Dermatological indicators of coronary risk: a case-control study.

Objective: We examined the association of dermatological signs such as baldness, thoracic hairiness, hair greying and diagonal earlobe crease with the risk of myocardial infarction in men under the age of 60 years.

Methods: A hospital-based, case-control study included 842 men admitted for the first non-fatal myocardial infarction, the controls were 712 men admitted with noncardiac diagnoses, without clinical signs of coronary disease. The relative risks were estimated as odds ratios.

War injuries to the thoracic esophagus.

Objective: Presentation of our experience in the treatment of war injuries to the thoracic esophagus at the Split University Hospital, Croatia, during the 1991-1995 wars in Croatia and Bosnia-Herzegovina.

Methods: Retrospective analysis of clinical and surgical data on patients with war injuries to the esophagus.

Results: Of 2494 treated injured persons, 5 patients (0.

Prediction of outcome in patients with missile craniocerebral injuries during the Croatian War.

The factors assumed to exert an influence on the outcomes of 176 patients who sustained head injuries through projectiles during the Croatian War were evaluated. The type of projectile, wound age, retained foreign bodies, and patient sex and age had no significant influence on outcome. Patients with a Glasgow Coma Scale score of 3 to 5 had 7.

Clinical and radiological management of wartime eye and orbit injuries.

Objective: The purpose of this study is to present our experience in treating 191 patients with eye and orbit injuries that occurred during the war in Croatia and Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Methods: The authors retrospectively reviewed the clinical and radiological management of wartime eye and orbit injuries in patients hospitalized at Clinical Hospital Split.

Results: Seventy-nine percent of the war eye and orbit injuries were caused by fragments of explosive devices, 9.

Single-dose ceftriaxone versus multiple-dose cefuroxime for antimicrobial chemoprophylaxis in pleuropulmonary surgery.

The efficacy and safety of single-dose ceftriaxone and multiple-dose cefuroxime as antibiotic prophylaxis for pleuropulmonary surgery were compared in 160 patients undergoing thoracic surgery. 82 patients received a single-dose of 2 g ceftriaxone intravenous prior to surgery. Seventy-eight patients received 1.

Modified intraparietal vagotomy in the treatment of perforated duodenal ulcer.

Background/aims: The purpose of this study was to introduce modified intraparietal vagotomy as a safe procedure and a method of choice in the treatment of perforated duodenal ulcers.

Methodology: Eighty-six patients with perforated duodenal ulcers underwent oversewing of the perforated ulcer and modified intraparietal selective vagotomy. The site of perforation was sewn over and an abdominal cavity lavage was performed.

Spirometric disorders in women with genital descensus.

Background: We hypothesized that abnormalities in connective tissue, found in women with genital descensus, could impact their pulmonary function.

Method: Therefore we compared lung flows and volumes between women with (n = 100) and without (n = 100) descensus.

Results: Patients exhibited highly significant decrements in all expiratory flows, especially in the peak expiratory flow (-35%) and other flows at large lung volumes.

Two new cases of liver angiosarcoma: history and perspectives of liver angiosarcoma among plastic industry workers.

In this report of two new cases of liver angiosarcoma (ASL) among plastic industry workers, the authors present the history and perspectives of this problem. The first cases of ASL have been registered since 1974, and in 1984, the European register of angiosarcoma was founded. In this register, 11 cases of ASL and one case of haemangiopericytoma have been registered from Croatia, all from a single plastics plant near Split.

Triggers of acute myocardial infarction regarding its site.

We have studied the incidence of possible triggers of the myocardial infarction regarding its site in 750 patients with anterior and 731 patients with inferior infarction. Infarctions occurred most frequently without recalling any triggering activity, especially in patients with anterior infarction (67 vs. 44%).

Congenital syphilis associated with hyperlipoproteinemia.

An infant with congenital syphilis associated with transient disturbances of lipoprotein metabolism is reported. The dominant clinical sign was hepatosplenomegaly. Laboratory investigation upon admission revealed hyperimmunoglobulinemia and hyperchylomicronemia.

Septic syndrome and septic shock in the wounded treated at the Split Clinical Hospital Intensive Care Unit.

Introduction: A retrospective study on the occurrence of septic syndrome and septic shock, as well as multiorgan failure, in the wounded at the Split Clinical Hospital Intensive Care Unit (ICU).

Patients And Methods: From 1991 to 1995, 257 wounded persons were treated at the Split Clinical Hospital ICU. Criteria for septic syndrome included evident infection, body temperature > 38 degrees C or < 30.

Titrated total intravenous anaesthesia (TIVA) in war.

In the Rama mobile war hospital, intravenous (i.v.) anaesthesia was used in 78 patients undergoing surgical procedures lasting 4-25 min.

