[Effects of laparotomy on respiratory function in patients without and with pre-existing respiratory compromise].

The direct effect of the upper laparotomy on the ventilation were examined in 23 patients without and in 22 patients with preexisting disorders of breathing. During the first 3 postoperative days the parameters FVC and FEV1 were decreased for 50-20% in an inverse relation to the preexisting degree of respiratory dysfunction and the arterial PO2 decreased about 2 kPa (15 mm Hg). Clear hypoxaemia (without hypercapnia) were only found in the group with a high degree of preexisting respiratory dysfunction (FEV1 less than 1.

Brainstem acoustic evoked responses: maturational aspects from cochlea to midbrain.

BAEPs were recorded from 92 healthy children with a gestational age of 35 weeks up to 16 years. The maturation kinetic of I-III and I-V interpeak latency can well be approximated by the exponential regressions I-V : y = 0.9588 x e -0.

[Bronchospasmolytic test].

Bronchodilation test using metered aerosols is a simple but extraordinary reliable method of respiratory functional diagnostics. It is highly sensitive (92%) and absolutely specific (100%) for demonstration of a pathologic elevated tonus of the bronchial musculature. The importance for the choice of therapy is limited.

Reversible visual loss after shunt malfunction.

Report on three hydrocephalic, shunt dependent children, who became blind due to shunt malfunction and rapidly decreased intracranial pressure. They regained vision several days (one case) or several months (2 cases) after shunt revision. The related literature is reviewed and possible pathophysiological mechanisms are discussed.

Isolation of Legionella pneumophila serogroup 3 from pericardial fluid in a case of pericarditis.

A 43-year-old woman was hospitalized for fulminant pericarditis. During diagnostic work-up, an as yet unknown bronchial carcinoma was detected. In the pericardial exudate Legionella pneumophila serogroup 3 was demonstrated by direct fluorescent antibody technique and by culture.

Congenital brain tumours: diagnostic and therapeutic approach. With a report of 3 cases.

Three cases of congenital brain tumours are reported, which presented with signs of increased intracranial pressure soon after birth, giving rise to the suspicion of a cerebral haemorrhage or of hydrocephalus. Correct diagnosis of tumour was established by computerised tomography, which additionally demonstrated a concomitant haematoma in each case. Two of the newborns had a primarily fatal course, with no specific treatment of the tumours being feasible.

[Acute recurrent pancreatitis as the main symptom of lupus erythematosus disseminatus in childhood].

A 17 year old girl with chronic relapsing pancreatitis since the age of 11 developed focal seizures, leukopenia, anemia and thrombozytopenia, signs suggesting lupus erythematodes. All immunologic investigations, including tests for Anti-DNS-Antibodies were negative, however. Therapy with prednisone and azathioprine resulted in clinical remission.

Age changes in electrophysiological measures of the superior colliculus and occipital cortex.

Locomotor activity and electrophysiological recordings of the superior colliculus and the occipital cortex were measured for two age groups of rats (100-105 and 230-235 days old) tested in ambient light and dark sensory conditions. Age differences in response to ambient illumination were observed in both behavioral and electrophysiological data. While no age differences were found for the superior colliculus data, cortical activity of the older rats differed from that found in the younger rats.

Visual evoked potentials in tumors from orbita to occipital lobe in childhood.

68 infants and children with proven tumours along the visual pathway visually evoked potentials with pattern reversal and flash were investigated. Subdivided in 5 locational groups (orbital, optic nerve, chiasmatic, retrochiasmatic and occipital lobe) best results were obtained by stimulation with pattern reversal using variable checksizes (91.2%) versus 61.

Evoked potentials in infantile spasms.

In infants and toddlers (N = 8) with infantile spasms, visual and somatosensory evoked potentials (VEP, SEP) were recorded during the course of the illness. During hypsarrhythmia the pattern evoked potential was missing (7/8) or grossly abnormal (1/8), indicating functional amaurosis. Flash evoked responses were normal in 50% even during the EEG-status, showing the superiority of pattern versus flash evoked potentials for visual functions in infancy.

[Legionellosis in a sample of pneumonia patients at a lung clinic].

The Legionellaceae as agents causing pneumonias are widespread distributed and lead to partially very serious diseases, particularly in predisposed persons with impaired resistance. Two of 12 cases observed are reported casuistically. Erythromycin as the drug of choice should be given already at suspicion.

Progressive cerebellar and extrapyramidal motor disturbances in galactosaemic twins.

