Lymphocyte populations and responses to mitogens in infants of diabetic mothers

A group of 10 infants of diabetic mothers, born prematurely by Caesarian section was compared to an age-matched group of premature controls and to full-term newborns. There was no difference between the three groups in terms of lymphocyte populations at birth. The percentage of T-cells in the three groups was significantly lower than in adults but reached adult levels at 1 month of age. The mitogenic responses in infants of diabetic mothers was found significantly higher than in the two control groups at birth and remained so at one month of age. The suppressor T-cell activity was decreased in infants of diabetic mothers as compared with controls.     

Current persistance of pleural empyema. Study of 31 observations (author's transl)

Antibiotic treatment of pleuro-pulmonary infectious diseases with ordinary germs brought a notable decrease in the frequency of pleural empyema without preventing them completely. The authors report 31 cases observed over the last 10 years. The initial signs corresponded to the classical picture but were rapidly masked by antibiotic treatment; it resulted in delay in hospital admission of over one month for more than half of the cases, for diagnosis was overlooked for a long time. In 19 patients, the pleural liquid was aseptic probably because of the antibiotics and of the lack of identification of anaerobic germs. The authors insist on the practical modalities of a medical treatment by puncture-lavage which, when associated with general antibiotic treatment, cured patients in 22 cases. On the other hand, the existence of bronchopleural fistula entailed surgery.     

Choroidal melanoma: I-125 plaque therapy

An iodine-125 eye plaque was used to treat 58 patients with choroidal melanoma. Patients were followed up for a mean of 48.7 months. Fifty patients had medium-sized lesions (height between 3.1 and 8.0 mm and base diameter less than 16.0 mm), and six patients had large lesions. There were 24 lesions less than 3.0 mm from the optic nerve. The average radiation dose to the apex of the tumor was 8,468 cGy (dose rate, 71 cGy per hour). Initial local disease control was achieved in 50 patients (86.2%). One patient with local treatment failure received another plaque treatment, which controlled disease, so the total disease control rate was 87.9%. Only eight patients died of their disease. Complications were similar to those with other treatment methods, but none of the patients in this study developed optic nerve atrophy.