Clinical effects of benzyl benzoate in the prevention of house-dust-mite allergy. Results of a prospective, double-blind, multicenter study.

The efficacy of the acaricide benzyl benzoate as an additive to a chemically and technically defined cleaning substance (Acarosan) was tested in a multicentric, prospective, randomized, controlled study on 118 outpatients with bronchial asthma due to house-dust-mite allergy. Subjective reports from patients and doctors revealed an improvement in clinical complaints in more than 50%, with only small differences between the verum and the placebo group. Objective parameters such as titrated skin tests, RAST, and bronchial challenge tests with histamine and Dermatophagoides pteronyssinus (D.

Six years' experience with perthoracic core needle biopsy in pulmonary lesions.

Six years' experience of percutaneous core needle biopsy using the Hausser needle in 502 patients, aged 20-89 years, is reported. A biopsy was carried out when sputum and bronchoscopic methods had failed to establish a definitive histological diagnosis. Over 60% of the lesions were peripheral and about 40% were 2-4 cm in diameter.

Drug-resistant bronchial asthma successfully treated with plasma exchange.

Two patients suffering from allergic bronchial asthma who showed no improvement despite six and four weeks, respectively, of drug therapy were successfully treated with therapeutic plasma exchange. The first patient had no attacks over a period of five months, and the other patient had none for over one year. Although this report only deals with single observations, we believe that therapeutic plasma exchange is of particular value for patients with severe allergic bronchial asthma because it eliminates in addition to immunocomplexes other substances, including antigens, rapidly from the blood.

[Diagnosis of sarcoidosis by bronchial biopsy and transbronchial pulmonary biopsy].

The presence of non-caseating epitheloid cell granulomas in biopsy material is still one of the most important factors in establishing the diagnosis of sarcoidosis. Since Carlens introduced mediastinoscopy as a diagnostic procedure in these cases the use of liver biopsy or bronchoscopic biopsy has decreased because of the better results obtained by mediastinoscopy. In 148 of 163 persons with sarcoidosis the diagnosis could be verified by the finding of epitheloid cell granuloma without central necrosis in biopsies taken from the lungs and/or bronchial wall.

Palliative therapy of tumor-induced pleural effusions with 90Yttrium-silicate.

In 20 patients with rapidly recurring malignant pleural effusion, 90Yttrium-silicate was intrapleurally instilled after the puncture. In all patients this treatment resulted in marked reduction, or even interruption, of exudate formation. Eleven patients died with an average survival of 166 days.

Double-blind co-operative trial to compare trimethoprim-sulfalene and co-trimoxazole in the treatment of lower respiratory tract infections.

Two fixed trimethoprim-sulfonamide combinations were compared in a clinical trial for their effectiveness and safety in the treatment of patients with acute lower respiratory tract infections (pneumonia, bronchopenumonia, purulent tracheobronchitis, ect.). 46 in-patients were randomly allocated to Kelfiprim (trimethoprim 250 mg + sulfalene (sulfamethopyrazine) 200 mg) or to co-trimoxazole (trimethoprim 320 mg + sulfamethoxazole 1600 mg) and were treated for 1-2 weeks under double-blind conditions.

[Mass radiography. The "pros and cons" of a classic method of preventive medicine (author's transl)].

The relation of expense to benefit of mass radiography (RRU) can no longer be referred to the tuberculosis discovery rate. Far more frequently other thoracic diseases are detected, e.g.

[New aspects in the treatment of allergic asthma (author's transl)].

Preventive measures in atopic persons comprise genetic advice, identification of, and prevention of contact with, the more common antigens in infancy and, later on, avoidance of exposure to antigens during the flowering season. In view of the complexity of the asthmatic attack the diagnosis must include all relevant parameters as otherwise consistent treatment is impossible. The only causal therapy is avoidance of exposure to antigens and also to unspecific (physicochemical) noxae which are nearly always superimposed.