Thoracoscopic resection of benign schwannoma.

The recent improvement of endoscopic surgical instruments allows new therapeutical application of thoracoscopy. We report a thoracoscopic resection of a benign schwannoma of the 6th intercostal nerve in a 35-year-old patient. The operative technique and extraction of the tumor from the chest is described.

[Is routine intra-operative cholangiography in laparoscopic cholecystectomy truly unnecessary?].

The introduction of laparoscopic cholecystectomy as method of choice for gall stone treatment reopened the question whether to continue with routine intraoperative cholangiography or to switch over to a selective indication. In order to set an accurate indication for selective intraoperative cholangiography it was our goal to develop a tool for preoperative identification of patients with a high risk of common bile duct stones. A preoperative score, indicating the risk of common bile duct stones, was designed.

[Revascularization of tracheal transplants with omentum].

Unlabelled: In a series of 6 dogs we performed an autotransplantation of a four-ring segment of the thoracic trachea. In 3 cases the omentum was brought into the chest and wrapped around the transplant (omentum group) and compared with the others (control group). After 20 days or at occurrence of severe tracheal stenosis the study was determined.

[Preventive or therapeutic parathyroidectomy in primary hyperparathyroidism].

The only causal treatment of primary hyperparathyroidism (PHPT) is parathyroidectomy. There are indications in the literature that despite operation expectation of life is shortened because of an increased frequency of cardiovascular and malignant diseases leading to the recommendation for early surgery even in uncomplicated PHPT. It is easier to convince an asymptomatic patient of an operation when he is informed about complications and consequences of an expectative attitude.

Comparison of the University of Wisconsin preservation solution and other crystalloid perfusates in a 30-hour rabbit lung preservation model.

The University of Wisconsin solution, which contains a high potassium concentration (120 mmol/L), was evaluated for rabbit lung preservation by comparing it with a modified University of Wisconsin solution with low potassium (4 mmol/L), a low-potassium dextran solution (4 mmol/L), and simple surface cooling. In the first three groups rabbit lungs were flushed in situ with the solution (n = 5 in each group); then the lung-heart block was harvested and stored at 10 degrees C for 30 hours. In the surface cooling group the lungs were harvested without flushing and then simply immersed in saline and stored.

Influence of intraalveolar oxygen concentration on lung preservation in a rabbit model.

We previously reported the use of an inexpensive screening model for lung preservation involving ventilation and perfusion of excised rabbit lungs after their preservation. We now have extended this model by perfusing the preserved lung in cross circulation with an anesthetized rabbit to permit stable reperfusion of the preserved lungs for 60 minutes. With this model we compared the results of lung preservation with the lungs inflated with nitrogen, room air, or 100% oxygen during 24 hours of hypothermic storage.

[Modified postoperative prevention of recurrence in euthyroid struma nodosa].

In a prospective clinical study after uni- or bilateral subtotal thyreoidectomy, cause of euthyreote goitre, no substitution with L-thyroxin was ordered postoperatively. The follow-up after three months and one year shows a representative time for judgement of the hormonal situation after three months. Over one year 55% with bilateral resection need hormone substitution but only 4% with unilateral.

[Does tissue pH measurement quantify circulation in the transplanted bronchus in lung transplantation].

Ischemia of the airway is the main cause of severe complications in lung transplantation. Tissue-pH is used as an indicator of ischemia in the myocardium and various other tissues. We developed a pH needle probe which can be applied through a bronchoscope to enable repeated measurements of the pH in the bronchus mucosa.

Phase II study of intra-arterial fluorouracil and mitomycin-C for liver metastases of colorectal cancer.

Effectiveness, toxicity and complications of 5-fluorouracil (FU) and mitomycin-C (MMC) treatment were analyzed in 30 patients with metastatic colorectal cancer confined to the liver. The treatment schedule was FU 2.0-2.

[Status of lung transplantation: developments, indications and results].

Lung transplantation has proven to be a successful treatment for selected patients with end stage pulmonary disease. The indications are restrictive, chronic obstructive or infective lung diseases and diseases associated with high pulmonary resistance. The choice of the appropriate operation as single lung transplantation, double lung transplantation or heart-lung transplantation is based on the various end stage lung diseases.

Direct revascularization of bronchial arteries for lung transplantation: an anatomical study.

Direct revascularization of the bronchial arteries for both single-lung and double-lung transplantation would improve airway healing and reduce airway complications after transplantation. We studied the anatomical pattern of bronchial arteries in 30 autopsy cases. In 28 of 30 cases (93.

[Qualitative and quantitative diagnostic possibilities of papillary colorimetry].

Papillary colorimetry is a qualitative and quantitative diagnostic method that defines the displacement of the temporal and nasal color ranges on the x;y plane of the German Industrial Standard (DIN) color chart. Starting with normal temporal and nasal papillary stain values, there are, for qualitative diagnosis, four different directions in which the color range can shift from normal values on the DIN color chart, i.e.

1.5 T MRI, CT, ultrasonography and scintigraphy in hyperparathyroidism.

The enlarged parathyroid glands of twenty-four patients with primary, and 5 with tertiary, hyperparathyroidism were prospectively studied with MRI, CT, ultrasonography and subtraction scintigraphy prior to surgery. Sensitivities in a prospective study were 63, 60, 53 and 44% for the primary, and 71, 67, 44 and 11% for the tertiary, disease form. On MRI, diseased parathyroids showed the "typical" behaviour of tumours with high signal intensity on T2-weighted and low signal intensity in T1-weighted images.

[Determination of visual acuity using optokinetic nystagmus. A newly developed instrument based on Günther's principle].

The two most important methods used for objective determination of visual acuity are those of Ohm-von Romberg and Günther. A newly developed instrument based on Günther's principle is described which combines the advantages of both methods. Using a Leitz projector and a specially designed accessory unit, a constantly moving screen of dots measuring 64 X 64 cm is projected.

Complications and results after trabeculotomy.

This paper reports the complications and results after 80 trabeculotomies for open angle glaucoma, which were performed between 1971 and 1975 at the University Eye Clinic in Marburg. The longest follow-up period was between 1.5 and 2.

[Results of iridectomy in narrow-angle and open-angle glaucoma. A retrospective study].

Between 1970 and 1975 166 iridectomies were performed in cases of primary glaucoma. In the retrospective study reported here the authors analyzed the results with regard to the regulation of intraocular pressure (IOP) and loss of function. Follow-up examinations were performed (1) between 6 weeks and 6 months, (2) 12 months, (3) 1.

[Calcitonin-producing duodenal carcinoid in Recklinghausen's neurofibromatosis. Clinical case report and review of the literature].

In a 32-year-old woman presenting with fever, vomiting and right upper abdominal pain a tumor of the papilla of Vater was detected endoscopically and removed surgically. Histologically it was a carcinoid shown immunohistochemically to produce calcitonin. The tumor had metastasized to a lymph node in the hepatoduodenal ligament.