Problems + Solutions.

Readers are invited to submit questions relating to problem cases. Inquiries will be answered by qualified consultants and replies forwarded by mail promptly. Selected problems and solutions are published every month in this section.

Serum lipid changes during contraceptive administration in obese women: relation to serum insulin levels.

Previous reports agree that estrogen and estrogen-containing contraceptives increase serum triglyceride levels of normal women, but disagree on their effect on serum cholesterol levels. Since obesity is often accompanied by hyperinsulinemia and since hyperinsulinemia may participate in production of hypertriglyceridemia, we investigated the effect of oral contraceptives on the serum lipids of obese women. Serum triglycerides and cholesterol were measured before and after 3 months administration of the contraceptives.

Primary hyperparathyroidism. Laboratory and clinical data in 73 cases.

The serum calcium level measured in the research laboratory was 10.8 mg/100 ml or more in all of 73 patients with primary hyperparathyroidism, though many of the values were normal when measured in the hospital laboratories. Postoperatively, all patients successfully operated on showed an immediate increase in renal phosphorus reabsorption to 95% to 100%, and a decrease, which averaged 54%, in urinary hydroxyproline levels.