A case of prostatic leiomyosarcoma

A case of a 19-year-old male with leiomyosarcoma of the prostate is reported. He visited our hospital with the chief complaint of urinary retention in December, 1983. Following overall examination, needle biopsy of the prostate gland was performed with the suspicion of sarcoma. Histology of the prostate revealed leiomyosarcoma. Two courses of combined chemotherapy were given, but the tumor continued to enlarge. The patient died in April, 1984, 5 months after the appearance of the first symptom.     

Analysis and standardization of the new anxiolytic drug afobazole

The physicochemical properties of the new anxiolytic drug afobazole, which belongs to the group of 2-mercaptobenzimidazole derivatives, have been studied with a view to its pharmacopoeial standardization. It is suggested to check afobazole for the presence of impurities by means of TLC and HPLC. Methods for the standardization of afobazole are developed and a project for the pharmacopoeial article of manufacturer for this drug is formulated. __________ Translated from Khimiko-Farmatsevticheskii Zhurnal, Vol. 40, No. 7, pp. 55–56, July, 2006.     

Management of blunt thoracic aortic injury.

Blunt traumatic aortic transection (TAT) is an uncommon injury in clinical practice that is associated with a high morbidity and mortality. The approach to patients with such an injury is controversial with specific regard to the most effective diagnostic tools, timing of surgical intervention and mechanisms of spinal cord protection. Chest X-ray with widening of the mediastinum is unreliable as a diagnostic tool. Contrast enhanced helical CT Scan has replaced the traditional angiography as the screening diagnostic tool of choice Emergency thoracotomy and repair should be reserved for the few patients with isolated TAT without any major concomitant injuries. Delayed management approach with aggressive blood pressure control and serial radiological monitoring is a safe and recommended option for those with severe concomitant injuries or other medical co-morbidity that puts surgery at high risk. Active augmentation of the distal perfusion pressure during cross clamp offers the best protection against development of paraplegia during open surgical repair. Endovascular stenting offers a minimally invasive method of treatment but the long-term durability of the endovascular stent is still unknown. We feel that the greater feasibility of the endovascular repair in the acute phase of the thoracic injury is an advantage over the open surgery and should be the treatment of choice in patients with severe concomitant injuries.     

Serotonin concentrations in plasma and variations during the menstrual cycle.

We used a specific and sensitive radioenzymatic method to establish a reference interval for the concentration of serotonin in platelet-poor plasma in 98 healthy volunteers (49 men, 49 women). The interval was 0-11 nmol/L with a median of 2.8 nmol/L. No difference in concentration in relation to sex or age was observed. In a group of eight very old volunteers (ages 86-92 years), however, concentrations were increased. In addition, we monitored the plasma concentrations of serotonin in 20 healthy women (ages 26-45 years) through two menstrual cycles. Periovulatory and premenstrual concentrations were greater than the serotonin concentration at the start of menstruation.     

Steroid glaucoma: corticosteroid-induced ocular hypertension in cats.

This study was undertaken to develop a feline model of corticosteroid-induced ocular hypertension. In the first experiment, eight cats were selected whose intraocular pressure (17 +/- 0.4 mmHg) was consistently below the mean baseline intraocular pressure of our colony (24 +/- 0.5) during the preceding 2 months. Unilateral twice or thrice daily topical application of 10 microliters 1% dexamethasone sodium phosphate caused a gradual intraocular pressure increase that became significant (P less than 0.05) within 2-3 weeks. There was no significant change in body weight, but several eyes developed cataracts. Similar results were obtained with treatment of normotensive cat eyes with dexamethasone, or with 1.0% prednisolone acetate (PredForte) twice a day. Topical application of PGF2 alpha-1-isopropyl ester (0.1 or 0.25 microgram PG equivalent) to such steroid-treated eyes yielded significant intraocular pressure reduction and pupillary miosis, similar in magnitude to those exhibited by normal eyes. When dexamethasone treatment was reduced to once daily, after prolonged twice daily treatment, intraocular pressure decreased only slightly within 10 days. When dexamethasone treatment was stopped, intraocular pressure declined to normal levels within 6-7 days. These findings show that adult cat eyes develop steroid-induced ocular hypertension that is maintained and reversible. As opposed to previous findings on rabbits, steroid-induced feline ocular hypertension appears to be a good model for this clinical condition and may be suitable for the testing of potential glaucoma drugs.