Ultrasound-guided percutaneous needle aspiration biopsy of peripheral pulmonary lesions.

Percutaneous needle aspiration (PCNA) biopsy of pulmonary lesions is usually performed under fluoroscopic or computed tomographic guidance. In subpleural lesions, PCNA may be performed under ultrasonographic guidance. In this study, the diagnostic results of ultrasound-guided PCNA in 45 patients with peripheral pulmonary lesions of unknown aetiology are evaluated.

[Iproniazid-induced acute hepatitis].

Many drugs can cause an acute liver damage. The patient history is the guideline for diagnosis. Iproniazid, a monoamine-oxidase inhibitor not for sale in Italy, can frequently cause severe acute hepatitis.

Primary non-Hodgkin's lymphoma of the esophagus.

Esophageal involvement of non-Hodgkin's lymphomas is extremely unusual; primary lymphoma of the esophagus is even less common. This report describes a case of malignant small lymphocytic-plasmacytoid lymphoma with primary esophageal localization. Endoscopic diagnosis was confirmed by histological examination of a large portion of tumoral tissue spontaneously expelled after esophagogastroscopy.

Red blood cell volume distribution width (RDW) in uraemic patients on chronic haemodialysis.

Red blood cell volume distribution width (RDW) was obtained with the Coulter counter in 60 haemodialysis patients and 55 normal individuals. RDW tended to be higher in the former and the degree of increase was to some extent correlated with the underlying nephropathy. Although RDW failed to correlate with conventional tests of iron status, it was observed that iron administration could produce a decrease toward normal in RDW and a parallel increase in haemoglobin when the initial RDW was increased.

Effect of different dialyzer membranes on serum angiotensin-converting enzyme during hemodialysis.

The effects of different dialyzer membranes on serum concentration of angiotension-converting enzyme (ACE) and white blood cells during hemodialysis were examined on a cross-over basis in 20 chronically uremic patients. Hemodialysis with cuprophane membranes was associated with a significant (p less than 0.001) fall in the mean leukocyte count during the 1st hour of treatment.

Lack of evidence for the role of secondary hyperparathyroidism in the pathogenesis of uremic thrombocytopathy.

The possible relationship between platelet dysfunction and secondary hyperparathyroidism (HPT) in chronic renal failure was examined in 23 uremic patients on conservative therapy (group I) and in 27 patients on maintenance hemodialysis (group II). Platelet function was assessed by measuring the degree of aggregation in response to various concentrations of adenosine diphosphate. Secondary HPT was evaluated by means of serum biochemistry (parathyroid hormone, calcium, phosphorus, and alkaline phosphatase) and radiographic examinations (x-ray films of the hand skeleton).