[Implementation of the German Guideline for the Prevention, Diagnosis, Treatment, and Follow-up of Lung Cancer in the Federal State of Berlin].

Background: In February 2010, the German guideline for the Prevention, Diagnosis and Treatment of Lung Cancer has been published. For the first time in Germany, the implementation of relevant guideline recommendations has been assessed in the federal state of Berlin.

Methods: Based on the quality indicators of the guideline, a questionnaire was designed which aimed at the application of selected diagnostic and therapeutic concepts.

Glomus tumor in the lung parenchyma.

Glomus tumors are uncommon lesions of glomus cell origin with ultrastructural and immunohistochemical features of smooth muscle. In the majority of the cases reported in the literature glomus tumors are benign, but there are some rare cases in which they demonstrate aggressive and malignant clinical and histological features. Glomangiosarcomas of the lung are extremely rare malignant tumors, because of the fact that glomus bodies are rare or absent.

[Lung cancer - historical development, current status, future prospects].

One hundred years ago lung cancer was a rare disease. In the meantime, as a result of the sharp increase of tobacco smoking, in Germany and worldwide it is the most common cause of cancer death. Since lung cancer is largely asymptomatic in its early stages, the diagnosis is usually first made in the advanced stages IIIB or IV.

[Respiratory bronchiolitis-associated interstitial lung disease (RB-ILD)].

Respiratory bronchiolitis-associated interstitial lung disease (RB-ILD) designates interstitial lung changes in smokers, characterized histologically by bronchiolocentric accumulation of pigmented alveolar macrophages and fibrotic or cellular inflammatory changes of pulmonary interstitium. The definition is nearly identical to that of condensate pneumopathy, smoker's pneumopathy or smoker's lung, defined by accumulation of pigmented alveolar macrophages with bland alveoloseptal or peribronchial fibrosis and cellular inflammation of the bronchial wall. In addition to respiratory bronchiolitis, which is found in nearly all smokers, RB-ILD comprises a broad spectrum of varying degrees of the interstitial reaction to the exogenous injury of inhalation smoking with gradual transition to desquamative interstitial pneumonia (DIP).

Tracheobronchial stenosis in Keutel syndrome.

In 1971 Keutel et al. described a new syndrome in two siblings presenting with peripheral pulmonary stenoses, brachytelephalangism, neural hearing loss and abnormal cartilage calcification. Recent investigations provided evidence that mutations in the gene encoding the human matrix GLA protein cause Keutel syndrome.

Expression of p16 and lack of pRB in primary small cell lung cancer.

The retinoblastoma protein (pRB), p16, and cyclin D1 are major components of the RB pathway, which controls the G1 checkpoint of the cell cycle. Proper regulation of this pathway is crucial for normal cell proliferation. Abnormal forms of these proteins have been found in various types of malignant tumours.

[Evolutionary quality assurance. A new concept for improving process and outcome quality].

Background: The concept evolutionary quality assurance is a new, non-mandatory, open peer review process for in-patients settings.

Method: Ten medical charts (with radiographs) from participating hospitals were randomly chosen and assessed using a prespecified questionnaire (total 134). Individual inadequacies had to be justified on a case by case level.

Cellular autofluorescent pigment and interstitial fibrosis in smoker's lung.

The mechanisms by which cigarette smoking lead to bronchopulmonary diseases are incompletely understood. The most characteristic lesion is a chronic macrophage-alveolitis accompanied by slight fibrosis and emphysema. The macrophages contain a ceroid-like granular autofluorescent pigment in their lysosomes.

Lung function disturbances versus respiratory muscle fatigue in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus.

In 23 consecutive patients (mean age, 38.6 years) with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) and in 17 healthy subjects (mean age, 37.5 years) fatigue of respiratory (diaphragm, musculi intercostales externi) and leg muscles (musculus gastrocnemius) was determined comparatively by electromyography.

[Cimetidine and ranitidine in intensive care patients. Double-blind randomized cross-over study on intravenous administration: hemodynamics, plasma coagulation, blood gases and acid-base status].

Intravenous cimetidine 200 mg, and ranitidine 50 mg were administered as 2 minute infusions to 50 intensive-care patients. Cimetidine and ranitidine differed significantly in their effect on systolic arterial blood pressure measured during the second minute (alpha = 0.01).

Long-term follow-up of pulmonary hypertension in patients with and without anorectic drug intake.

Over a period of up to 18 years, 24 patients (mean age: 33.8 years) with primary vascular pulmonary hypertension (PVPH) of unknown aetiology (group A) and 18 subjects (mean age: 45.3 years) with PVPH due to anorectic drug intake (group B) were comparatively studied.