Early intestinal changes following abdominal radiotherapy comparison of endpoints.

Purpose: To compare tests for intestinal function with clinical scores after abdominal irradiation.

Patients And Methods: At the Department of Radiotherapy, Erfurt, Germany, intestinal changes were studied in 91 patients receiving abdominal radiotherapy between 1992 and 1996. Conventional fractionation (1.

Effect of dose and dose-distribution in damage to the kidney following abdominal radiotherapy.

Purpose: To define the effects of abdominal radiotherapy on the kidney with regard to dose-distribution parameters.

Materials And Methods: Ninety-one patients with abdominal radiotherapy were included in the study, and the minimum follow-up was 1 year. Conventional fractionation, 5 x 1.

[D-xylose test of resorption as a method to determine radiation side effects in the small intestine].

Background: The D-xylose test is the most important method to determine a disorder of carbohydrates resorption in proximal small intestine. The application is based on an impaired resorption due to pathological change of small intestine surface, leading to a decreased blood level or decreased excretion in urine.

Patients And Method: D-xylose test was applied in 91 patients before, shortly after, 1/2 and 1 year after radiotherapy.

[Radiation effects in the left kidney after irradiation of the spleen].

Background: An important component of treatment of malignant lymphoma is the radiotherapy. If the spleen has to be included in the irradiation field, the left kidney has to be considered as a risk organ.

Patients And Method: In 25 patients, splenic pedicle or spleen was included in the irradiation field.

[CT-guided manual afterloading with 198-gold seeds in intracerebral tumors].

Interstitial brachytherapy of intracerebral tumours was stimulated through the introduction of computed tomography and afterloading technique. Biopsies for their histologic verification as well as the stereotactic implantation of plastic tubes and adjusted to the extent of the tumour can be carried out with a high degree of exactitude by means of CT-supported localization and puncture. The small-sized 198-gold seeds are then introduced according to the manual afterloading technique and remain in situ until the planned dose in the target volume of 50 Gy is achieved.

[Radiation load of kidneys in telecobalt irradiation of aortic lymph nodes].

The kidneys of 117 patients were examined before and after (immediately until several weeks) a telecobalt irradiation of the aortal lymph nodes. In 36 out of them, another control examination could be performed after 1 1/2 years. In 17 patients, the early examinations showed functional troubles of the kidneys which regressed in nine cases.

[Diagnosis of infectious spondylitis following urological interventions].

Spread of infection to the spine following urological surgery is extremely rare. The diagnosis is therefore often made at a late stage resulting in delayed treatment. Four patients observed by the authors are described and the diagnosis is discussed.

[The erysipelas as complication of a lymph oedema after therapy of mastocarcinomas (author's transl)].

1812 patients with mastocarcinomas were submitted to a combined therapy (surgery and radiotherapy); 34.2% of them developed an oedema. This inflammation is a complicating factor because it may increase the oedematous tendency.

[Radiotherapy of the juvenile xanthogranuloma of the iris (author's transl)].

A report is given on an eight months old child with a juvenile xanthogranuloma of the iris and a secondary glaucoma. After radiotherapy with 6 X 0,5 Gy under conventional deep therapy conditions, a soon regression of the increased intraocular pressure was observed. In case of a juvenile xanthogranuloma of the iris, this secondary glaucoma represents in any case an acute danger to the eye, so it must be treated immediately.

[Problems in juvenile xanthogranuloma of the anterior uvea (author's transl)].

With reference to a case of juvenile xanthogranuloma localized in the anterior uvea the authors describe the clinical signs, differential diagnosis, morphology and treatment of this disease. If the juvenile xanthogranuloma is located in the anterior uvea, the eye may be severely affected. Spontaneous hyphema in infants is characteristic.

[Intervention radiology for guided needle aspiration biopsy (author's transl)].

Aspiration of material on the basis of radiological examination is a well suited method of intervention radiology. This is demonstrated by lesions of the breast, thyroid gland, lungs, mediastinal masses, lymph nodes, skeleton and kidney. Intervention radiology represents the combination of tumour localization and guided cytological diagnosis without additional risks for the patient.

[Radiogenic nephritis in relation to splenectomy and irradiation of the spleen bed].

Five cases are reported where under curative aspects the splenic region was irradiated during radiation therapy of lymphogranulomatosis. In the course of this treatment, a radiation load amounting to 3000 up to 4200 R focal dose occurred to the upper pole of the left kidney. A LESION OF THE LEft kidney was diagnosed not earlier than nine or twelve months afterwards in three of the patients.

[Radiotherapy of hematologic diseases].

Possibilities and limits of radiotherapy are described in a survey in the following diseases: Undifferentiated cell leucoses: The radiotherapy of the central nervous system brings an increase of the 5-year survival rates, since the localisations in this region existing in 45-70% are only insufficiently reached by the cytostatic substances because of the defective blood-liquor passage. On the other hand, other indications to radiotherapy recede into the background. Chronic leucoses: In the foreground of the application is the ray-therapy of the spleen, of which, apart from the local effect on the splenic tumour, also an improvement of the remission rates is expected.

[Splenectomy in Hodgkin's disease--indication and results (author's transl)].

The spleen is involved in 20-30 percent of patients with Hodgkin's disease. Involvement of the spleen cannot be excluded with reliability by radiological procedures or clinical chemistry. Therefore laparotomy and splenectomy are recommended as staging and therapeutic measures.