Progressive cerebellar and extrapyramidal motor disturbances are described in two 16-year-old female twins with classical galctosaemia. The neurological disturbances, characterized by hyper- and dysmetric movements and bilateral intention tremor with choreatic, atactic and even ballistic motor storms, appeared at 12 years of age. Computerized tomography demonstrates cerebral atrophy in cerebellar, brain stem and basal ganglia structures.

Maturation of central somatosensory conduction time in infancy and childhood.

To investigate the age-dependency of central conduction time somatosensible evoked potentials to median nerve stimulation were recorded in 80 infants and children from the age of one week to 20 years. It is shown that the central conduction time starts at about 14 ms in the neonatal period and then gradually declines until the 7th or 8th year of life to the normal adult value with an upper limit of 7 ms. By dividing the data into several groups with age delimiters at 0.

Free radical species mediating the toxicity of ozone for cultured rat lung fibroblasts.

We have reported a model system with which to study factors influencing the toxicity of O3 for cultured rat lung cells. This continuing investigation was to determine the relative contributions of free radical species to the toxicity of O3 as measured by 51Cr release and the use of free radical scavengers. Toxicity from modes of O3 exposure favoring stable free radicals (stationary cultures or added O3-exposed medium) was prevented by the H2O2 scavenger, catalase.

Cytotoxic action of rat alveolar macrophages for ozone-exposed lung fibroblasts.

The objective of this study was to determine if exposure of cultured rat lung fibroblasts to O3 would trigger a subsequent attack by rat alveolar macrophages (AM). Fibroblasts labeled with [3H]proline (3HPR) were exposed to O3 (0, 0.74, 1.

Ultrasonography and computed tomography in severe urinary tract infection.

A prospective study evaluated the utility of renal computed tomography (CT) and ultrasonography in 35 patients hospitalized for treatment of urinary tract infection. Renal computed tomograms were abnormal in 18 of 28 patients with acute pyelonephritis and three of four patients with urosepsis, showing findings consistent with pyelonephritis in 17 patients and intrarenal abscess or focal bacterial nephritis in four patients. Renal sonograms were abnormal in only eight patients, showing findings compatible with pyelonephritis in four and intrarenal abscess or focal bacterial nephritis in the other four.

[Indications for diagnostic thoracoscopy, based on biopsy results of 400 studies].

It is reported on the results of 401 thoracoscopies. The main indication for thoracoscopic examination was the differential diagnosis of pleural effusions (262 cases = 65.3%).

A model system for measuring comparative toxicities of cardiotoxic drugs for cultured rat heart myocytes, endothelial cells and fibroblasts. II. Doxorubicin, 5-fluorouracil and cyclophosphamide.

Separate cultures of beating myocytes (M cells), endothelial cells (E cells) and fibroblasts (F cells) from neonatal rat hearts were compared for their susceptibilities to the toxic effects of doxorubicin, 5-fluorouracil and cyclophosphamide. Toxic injury was measured as inhibition of metabolism and changes in morphology for all cell types, and changes in beating of myocytes. Cells were exposed to the anti-tumor agents for 3 days with myocytes and 7 days for endothelial cells and fibroblasts.

A model system for measuring comparative toxicities of cardiotoxic drugs with cultured rat heart myocytes, endothelial cells and fibroblasts. I. Emetine, chloroquine and metronidazole.

Neonatal rat hearts were separated into separate cultures of beating myocytes (M cells), endothelial cells (E cells) and fibroblasts (F cells). Their susceptibilities to the toxic effects of emetine, chloroquine and metronidazole were then compared using a quantitative metabolic inhibition test (QMIT) and morphologic and beating changes as indices of injury. Measurements on the same cultures were made at 6 h and 12 h daily for 7 days with E and F cells; with M cells for 3 days.

Gallium-positive tumor thrombus.

A case is presented in which both a clear cell renal tumor and its accurate intravenous propagation were preoperatively depicted by combined information from tomographic gallium imaging and CT scanning.

A quantitative metabolic inhibition test for screening toxic compounds with cultured cells.

The toxicity of substances for monolayer cultures of rat lung fibroblasts with phenol red as a pH indicator in the medium was measured by comparing the changes produced in medium color against 10 stable color standards. The toxicities of 6 concentrations each of actinomycin D, amphotericin B, chloroquine, 2-deoxyglucose, oligomycin, puromycin, and silicon dioxide were measured at 12 h and daily for 7 days on the same cultures throughout. Morphologic changes were monitored at the same times.