[Evaluation system in assessing radiological examinations of clinical significance for the patient].

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to test a scoring system and its utility for the assessment of the clinical significance of radiological examinations.

Material And Methods: The reports of all diagnostic studies obtained in patients with a clinical suspicion of pancreatitis, urinary tract obstruction, biliary or gallbladder diseases, ileus and gastrointestinal perforation were scored prospectively in 4 categories from 0 to 3. These categories were related to the ability to establish a definite diagnosis, to exclude suspected disease, to influence further diagnostic work-up and therapeutic decision-making.

Prostacyclins in diabetes: an electrophysiological study.

Twelve patients with juvenile (insulin-dependent, type I) diabetes were treated either with prostacyclins or placebo in a double-masked randomized study. The electroretinogram (ERG) was recorded before, 1 day and 8 months after treatment. An analysis of variance and covariance was carried out to evaluate possible treatment or time effects on the a and b waves and the oscillatory potentials of the ERG.

Comparison of electro-oculogram recording methods.

The purpose of this study was to compare the variability of the amplitude ratios and latencies of the electro-oculogram (EOG) light peak (LP) in three different recording conditions: Arden ratio (dark trough (DT): 12 min), modified Arden ratio (DT: 15 min) and light peak/dark baseline ratio (LP/BL: 35 min of dark adaptation). Additionally, EOGs from eyes with dilated and undilated pupils were recorded. The light intensity stimulating the eyes with dilated pupils was attenuated 1 log unit.

The dark trough in clinical electro-oculography. Influence of preadaptation on amplitudes and latencies.

The influence of four different intensities of the preadapting light on amplitude and implicit time of the dark-induced oscillation (dark trough) of the electro-oculogram was tested in 10 healthy individuals. The amplitude of the dark trough (normalized to preadapting baseline) was found to be dependent on the intensity of the preadapting light (analysis of variance: p < 0.0001).

Age-related influence of piracetam on mitotic index and number of silver-stained nucleolus organizer regions.

Mitotic indices and the number of silver-positive nucleolus organizer regions (AgNORs) were scored in phytohemagglutinin-stimulated cultures of peripheral lymphocytes from two age groups of females (mean = 23.1 and 84.0 yr, respectively) under the influence of Piracetam (2-oxo-pyrrolidine-1-acetamid; Nootropil, Reg.

Combined modality treatment of advanced cancers of the oral cavity and oropharynx.

From May 1985 to June 1988, 70 evaluable patients with advanced squamous cell cancers of the oral cavity and the oropharynx were treated with preoperative combined radio-chemotherapy. Treatment consisted of 50 Gy/25 fractions/5 weeks, combined with concomitant administration of mitomycin C on day 1 (15 mg/m2, i.v.

[Therapy of organic brain syndrome with nicergoline given once a day].

In a double-blind, active-controlled study 30 patients with mild to moderate multiinfarct dementia diagnosed according to DSM III definition were treated by either 20 mg nicergoline or 4.5 mg co-dergocrine mesilate once daily during eight weeks. Therapeutic effects on symptoms of the organic brain syndrome were quantitatively measured by standardized psychological and psychometric methods evaluating cognitive and thymopsychic functions.

Intraoperative retinal light damage reflected in electrophysiologic data.

In a series of 30 unilaterally pseudophakic patients, electroretinograms and electrooculograms were recorded 6 months postoperatively. The unoperated on fellow eyes served as controls. High intraoperative retinal light exposure (3.

Response to preoperative concomitant radiochemotherapy with mitomycin C and 5-fluorouracil in advanced head and neck cancer.

Advanced head and neck tumours have a poor prognosis due to the high frequency of local recurrence. Multimodality treatment has been shown to be effective in decreasing local recurrence. In this study, 51 patients with advanced oral and oropharyngeal carcinoma were entered in a trial of preoperative radio-chemotherapy.

[Iodine deficiency in childhood despite prevention. Current data from the Vienna area].

Since 1963 iodized table salt prophylaxis (10 mg KI/kg table salt) in Austria has led to a decrease in endemic goitre in children. Nevertheless, goitre frequency is rising again after the first two decades of life and iodine deficiency is found in 50% of the patients. In order to evaluate the adequacy of the iodine supply in childhood in the Vienna area the urinary iodine excretion was determined in 124 healthy non-goiterous children from 4 weeks to 16 years of age.

