Effect of Ginkgo biloba on fluidity of blood and peripheral microcirculation in volunteers

In a randomized placebo controlled single-blind cross-over study of n = 10 apparently healthy subjects the influence of Ginkgo biloba (Kaveri) on blood fluidity and cutaneous microcirculation was studied. Microcirculation was measured before and every 30 min for 4 h after administration of Ginkgo biloba; fluidity of blood was determined before and after 1, 2 and 4 h. Significant changes in blood pressure or heart rate were found neither during Ginkgo phase nor placebo phase. Haematocrit, plasma viscosity, erythrocyte rigidity, thrombocyte and leukocyte count as well as thrombocyte aggregation and the number of circulating thrombocyte aggregates were also not influenced by the Ginkgo nor the placebo solution. In contrast a remarkable influence on the erythrocyte aggregation was observed: comparing two samples a significant decrease by 15.6% (p less than 0.001) with regard to the initial value was observed after 2 h. The blood flow in the nail fold capillaries also increased significantly by about 57% (p less than 0.004) 1 h after administration.     

Der Risikobegriff in Wissenschaft und Gesellschaft

The formal-normative concept of risk in natural and technical sciences is oriented toward effects and damage. A complete understanding of cause and effect relationships is necessary, however, it is normally not available and uncertainties are inadequately taken into account. Risk is distinguished from safety in the formal-normative context. Safety itself can only be understood, however, in relation to uncertainty and therefore to damage. In the legal context, risk is defined by the triad of danger, risk, and residual risk. Risk in the legal context is limited to the domain between danger and residual risk. However, uncertainty has to be considered as distinct from residual risk. In social sciences risk is distinguished from danger. A difference is made between people who decide, i.e., regulators, and those who are affected by the decision. People who decide attribute consequences of the decision and the involvement of risks to their own decision. Concern, however, is grounded in decisions of others, in non-participation, and possible damage is therefore realized as danger and not as risk.     

Akinetic Mutism and Cognitive-Affective Syndrome Caused by Unilateral PICA Infarction

A 42-year-old man with left posterior inferior cerebellar artery (PICA) infarction presented with akinetic mutism and cognitive impairment. Initially he suffered from akinetic mutism and MRI-documented infarction in the distribution of the left PICA. Twelve days later he developed cognitive impairment. Neuropsychological tests were performed, with the results corrected for age and education being compared with published Korean norms. Impaired performances were evident on executive function testing, with difficulties in planning, abstract reasoning, set-shifting, and perseveration. Akinetic mutism and cognitive-affective syndrome may be a manifestation of unilateral PICA infarction.     

Simple Partial Status Epilepticus Localized by Single-Photon Emission Computed Tomography Subtraction in Chronic Cerebral Paragonimiasis

A patient with chronic cerebral paragonimiasis began to have new motor seizures of the right face manifested by clonic contractions that occurred several hundred times a day, consistent with simple partial status epilepticus. Ictal electroencephalogram discharges started from the left frontal region and then spread to the left hemisphere with left frontal maximum. But clinical seizures were limited to the right face. The frequent partial seizures were controlled by the intravenous infusion of phenytoin. Brain magnetic resonance imaging showed multiple conglomerated round nodules with encephalomalacia in the left temporal and occipital lobes. Applying the technique of ictal-interictal single-photo emission computed tomography subtraction, the authors were able to localize the focal ictal-hyperperfusion on left precentral cortex adjacent to the lesions that correspond to the anatomical distribution of left face motor area.     

Enhancement of hepatic hemangiomas with levovist on coded harmonic angiographic ultrasonography.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the pattern of contrast enhancement with Levovist on coded harmonic angiographic ultrasonography of hepatic hemangiomas. METHODS: Twenty hemangiomas were evaluated with coded harmonic angiographic ultrasonography and a microbubble contrast agent. Verification of the diagnosis of a hemangioma was made by means of dynamic computed tomography (n = 8), dynamic magnetic resonance imaging (n = 1), radionuclide scanning (n = 6), or follow-up ultrasonography (n = 5). Ultrasonographic images were obtained before contrast agent administration and with a bolus injection of 2.5 g of a microbubble contrast agent (300 mg/mL Levovist; Schering AG, Berlin, Germany) every 10 to 15 seconds for 5 minutes. The contrast enhancement patterns of the 20 hemangiomas were assessed. RESULTS: The tumor diameters as measured on ultrasonography were 7 to 97 mm (mean, 26.7 mm). Of the 20 hemangiomas, peripheral globular enhancement with progressive centripetal fill-in was shown in 15 (75%), rimlike enhancement with progressive centripetal fill-in was shown in 2 (10%), and homogeneous enhancement was shown in 1 (5%). In the remaining 2 lesions (10%), the enhancement patterns could not be seen, because they were not found on coded harmonic angiographic ultrasonography. CONCLUSIONS: Coded harmonic angiographic ultrasonography with a microbubble contrast agent can depict the typical enhancement pattern in most hepatic hemangiomas.     

Otolaryngologic approach to the diagnosis and management of otitis media

Otitis media is a common childhood disease caused by multiple factors. Understanding the pathogenesis of otitis media is important in the diagnosis and management of it. The mode of therapy should be chosen depending on the type and stage of the disease. Treatment options available to an otolaryngologist include antibiotics, tympanocentesis, myringotomy and tympanostomy tube insertions, adenoidectomy with or without tonsillectomy, exploratory tympanotomy, atympanoplasty, and mastoidectomy.     

Partial mastectomy with axillary lymph node dissection and radiotherapy as a new treatment modality of breast cancer (I).

This is the first preliminary report among two consecutive papers. Partial mastectomy(PM), axillary lymph node dissection(AD) and radiotherapy (RT) were performed on seventeen operable breast cancer patients who had been admitted from April 1991 to March 1992 to the department of surgery, Yongdong Severance Hospital for improved cosmetic appearance and better survival rate. Of seventeen patients, 47% were T1 lesion and 76% were stage I and II. Extensive intraductal component(EIC) within or around the tumor was also analyzed. Twenty nine per cent of the patients were EIC positive. The mean number of axillary lymph nodes was 21.5 after PM with AD and 20.5 after mastectomy. For radiotherapy, 4,500 rad was delivered to the breast parenchyma and 1,600 rad of boost to the primary tumor site using the electron beam method after surgery. All patients have since been living well without any local recurrence and were satisfied with breast preservation for the one-year follow-up period. We concluded that the PM, AD and RT can be another surgical treatment modality of breast cancer. A longer follow-up data will be followed on the second paper.