Deaths of drug addicts in Split.

Since the beginning of the war in Croatia, the number of drug addicts and of fatal intoxications in the Split region has increased. Drug-related fatalities (n = 25) were investigated over a 12-month period in 1995. Data about the cause of death were based on the information from police reports, autopsy findings and toxicological analyses.

Identification of war victims from mass graves in Croatia, Bosnia, and Herzegovina by use of standard forensic methods and DNA typing.

The postmortem remains of sixty-one war victims were excavated from 6 mass graves in Bosnia and Herzegovina one and a half years after interment Using standard identification methods, including the matching of medical and dental records, the recognition of distinguishing characteristics such as the use of clothing and belongings, and video superimposition, 35 persons were identified. For the remaining 26 persons identification efforts continue. DNA typing was performed at the HLA DQA1 locus and five PM system loci.

Functional effects of decortication after penetrating war injuries to the chest.

Decortication was performed in 32 persons with penetrating war injuries to the chest. The indications were acute and chronic post-traumatic empyema, incompletely evacuated hemothorax, chylothorax, and chronic pneumothorax. Decortications were done through a thoracotomy in 29 cases and by thoracoscopy in three cases.

Etiology and clinical features of anterior uveitis in southern croatia (dalmatia).

Patients with endogenous uveitis represent 6.5+ of patients in University Hospital Split, which serves most of South Croatia. Within a four-year period 208 patients were treated for endogenous uveitis.

A Croatian case of the Schinzel-Giedion syndrome.

The Schinzel-Giedion syndrome is an infrequently described malformation syndrome, mainly characterized by a profound mental deficiency, a typical face including a midface hypoplasia, urogenital abnormalities, and minor radiographic features. Death prior to two year of age is the rule. A boy with typical features of the syndrome is described.

Fatal firearm injuries caused by handmade weapons.

Six cases of accidental death caused by a shot from handmade or improvised firearms are described. Data were collected on incident, victim and special autopsy findings. In three cases the weapon used was a so-called 'pen gun' of small calibre (5.

Ramipril decreases chlorthalidone-induced loss of magnesium and potassium in hypertensive patients.

A double-blind clinical trial was conducted to compare the efficacy of and electrolyte changes caused by ramipril-chlorthalidone combination treatment (5 mg + 25 mg) and chlorthalidone monotherapy (25 mg daily) in patients with hypertension. After a 4-week placebo period, 32 patients (mean age, 51 +/- 9 years) with essential hypertension (average blood pressure of 181.4/104.

Splenic-gonadal fusion of the continuous type in an adult female.

The first case of a continuous type splenic-gonadal fusion in an adult female is described. This extremely rare anomaly occurs more often in the male where the abnormality may be associated with skeletal abnormalities or cryptorchidism. The few cases of splenic-gonadal fusion in the female previously described were found mainly in infants.

Postoperative chylous ascites.

The case of an infant, aged 2 months and 23 days, with chylous ascites after nephrectomy is reported. Nephrectomy was performed because of a large hydronephrosis. Chylous ascites was treated with medium-chain triglycerides, diet and cholestyramine.

Peculiarities of myocardial infarction at young age in Southern Croatia.

The aim of this study was to assess whether acute myocardial infarction (AMI) in younger patients (< 45 years) differs from that in the older individuals (> 45 years). We have studied the records of all patients admitted to the Department of Medicine, Clinical Hospital of Split, Croatia, because of AMI from January 1st, 1987 to December 31st, 1991. The study group consisted of 1406 patients, 130 (9.

Gated versus first-pass radioangiography in the evaluation of left-to-right shunts.

Excluding regurgitant ventricles and multiple shunting, left-to-right shunts of the central circulation can be evaluated from the difference between the right ventricular stroke counts (SCRV) and the left ventricular stroke counts (SCLV), which are obtained from gated radioangiography. The pulmonary-to-systemic flow ratio (QP/Qs) is equated to SCRV/SCLV in atrial shunts and to SCLV/SCRV in ventricular and ductal shunts. In this paper, the potentials of the stroke count method have been compared to the gamma fit first-pass technique, incorporating the recent refinements in ductal shunts and deconvolution of the pulmonary curve.

Survival analysis of untreated patients with non-small-cell lung cancer.

The survival rate analysis of 130 patients with non-small-cell lung cancer who did not receive any specific anticancer therapy showed no statistically significant differences in the survival rates between various TNM combinations classified into stage groups II, IIIa, IIIb, and IV, as proposed by Mountain in 1989 and adopted by the American Joint Committee on Cancer. Following these findings, based on survival probabilities, two distinctive staging groups could be distinguished. The first stage group was composed of only the T1, 2N0, M0 combination, and the second of all other TNM combinations.