Multiple involvement of the central nervous system in Rosai-Dorfman disease.

Rosai-Dorfman disease is a rare, benign, idiopathic histio-proliferative disorder. Only 5% of cases involve the central nervous system. We describe a 10-year-old girl with pain in her lower limbs and back.

[Cystic angiomatosis].

A case of cystic angiomatosis is presented in a patient whose clinical sign were the presence of an inguinoescrotal mass due to a retroperitoneal lymphangioma, visceral splenic lesions and diffuse skeletal lesions. This rare entity is discussed and a brief review of the literature is made.

[Short-term treatment of meningococcal infections].

Based upon our previous experience on the treatment of meningococcal infections with satisfactory evolution when the fourth day of therapy was finalized and taking into account published experiences with four or less days of therapy, we realized a study on the efficacy of a four days therapy when venial meningococcal infections but of seven days when the serious ones. The results obtained were like the former ones we published concerning to death rate but having inferior number of complications. The results of our study suggest that meningococcal infections may be successfully treated according to seriousness, with a four or seven-day course of intravenous penicillin G (300,000 UI/kg/day) distributed in six "aliquots" each four hours.

[Effects of cranial radiotherapy on growth and hypothalamo-hypophyseal function].

Aiming at evaluating the possible adverse effects of the use of radiotherapy on the CNS in children, we studied fourteen patients in whom it was used: seven as part of the conventional prophylaxis we use in malignant lymphoproliferative processes (group I) and the remaining seven as a treatment for primary cerebral tumors (group II). We evaluated growth during periods ranging from 1.5 to 11 years, and also hypothalamic-pituitary function by RIA.

[Effects of the use of cranial radiotherapy. Findings obtained by computerized axial tomography and intellectual function tests].

Authors report their brain computerized axial tomography findings (CAT) and intellectual performance, in fourteen children treated with cranial radiotherapy either as part of conventional prophylaxis with intrathecal methotrexate use in malignant lymphoproliferative processes or as treatment for a primitive cerebral tumor. They comment on myelinating leukoencephalopathy and neuropsychologic sequelae that can appear.

[Clinical-therapeutical correlations in meningococcal infection: prophylactic heparin therapy (author's transl)].

A number of 241 patients with meningococcal infection, treated between 1972 and 1978, is analysed. Some new therapeutic patterns are established based on the application of the prognosis score of Stiehm. With these patterns consisting in the use of volume expansors with anti-aggregating properties and low dosage prophylactic heparin administration, authors have considerably improved their results reported in 1972, succeeding in diminishing the global mortality to 3.