[Third replacement of the tricuspid valve in combined aortic-tricuspid defect].

The implantation of valvular prostheses in tricuspid position is problematic due to the slow blood flow in the low-pressure system with the risk of valvular thromboses. Today there are prostheses with supportable low transvalvular gradients; nevertheless, the risk of valvular thromboses is, in spite of anticoagulation, increased by using mechanical prostheses in tricuspid position. We report on a 51-year-old woman in whom a dysfunction of the Starr Edwards ball prosthesis 15 years after its implantation in the tricuspid position was diagnosed.

[Implantable catheter system for ambulatory parenteral antibiotic chemotherapy. A prospective study].

17 patients with infectious diseases needed a long-term parenteral antibiotic therapy. Therefore a subcutaneous catheter system (Port-a-Cath) was implanted for intravenous application of the antibiotic drugs. With a total dwelling-time of 952 patient/days no catheter super-infection was observed.

[Implantable catheter systems. Experience with 205 patients].

In a five-year period (1983-1988) catheters were implanted in 205 patients (118 venous, 31 peritoneal, 29 arterial, 25 epidural and 2 pleural), using the same system (Port-a-Cath). Total implant duration was 88,345 patient days (242 patient years). On average there was one catheter complication per 2000 patients days.

Continuous-time optical neural network associative memory.

A continuous-time optical neural network capable of executing a broad class of energy-minimizing neural net algorithms has been built. The network is a ring resonator comprising a saturable, two-beam amplifier that acts as an optical neuron array, two volume holograms that provide global network interconnectivity, and a linear, twobeam amplifier that provides sufficient gain to permit network oscillation. The network has been used as an associative memory to store and recall multiple, nonorthogonal visual images.

Effect of splenectomy upon the growth of B16-F10 melanoma and its relation to the interferon system.

The influence of splenectomy upon the growth of B16-F10 malignant melanoma and changes in interferon-synthesizing ability in mice were studied. Surgical stress alone temporarily diminished the ability of mice to respond to interferon induction by poly rIrC. Two weeks following the surgery, mock-splenectomized mice fully regained their interferon synthesis ability.

Intraperitoneal chemotherapy in peritoneal malignancy: impact of intensive system care on practicability.

In a group of 31 patients a port-a-cath-system for intraperitoneal chemotherapy was installed. From 23 evaluable patients 9 showed a tumor remission, but only 1 was a patient with gastrointestinal carcinoma. All others were patients with ovarial carcinoma.

[Pelvimetry using magnetic resonance tomography].

20 woman were examined before and after partum by means of conventional and magnetic resonance pelvimetry. Besides the usual data regarding the morphology and diameters of the pelvis, MRI gives information on the soft tissues of the birth canal without the added risk of irradiation to the mother and foetus. As shown by studies done in the USA it is also possible to determine foetal maturity by MRI; this will be done in the future.

Pigmented Bowen's disease and review of 420 Bowen's disease lesions.

Pigmented Bowen's disease is rare. We report an unusual case of pigmented Bowen's disease of the ring finger, which clinically presented as a superficial, spreading melanoma. Records of 420 lesions of Bowen's disease were reviewed; 7 lesions (1.

[A total subcutaneously implantable venous catheter system. 4 years' experience in cancer patients].

A totally implantable venous access system (Port-a-Cath) was inserted in 48 cancer patients. The devices were utilized for the administration of chemotherapy, antibiotics and blood products, as well as for blood drawing. Implantation was possible on an outpatient basis.

[Nuclear medicine assessment of renal function in beagles before and after extracorporeal percutaneous lithotripsy with a piezoelectric instrument system].

High energy sound pulses which are generated piezoelectrically can be used for extracorporal lithotripsy as an alternative to shock-waves. Since several years a lithotripter for renal concrements based on piezoelectrical oscillators has been developed at the Department for Urology in Homburg/Saar; W.Germany.

Granulomatous reactions in mycosis fungoides.

Granulomatous reaction characterized by the formation of noncaseating accumulations of epithelioid histiocytes and multinucleated giant cells of the foreign-body type is a rare, poorly understood, and generally ignored phenomenon seen in various types of lymphoma. Its presence in cutaneous infiltrates of mycosis fungoides is equally unusual, but some favorable prognostic significance has been ascribed to it previously. In this paper, four patients with typical mycosis fungoides and granulomas demonstrated histologically in their cutaneous infiltrates are presented.

Prevention of cytotoxic drug induced skin ulcers with dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) and alpha-tocopherole.

Accidental subcutaneous extravasation of several antineoplastic agents may provoke skin ulcerations for which there has been no simple and effective treatment. Since January 1983 we have treated all patients in our institution sustaining extravasation by a cytotoxic drug with a combination of DMSO and alpha-Tocopherole. During the first 48 hr after extravasation a mixture of 10% alpha-Tocopherole acetate and 90% DMSO was topically applied.

Squamous cell carcinoma complicating late chronic discoid lupus erythematosus.

Two cases of squamous cell carcinoma developing in lesions of chronic cutaneous discoid lupus erythematosus are presented. One of the patients was white and the other was black. The squamous cell carcinoma in the black patient proved to be rapidly metastatic and eventually fatal.

[Disintegration of kidney calculi by piezoelectrically generated high-energy sound waves. Physical principles and experimental studies].

The recently developed equipment for extracorporeal piezoelectric lithotripsy (EPL) represents an improvement concerning the shock-wave-induced disintegration of urinary calculi. While the usual spark gap transmitter needs a focusing reflector, the piezoelectric lithotriptor is based on a self-focusing spherical bowl transmitter. The stone is detected exclusively by ultrasound.

Dysplastic nevus syndrome: association with multiple primary neoplasms.

A 65-year-old white man with dysplastic nevus syndrome is presented. The patient also developed an extramammary Paget's disease of the scrotum, two malignant melanomas of the skin of the arm and abdomen, two squamous cell carcinomas in the mouth, and several benign tumors such as lentigo maligna, dermatofibroma, and a cavernous hemangioma. Besides the well-established tendency of patients with the dysplastic nevus syndrome to develop malignant melanomas of the skin, their possible propensity to develop other primary malignant neoplasms is discussed.