[Cloning of solid tumors in double agar (human tumor stem cell assay].

62 specimens from 37 patients with solid malignant tumours were cloned by the human tumour stem cell assay (HTSCA). The growth rate, the use of two different disaggregation methods and their influence on vitality and plating efficiency were analyzed as well as the cloning rate from different tumour regions and metastases. The growth rate was 68%, and there was a significant difference in the vitality, depending on which mode of disaggregation was used.

[Prognostic factors in cardia cancer].

Among 164 patients operated upon for adenocarcinoma of the cardia 102 (61%) were resected, 87 of them with curative intent. The mortality within 30 days was 20%, and the 5-year survival 15%. A total gastrectomy was performed in 36 patients, whereas a proximal partial gastrectomy was carried out in 66 cases.

Dermatoglyphics and creases in patients with neurofibromatosis von Recklinghausen.

Fingerprint and palmar dermatoglyphics and creases were investigated in 60 patients (20 males and 40 females) with generalized neurofibromatosis. Like previous investigators, we found a significantly increased frequency of digital central pocket patterns. Furthermore, affected males and females had an increased frequency of monocentric whorls (P = 0.

[Statistical standards for clinical long-term studies].

Interest in the implementation of long-term clinical studies has grown considerably in Austria in recent years, partly encouraged by studies of this nature performed in West Germany, Great Britain and the United States. However, such studies have to be based on biometric standards that must be adhered to in the planning, implementation and reporting phases of long-term studies if they are to be regarded as authoritative and to find international acceptance. The present paper deals with such standards, based on the current level of methodological development as well as the authors' experience gathered over many years of participation in such projects.

[Treatment of advanced ovarian cancer as an interdisciplinary task: surgery, histopathology, radiotherapy, and chemotherapy].

From February 1977 to February 1981 we treated 55 patients with ovarian cancer (45 stage III and 10 stage IV) with simultaneous radio-chemotherapy; 34 of these patients underwent a therapeutic second-look operation. The overall response rate was 94%, comprising 63% complete and 31% partial remissions. In the group with residual tumours exceeding 2 cm in diameter after primary operation 52% complete remissions were observed.

Idiopathic uric acid lithiasis: epidemiologic and metabolic aspects.

Of 264 patients with urolithiasis those with pure uric acid or urate stones were compared to those with other types of calculi for differences in epidemiologic factors and uric acid, calcium and phosphate metabolism. Patients with uric acid stones were predominantly older men. These patients had comparatively lower incomes and spent less money on food but consumed more alcohol.

The fast oscillation of the electro-oculogram. Influence of stimulus intensity and adaptation time on amplitude and peak latency.

The dependence of amplitudes and peak latencies of the light-induced fast EOG oscillation was studied using rectangular light stimulation. A linear increase of the amplitude was observed in the intensity range tested (24-3,000 asb). No influence of the time of preadaptation to darkness on the amplitudes could be proven in a range of 20 s to 21 min.

[The social infrastructure of patients with urinary calculi (author's transl)].

The social infrastructure was investigated in 379 patients with urinary stones. The rates of 50% for employees and 32% for old-age pensioners were surprisingly high. 16% of the patients were employed in jobs with hard manual labour.

[Lactate acidosis in the cerebrospinal fluid as a prognostic parameter of malacic cerebral insult (author's transl)].

The concentrations of lactate and pyruvate were determined in 111 CSF and blood samples. The CSF and blood chemistry of 43 patients with a lateralized ischaemic cerebral insult was compared with that of a control group of 18 patients. The first tests were carried out within 24 to 48 hours and 50 follow-up determinations were undertaken in the cerebral insult group.

Nutritional risk factors in urinary stone disease.

The relationships between eating and drinking habits, and serum as well as 24-hour urinary concentrations of calcium, inorganic phosphate uric acid and urinary pH were studied in 379 patient in whom stones form. The 24-hour urinary calcium excretion was found to be increased in patients who preferably eat animal proteins and farinaceous foods (p less than 0.1).

Analysis of a certain type of 2 x 3 tables, exemplified by biopsy findings in a controlled clinical trial.

A procedure is described for the evaluation of 2 X 3 Tables, in which the two rows correspond to the two treatments to be compared and the three columns are ordered classifications ("improved", "unchanged", "deteriorated"). The method is illustrated by an example taken from the recent literature: liver biopsy data from a controlled clinical trial of silymarin in the treatment of chronic hepatitis.