Surgical treatment of solitary or common heart ventricle

On the basis of 24 cases reported in the literature and 2 personal observations of the authors the indications for surgical correction of a single ventricle of the heart are discussed. Two different surgical techniques are described: 1) haemodynamic correction of the defect comprising a closure of the venous atrioventricular valve, oversewing the proximal pulmonary artery, and anastomosing the right atrium and the distal pulmonary artery; 2) radical correction--creation of the ventricular septum. The variants of the disease permitting a radical correction are indicated, the results of surgery, the causes of complications and mortality are discussed.     

Prognosis of the frequency of attacks of schizophrenia (according to findings from an epidemiologic study)

In 915 patients with attack-like schizophrenia with a duration of the disorder not less than 15 years, the authors studied some clinical and endogenous factors in order to determine the criteria of prognosis of the attacks. It was displayed that in most of the cases schizophrenia proceeded with a small amount of attacks. Manifestation at young age (irrespective of the duration of the disorder), its affinity to the periodical pole of the disorder and concomitance of subsequent attacks of manic disturbances correlated with a large amount of attacks.     

Relief of the endothelial surface of human arteries according to scanning electron microscope findings

The work presents data on the relief of the endothelial surface of initial portions of the common carotid artery and the common iliac artery of adult man obtained by the method of scanning electron microscopy. In middle-aged humans this relief has all the characteristic features which were noted in studying the aorta. Considerable changes of the endothelial surface relief were shown in elderly and old people in connection with the development of atherosclerosis. Postmortem alterations can result in sharp distortion of the endothelial surface relief.     

The spectral characteristics of the fur as genotypic indices of the diversity of animals

A case of familial juvenile parkinsonism with dementia, orthostatic hypotension, neurogenic bladder and constipation was reported. He had been in a good health until the age of 28 when a finger tremor occurred on effort to hold hands in a definite position, and disturbances in gait and speech were noted. These symptoms were relieved by levodopa treatment followed by dyskinesia and motor fluctuations. Three years later, he complained of faintness, constipation and urinary frequency. The neurological examination revealed mentally sound male with masked face, tremor and rigidity in his extremities, and short step gait with lateropulsion. Urodynamic study showed uninhibited bladder. In the following years, orthostatic hypotension, dysuria and urinary retention developed gradually. He became mentally loose and was unable to take medicines appropriately. When in the Nishiojiya Byoin National Sanatorium, he tried to snake out the hospital many times. His parents and a brother suffered from Parkinson's disease and juvenile parkinsonism, respectively, suggesting an autosomal dominant inheritance. On admission to our hospital, he was apathetic. He had masked face, bilateral postural tremor, frozen gait and dyskinesia in the right lower extremity. Little bradykinesia or rigidity was noted. His muscle tone and deep tendon reflexes were decreased but neither muscular wasting, weakness, ataxia nor sensory disturbance was observed. Laboratory data including ceruloplasmin, copper, dopamine-beta-hydroxylase and lysosomal enzyme activities were normal except for mild anemia. A cranial CT scan revealed mild cortical atrophy in the frontal and temporal lobes, but nerve conduction study and cortical evoked potentials showed no abnormality. While in the hospital, his mental functions deteriorated to the state of dementia and orthostatic hypotension became apparent.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)