or without an associated paroxysmal cardiac arrhythmia.