Clinical significance of quantitative studies of cell nucleus in lymphocytes of the cerebrospinal fluid in leukemia]

The nuclear content, area and perimeter of the nucleus of lymphocytes in the C.S.F. were determined quantitatively by means of image analysis technique. 26 cases of central nervous system lymphocytic leukemia (CNLL), and 8 suspected cases were studied, other 56 cases who did not have leukemic and neoplastic diseases and had normal C.S.F. lymphocytes were taken as a control. Our data showed that all the mean nuclear content (MNC), mean nuclear area (MNA), mean nuclear perimeter (MNP), and the maximum and minimum nuclear contents of the 2 groups of former patients were obviously higher than those of the contral (P less than 0.01). These results presented suggestion that the image analysis technique can be used for differentiating the leukemic lymphocyte from normal one especially in suspected cases, and thus the diagnosis of CNLL might be improved.     

Short and middle latency vestibular evoked responses to acceleration in man.

We have succeeded in recording short and middle latency vestibular evoked responses in human subjects. The head was held rigidly in a special, patented head holder, constructed individually for each subject, which gripped the teeth of the upper jaw. The stimulus consisted of 2/sec steps of angular acceleration impulses produced by a special motor with intensities of about 10,000 degrees/sec 2 and with a rise time of 1-2 msec. The electrical activity was recorded as the potential difference between special forehead and mastoid electrodes having a large, secure contact area with the skin. The activity was digitally filtered and averaged in 2 separate channels by means of a Microshev 2000 evoked response system. The short latency responses, with peaks at about 3.5 msec (forehead positive), 6.0 msec (forehead negative) and 8.4 msec (forehead positive; bandpass: 200-2000 Hz; average of 1024 trials), had amplitudes of about 0.5 microV. The middle latency responses had peaks at about 8.8 msec (forehead positive), 18.8 msec (forehead negative) and 26.8 msec (forehead positive; 30-300 Hz; N = 128 trials), with larger amplitudes (about 15 microV). These responses were consistently recorded in the same subject at different times and were similar in different normal subjects. Strenuous control experiments were conducted in order to ensure that these responses are not artefacts due to the movement of conducting media (head, electrodes and leads) in the electromagnetic field of the motor and are elicited by activation of normal labyrinths.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)     

Novel method for detecting micro-organisms in blood cultures.

A method for detecting the growth of micro-organisms in blood culture by a visual signal is described. The system utilises a single blood culture medium that has been specifically formulated to support growth of aerobic, anaerobic, and microaerophilic micro-organisms. The system is based on the principle that when micro-organisms grow in the medium in a sealed bottle their metabolic products create positive pressure. This positive pressure displaces the infected blood and broth into an upper chamber, which acts as a visual signal of microbial activity. All the test micro-organisms, when inoculated at less than 20 colony forming units into simulated human blood cultures, gave a positive signal.     

Non-endemic Burkitt's lymphoma

Burkitt's lymphoma, characterized by jaw and abdominal tumors, is the most common early childhood malignancy in Central Africa and well-known in the United States, with only sporadic reports coming from other countries. Considered to be the fastest growing tumor in man, it is thought to be of viral etiology with warm, humid climate and malaria regarded as co-factors. This is the first case of Burkitt's lymphoma reported from Greece.     

Rapid, competitive enzymoimmunoassay for albumin in urine

In this solid-phase competitive enzymoimmunoassay for albumin in human urine, antiserum to human serum albumin labeled with horseradish peroxidase (EC 1.11.1.7) is incubated with solid-phase-bound human serum albumin in the presence of sample or standard. Results obtained correlate well (r = 0.96) with those of an established fluoroimmunoassay. The present assay covers the range 0.9 to 200 mg/L and can be performed within 1 h. These characteristics, together with the simplicity of the assay protocol, make it very useful for monitoring low concentrations of albumin in urine. Detection of such minimal albuminuria allows initiation of therapy that may prevent development of clinical proteinuria and associated diabetic nephropathy.     

Necrosis of the femoral head following fracture of the femoral neck

One hundred and thirty fractures of the femoral neck treated with sliding screw-plate or sliding nail-plate were followed for up to 65 months postoperatively. Throughout the observation period the yearly incidence of necrosis of the femoral head was between 5 and 10 per cent, as estimated by the life table method, and after 5 years 37 per cent of the patients with united fractures had developed necrosis of the femoral head. The cases of necrosis were all characterized radiographically by one or more areas of subchondral cortical depression, generalized subchondral fragmentation or isolated patches of sclerosis. It is concluded that estimation of the frequency of femoral head necrosis after fracture of the femoral neck requires long-term follow-up and reliable, reproducible radiographical criteria for necrosis of the head. Because of the high mortality of patients sustaining these fractures, statistical methods employing censored data should be used.     

Oxybutynin versus propantheline in patients with multiple sclerosis and detrusor hyperreflexia

Hyperreflexia is the most common urological finding in patients with multiple sclerosis. A prospective randomized study was done to compare the effectiveness of 2 commonly used drugs, oxybutynin and propantheline. Of the 34 patients entered into the trial 19 were treated with oxybutynin and 15 with propantheline. The urological symptoms (frequency, nocturia, hesitancy, urgency and urge incontinence) were graded according to severity from 0 to 3. Patients with urinary infection were excluded. Urodynamic examination, consisting of cystometrography and electromyography, was performed in all patients before treatment. Both groups of patients had comparable neurological, urological and urodynamic status before treatment. In 4 patients (21 per cent) treated with oxybutynin and in 4 (27 per cent) treated with propantheline side effects were so severe that the treatment had to be discontinued. Symptomatic response to oxybutynin was good in 10 patients (67 per cent), fair in 2 (13 per cent) and poor in 3 (20 per cent). Propantheline produced good symptomatic results in 4 patients (36 per cent), fair in 1 (9 per cent) and poor in 6 (55 per cent). The mean increase in maximum cystometric capacity on cystometrography was significantly larger in the oxybutynin group than in the propantheline group (144 +/- 115 versus 35 +/- 101). Our results indicate that oxybutynin is more effective than propantheline in the treatment of detrusor hyperreflexia in patients with multiple sclerosis.