[Treatment of autonomous thyroid gland nodules using percutaneous injections of ethanol under ultrasonography control--initial experience].

The authors treated nine women with autonomous adenomas of the thyroid gland by repeated ethanol injections under ultrasonographic control. In all patients clinical and laboratory characteristics of hyperthyroidism were present. After treatment is seven patients euthyroidism was induced, in two patients subclinical hypothyroidism which persisted also during the 6-month follow-up period.

[Neurohumoral activity in liver cirrhosis].

The authors assessed in 40 patients with cirrhosis of the liver and in 33 controls the plasma renin activity (PRA), aldosterone (PA), the atrial natriuretic factor (ANF) and the digoxin like activity (DLA) in plasma under basal conditions. In patients with cirrhosis of the liver they found significantly lower levels of PRA, PA and DLA, as compared with the control group, the ANF levels were not significantly altered. In the group with cirrhosis the highest neuroendocrine activity was recorded, in particular of PRA and PA in decompensated cirrhotics receiving diuretic treatment.

[Postpartum thyroiditis and the contribution of ultrasonographic examination of the thyroid gland in its diagnosis during the first half-year after delivery].

Changes which take place in the thyroid parenchyma of the mother from postpartum thyroiditis and which lead to a change of echogenicity can be detected by ultrasonographic examination of the thyroid gland before clinical manifestation of impaired thyroid function caused by inflammation. The authors evaluated the echogenicity of the thyroid gland in 60 women three months after delivery. From the whole group of women 47 (78.

Central hypothyroidism--various types of TSH responses to TRH stimulation.

Thyrotropin (TSH) levels in serum before and 20 and 60 min after the administration of 0.2 mg TRH i.v.

The role of endogenous digitalis-like factor in blood pressure regulation in essential hypertension.

We examined plasma renin activity (PRA), plasma aldosterone (PA), atrial natriuretic factor (ANF) and endogenous digitalis-like factor (DLF) in 15 healthy subjects and 15 patients with essential hypertension (EH) to obtain basal values and values after extracellular fluid volume (ECFV) expansion caused by infusion of isotonic saline solution over a period of 2 hours (20 mg/kg). A significant increase in diuresis and natriuresis accompanied by a decrease in PRA and PA and an increase in ANF was observed in both groups. No significant differences were observed in ANF levels between normotensive subjects and hypertensive patients.