Renal Aspergilloma--A Case Illustrating the Problems of Medical Therapy

The second documented case of renal aspergilloma due to Aspergillusflavus is presented. The merits of the medical therapy thatfailed are discussed. Pathological examination showed a nidusof aspergillus around suture material persisting from a pyelolithotomyoperation 2 years before in India. We argue that this was thereason for the failure of the medical therapy. This is the firstcase of its kind reported.     

Traumatology of the alar ligaments

A postmortem study of craniocerebral traumas of varying severity was done to determine the pattern of injury of the alar ligaments. It was found that in the entire group of patients (n = 30) the alar ligaments were ruptured or suffused with blood 11 times. No close relationship was found between the massive nature of the cranial trauma and the severity of the injury of the alar ligaments. In some cases the alar ligaments were not at all involved even though the skull had suffered extensive osseous lesions, whereas on the other hand the ligaments were injured even though only soft parts had been involved (e.g., haematoma or dehiscent wounds of the scalp). Ruptures of the alar ligaments were typically involved in extended ruptures of the ligamentous apparatus (see Figure 6a involving the ligamentum apicis dentis, ligamentum transversum atlantis, m.atlanto-occipitalis anterior, m.tectoria, m.atlanto-axialis anterior et posterior). In some cases the pattern of injury of the alar ligaments was found to be decisive in enabling reconstruction of the course of the accident. Damage to the alar ligaments near the dens axis represent rotation injuries. On the other hand, insertion tears out of the condyli occipitales must be related to a lateral thrust tendency in indirect fracture of the skull (bursting fracture). Within this overall framework a new mechanism of fracture of the condylus occipitalis is described. As a matter of principle, the alar ligaments can become involved in consequence of rotation, traction and compression of the cranium.     

Evidence for dopaminergic innervation on kitten retinal ganglion cells

Effects of iontophoretically applied dopamine and its receptor antagonists on physiologically identified retinal ganglion cells were studied in the optically intact eye of pentobarbitone anaesthetised kittens (7-9 weeks of age) and the results were compared with the effects obtained from adult cats (18-22 weeks of age). In both the adult and the kitten, dopamine had an inhibitory effect on visually evoked and spontaneous activity of the retinal ganglion cells, irrespective of cell type. However, unlike in the adult, the effects of dopamine in kittens were variable and not dependent on retinal eccentricity. In adult cells, only L-sulpiride (a potent D2 receptor antagonist) reduced the inhibitory effect of exogenous dopamine, whereas in kitten cells, both alpha-flupenthixol (a potent D1 receptor antagonist) and L-sulpiride did so. When applied alone, neither alpha-flupenthixol nor affected the activity of ganglion cells in adults, but in kittens both antagonists produced an excitatory effect in some cells. Physiologically active dopaminergic innervation seemed, therefore, to be present on the immature ganglion cells, but was subsequently 'eliminated' during the course of postnatal development. Furthermore, in immature cells, both D1 and D2 type receptors are present but only D2 receptors remain in adult. Therefore, there is a mismatch between dopamine receptors and dopamine in the adult retina and this mismatch may be the consequence of a developmental event.