[Bezoar with real and simulated complications].

A 64-year-old patient with lower abdominal complaints "come un sasso nel stòmaco" was admitted as an emergency with acute upper gastrointestinal haemorrhage. There was a discrepancy between the clinically unremarkable abdomen and the large amounts of free air subdiaphragmatically on the left side as seen in the radiograph. Endoscopy did not contribute greatly due to presence of a large "coagulum".

[Severely increased alpha fetoprotein and associated diseases].

In 1977 and 1978 the serum concentration of alpha-1-fetoprotein (AFP) in 3200 patients was measured for diagnostic purposes. Values above 320 ng/ml were observed in 75 patients; they underwent closer study. The final diagnoses were hepatoma (50), germ cell tumors (15), other malignant tumors (6) and acute hepatitis (4).

Correlation of cytology and cystoscopy.

A total of 152 patients had cytology and cystoscopy performed for either initial or recurrent bladder tumors and postoperative control examinations. Positive cytology was found in 97 per cent of patients with pathologically proved bladder tumors. However, 23 per cent of the patients with negative cytology had positive cystoscopic and pathologically proved findings.