Total lymphoid irradiation in chronic polyarthritis--a new therapeutic concept

Eleven patients with refractory rheumatoid arthritis were submitted to a total lymphoid irradiation up to a dose of 20 Gy. A constant improvement of clinical symptoms was observed in four out of the eleven patients already during the treatment and in the other patients not later than two months after. The frequency of attacks decreased and the number of joints involved in the attack was reduced. Morning rigidity and joint swellings decreased. One patient developed joint empyemas 4 and 26 months after the treatment. Four patients died in the meantime. In two patients the cause of death were renal insufficiency and a postoperative cardiogenic shock associated with generalized amyloidosis. The third patient died because of a toxically induced left cardiac decompensation with sepsis that could not be controlled by antibiotic drugs and multiple joint empyemas. The fourth patient developed an abscess after surgical treatment of a Kaposi syndrome. She died three months later from acute left cardiac decompensation. The therapy induced a lymphocytopenia with decrease of T helper lymphocytes and unchanged number of T suppressor lymphocytes. The constant therapy results of total lymphoid irradiation in primary chronic polyarthritis is probably due to this modification in the immune regulation.     

Tendon injuries of the knee joint extensor mechanism

Diagnosis, aetiology and therapy of injuries to the extensor mechanism of the knee joint are presented. 22 cases of ruptures and discisions of the lig. patellae or the quadriceps tendon could be reexamined. All cases but one, with operation within the first week after injury, suturing with absorbable or non absorbable material, immobilisation for 6 weeks and following physical therapy, had a good functional result. No rerupture occurred. In one case a limitation of the range of movement had to be seen afer an open discision of the lig. patellae. After transposition of the tuberositas tibiae, discission of the scares and functional therapy a good result could also be achieved.     

FEASIBILITY OF CONDUCTING CARDIOVASCULAR OUTCOME RESEARCH IN AUSTRALIAN GENERAL PRACTICE: RESULTS FROM THE ANBP2 PILOT STUDY

1. The present study aimed to determine the feasibility of conducting a 5 year cardiovascular outcome trial of the treatment of 6000 elderly hypertensive patients in Australian general practices. 2. General practitioners (GPs) were invited to participate by mail and personal follow-up. Patient records were reviewed to identify subjects for a blood pressure (BP) screening programme. Blood pressure was measured on three occasions and eligible subjects were included if the average BP was 160 mmHg systolic or 90 mmHg diastolic if systolic BP was 140 mmHg. 3. Seven hundred and forty-one GPs were approached and 89 were enrolled in the study (12% of mail invites and 75% of those receiving a personal contact). In 16 practices where screening was completed, 82 000 records were reviewed to identify 4% patients eligible for screening. Twenty-two per cent of eligible subjects attended screening. Of 1938 subjects screened, 180 (9%) had BP 5=160/90 mmHg. Forty-seven percent of subjects (n = 916) were receiving antihypertensive therapy and 184 (20%) were withdrawn from therapy. One hundred and sixteen (63%) of these subjects had BP return to study entry levels within 6 weeks. Fifty-seven newly diagnosed and 81 previously treated subjects were randomized (7% of the screened population). 4. Based on the high participation rate of GPs, the response rate of patients to attend a BP screening programme and the 7% randomization to screening ratio for entry into the study, the ANBP2 pilot study has demonstrated that it is feasible to recruit subjects from Australian general practices to a cardiovascular outcome trial.     

Treatment of fecal incontinence by temporary sacral nerve stimulation

Summary BACKGROUND: Sacral nerve stimulation (SNS) is an option for the treatment of fecal incontinence in patients with morphologically intact, but weak external anal sphincter. METHODS: In ten patients a percutaneous test-SNS was performed. Two patients suffered from fecal incontinence after surgery, one patient after incomplete leg palsy after traumatic spine injury and seven patients from idiopathic incontinence. Incontinence score, anorectal manometry and patient diary were performed before and after test-SNS. RESULTS: Intraoperative response (Bellows action) could be achieved in 90% of patients. Test-SNS was successful in 50% of patients. In these patients, resting pressure was increased by 100.1% and squeeze pressure by 84.5%. CONCLUSIONS: SNS is an effective therapy in a subset of patients with fecal incontinence. Fifty percent of patients tested are eligible for implantation of a permanent stimulation device.      

Combined sclerotherapy and operation for the treatment of bleeding oesophageal varices.

OBJECTIVE--To identify prognostic factors in a consecutive series of patients with bleeding oesophageal varices and develop an optimum regimen of treatment. DESIGN--Retrospective review. SETTING--I Department of Surgery, University Hospital, Vienna, Austria. PATIENTS--301 consecutive patients with bleeding oesophageal varices. OUTCOME MEASURES--Median survival and survival at one year after sclerotherapy alone (n = 213), or sclerotherapy with portosystemic shunt (n = 54), Hassab's devascularisation (n = 29), or liver transplantation (n = 5). RESULTS--Prognosis was dependent on the severity of liver damage at the start of treatment. Median survival for Child's class A was 47 months, for Child's class B 54 months, and for Child's class C 2 months. The overall one year survival for patients in Child's class C was 33%, for sclerotherapy alone 28%, and for sclerotherapy and portosystemic shunt 42%, Hassab's devascularisation 50%, and liver transplantation 80%. CONCLUSION--Despite the small number of patients who underwent liver transplantation and their poor initial prognosis (Child's class C, n = 4; class B, n = 1) our results suggest that liver transplantation should be considered for the treatment of patients with end stage cirrhosis and bleeding varices.     

Primary pulmonary hypertension in childhood--clinical course and morphologic correlations with particular reference to the endocrine heart

This is a case report of a 13-year-old girl who developed clinical symptoms of primary pulmonary hypertension (PPH). The prognosis is determined by progressive overloading of the right heart. Tissue from both the right and the left atria was examined using immunohistochemical methods. Cardiodilatin/alpha-ANP (atrial natriuretic peptide)-producing myoendocrine cells were analysed. As recent investigations have shown, the atrium and especially the atrial appendages of the heart function as an endocrine organ which is stimulated by pressure and volume overload, and which produces a natriuretic and vasodilatory peptide hormone from myoendocrine cells. In our case we found a general hyperplasia of the myoendocrine cells of the right atrium which is interpreted as a secondary reaction towards an increasing overload. This also means a temporary compensation of the progressive obstruction of the small pulmonary arteries, initiated by vasodilatory heart peptides. These investigations are in agreement with those of other groups who found an increased production of cardiac hormones in atrial overload. In the perinuclear area, electron microscopy shows zones of autophagolysis and the typical specific atrial granules which account for a dysfunction of atrial myoendocrine cells, as seen in other cardiac diseases. Our results may contribute to a better understanding of the pathogenesis of PPH and may help in diagnosis and therapy.