Intratemporal vascular tumors: detection with CT and MR imaging

The diagnostic contributions of computed tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance (MR) imaging were compared in 12 patients with benign intratemporal vascular tumors (hemangioma or vascular malformation). The tumors included six in the internal acoustic canal and six in the geniculate ganglion region. Clinical and histologic correlations were made. Two of the six patients with tumors in the internal acoustic canal underwent CT, and both required gas cisternography to show the tumor. Five patients in that group underwent MR imaging, and all five studies showed the tumor. All six patients with geniculate ganglion tumors underwent CT. Results in one study were questionable, and five showed the tumor. Five patients in this group underwent MR imaging, but the MR findings were positive in only two cases. MR imaging should therefore be performed before CT in the evaluation of facial nerve dysfunction, as it demonstrated all tumors in the internal acoustic canal and some in the geniculate ganglion region. If MR findings are negative, CT should then be performed to rule out a possible geniculate ganglion lesion.     

The effects of a 0.12% chlorhexidine-digluconate-containing mouthrinse versus a placebo on plaque and gingival inflammation over a 3-month period

Abstract Several previous studies have evaluated the effects of 0.12% chlorhexidine digluconate (ChD) mouthrinses on plaque and gingival inflammation. However, previously, none have been based in general dental practices. The aim of this study was to evaluate the potential to conduct controlled periodontal clinical trials in co-operation with general dental practitioners (gdps). The project took place in 5 general dental practices in the South of England. 121 healthy subjects (24 at 4 sites and 25 at the 5th). aged 18-65 years, mean 35 ± 12) years participated in a double-blind, randomised study during which they received full mouth assessments for plaque and gingival bleeding at baseline, 6 and 12 weeks. 60 subjects were randomly asigned to use the 0.12% ChD mouth wash and 6i the placebo. The assessments were carried out by 5 gpds, who had previously achieved inter-examiner κ scores of 0.78–0.85 (mean 0.81) for the plaque index (PlI), and of 0.73–0.94 (mean 0.87) for a modified gingival index (mGI), and who maintained κ scores of 0.51–0.90 for PII and of 0.73–1.00 for mGI during the 12 months required to complete the study. 98 subjects (48 ChD and 50 placebo) completed the study. Even though the baseline levels of plaque and gingivitis were low, by week 12, mean whole mouth piaque score of the ChD mouthwash users had fallen from 1.33 at baseline to 0.96 and was significantly lower (p < 0.001) than for the placebo users, 1.31 at baseline to 1.13. Whole-mouth gingival bleeding score fell from 0.56 to 0.42 in the ChD mouthwash group but was unchanged (0.54–0.55) in the placebo group. A subsidiary data analysis which considered the effects at sites indicated that within these overall differences, the ChD users experienced almost 2× the reduction from plaque score 2 at baseline at proximal molar sites over a 12-week period (50.6% ChD versus 27.6% placebo). It was concluded that 0.12% ChD mouthwash reduced plaque accumulation fay 28% and gingival inflammation by 25% over a 12–week period, that it is feasible for a group of gdps to maintain high levels of inter–examiner consistency in the use of PlI and mGI, that it is also feasible to carry out such a multicentre study in general dental practice, and that the use of mean mouth scores per subject to analyse the effects of mouthrinses may well mask variations in response throughout the mouth.     

The effect of surgical intervention on the state of the immune system in brain tumors

In patients with benign and malignant brain tumors before the operation, the suppression of the immune system, in particular, proliferative response of lymphocytes to T- and B-mitogens was established. Preoperative preparation of the patients aggravated this process. At day 8-10 after the operation, normalization of the main indices of immunity in patients with benign tumors was noted. In malignant tumors after the operation, the increase in the contents of T- and B-lymphocytes against the background of decrease in their proliferative activity was observed.     

Zahlungsanspruch des externen Laborarztes unmittelbar gegen den Patienten

Abstrakt Vergibt ein behandelnder Arzt eine Laboruntersuchung an einen externen Laborarzt, kommt entweder direkt ein Vertragsverh?ltnis zwischen dem Laborarzt und dem Patienten zustande oder der Patient haftet dem Laborarzt aus den Grunds?tzen der Gesch?ftsführung ohne Auftrag.     

Role of leukocyte adhesion in filterability of a blood cell suspension

Research Institute of Physicochemical Medicine, Ministry of Health, Moscow. (Presented by Academician of the Academy of Medical Sciences Yu. M. Lopukhin.) Translated from Byulleten Éksperimental'noi Biologii i Meditsiny, Vol. 113, No. 5, pp. 488–489, May, 1992.     

Charcot-Marie-Tooth phenotype produced by a duplicated PMP22 gene as part of a 17P trisomy-translocation to the X chromosome

The Charcot-Mane-Tooth disease type 1A (CMTlA) phenotype is most often associated with a 1.5 megabase (mb), tandem duplication of chromosome 17 band p12 (17˜12). The prevailing hypothesis is that the demyelinating neuropathy results from a dosage effect of the peripheral myelin protein gene PMP22 which is included within this duplication. We present a patient with clinical and electrophysiological features ofCMTlA in whom an extra PMP22 gene resulted from a rare unbalanced translocation of 17p to the X chromosome. This finding further supports the hypothesis of gene dosage as the basis for CMTlA. More-over, this case highlights the importance of fluorescence in siiu hybridization (FISH) as an alternative molecular technique in the diagnosis of CMTlA.     

The comparative characteristics of the safety,immunogenic activity and prophylactic potency of the adult and children types of live influenza vaccine in schoolchildren aged 7-14 years

In Russia for prevention of influenza in children, aged from 3 to 14 years, the children's live influenza vaccine (LIV), based upon A/Leningrad/134/47/57(H2N2) master strain (LIVI) is used. The need for double immunization appears to be one out of the faulties of this preparation. The study was aimed to comparing the safety, immunogenic activity and prevention of influenza by LIV for adults (LIVII) (A/Leningrad/134/17/57(H2N2 master strain) and LIVI in children aged from 7 to 17 years under similar administration schedule. The safety, the preventive efficacy, humoral and secretory immunity were studied. In total 2486 persons, including 539 children, twice inoculated with LIVI, 971 persons once inoculated with LIVII, and 840 treated by placebo were obserbed. From the data of the clinical observations during 7 days after immunization both vaccines appeared to be low reactogenic. The LIVII advantages in induction of the humoral and secretory antibodies in comparison with children's vaccine had been revealed. Both vaccines were highly efficacious, the efficiency of both preparations was more pronounced after serologic correction of the diagnosis. The results obtained permit to recommend the single immunization by the variant of LIV at the base on A/Leningrad/134/17/57/(H2N2) master strain for prevention of influenza in school children.