Penciclovir cream--improved topical treatment for herpes simplex infections.

Human herpesviruses can be found worldwide and cause many viral infections in immunocompetent as well as in immunocompromised patients. Herpes simplex virus (HSV) diseases can be the cause of life-threatening disease, especially in neonates. After initial infection, HSV persists latently in host neurons with the risk of periodical reactivation over a lifetime.

Diagnosis and management of cervical teratomas.

We present three cases of cervical teratoma, two of which were detected prenatally by ultrasound. The two cases diagnosed prenatally showed rapid early growth, which indicated the aggressive nature of the tumour and assisted the parents' decision to terminate the pregnancy. The third case was undiagnosed prenatally and the child was born after a normal pregnancy and uncomplicated vaginal delivery.

Natural history of 70 fetuses with a prenatally diagnosed orofacial cleft.

Objective: This study is an analysis of neonatal outcome in 70 fetuses diagnosed over a 10-year period as having cleft lip with or without cleft palate (CL-P) by ultrasonographic examination.

Methods: We describe the natural history of these 70 fetuses with orofacial clefts and select those who may be candidates for fetal surgery. The sonograms of 70 fetuses with orofacial clefts were evaluated for the nature of the CL-P and for the nature of the associated anomalies.

Use of the Polyflex stent in the palliative therapy of esophageal carcinoma: results in 14 cases and review of the literature.

Background: Several prospective randomized trials have shown that self-expanding stents have advantages over conventional plastic tubes. Nevertheless, the optimal stent has not yet been developed. The Polyflex stent is a completely new model that represents an improvement over the old metal stents.

Fetal cleft lip and palate: sonographic diagnosis, chromosomal abnormalities, associated anomalies and postnatal outcome in 70 fetuses.

Objective: The aim of this study was to determine the relationship between facial clefts, associated malformations and chromosomal abnormalities.

Study Design: Sonograms of 70 fetuses with cleft lip with or without cleft palate were prospectively and retrospectively evaluated in our tertiary referral center for the nature of the cleft lip or palate and for the nature of the associated anomalies. Additionally, karyotyping was performed in 63 of the 70 patients (90%).

Light scattering in normal and cataractous lenses of farmed Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar): a slit lamp and Scheimpflug photographic study.

To investigate normal light scattering and cataract formation, the anterior eye segments of farmed Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar) reared in fresh water and sea water were documented in vivo for the first time with a Topcon SL-45 Scheimpflug camera. A total of 40 fish from the fresh-water-rearing period, obtained from 2 groups of identical age but showing a different growth rate, and 24 fish from the sea-water-rearing period, sampled from 2 groups with identical age but being fed different food brands, were included in this study. The fish were anaesthetized before examination.

Tissue expansion using osmotically active hydrogel systems for direct closure of the donor defect of the radial forearm flap.

Although widely used, the radial forearm flap has been criticized for the poor quality of its donor site. Attempts to avoid donor-site problems have concentrated on the elaboration of the split-thickness and full-thickness skin graft methods of reconstruction. Skin grafts frequently fail over the flexor carpi radialis tendon, leading to chronic skin breakdown or, at best, tendon adhesion.

Primary intervention for posthemorrhagic hydrocephalus in very low birthweight infants by ventriculostomy.

The objective of our study was to determine the efficacy of ventriculostomy as the primary treatment for posthemorrhagic hydrocephalus in premature infants. Within a period of 4 years, 20 very low birthweight (VLBW) infants (birthweight median 1,135 g, range 650-1,470 g) were treated for progressive posthemorrhagic hydrocephalus (PHHC) by right parietal ventriculostomy (Salmon Rickham) at a mean age of 21 days. Serial tapping of the subcutaneous reservoir was performed for temporary drainage until conversion to a permanent ventriculoperitoneal (VP) shunt or spontaneous resolution of hydrocephalus.

Fluorodeoxyglucose whole-body positron emission tomography in colorectal cancer patients studied in routine daily practice.

Purpose: To evaluate the routine clinical value of attenuation-corrected whole-body fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography in colorectal cancer, a total of 59 patients who were referred for evaluation of suspected or proven colorectal cancers were studied.

Methods: Positron emission tomography scans were recorded using a Siemens ECAT Exact 921/47.

Results: Median follow-up after the positron emission tomography study was 11 (mean, 12.

Carnitine palmitoyltransferase in patients with cardiac ischemia due to atherosclerotic coronary artery disease and in patients with idiopathic dilated cardiomyopathy.

Cardiac ischemia is associated with an impairment in long-chain fatty acid metabolism. We studied carnitine palmitoyltransferase (CPT) in left ventricular biopsies of 6 transplant recipients with ischemia due to atherosclerosis, 4 patients with dilated cardiomyopathy, and 5 donor hearts. Total CPT activity was not significantly different between the three groups (7.

When is the indication of percutaneous chemolysis justified?

Persistent residual stone fragments after extracorporeal shockwave lithotripsy (ESWL), percutaneous nephrolitholapaxy (PNL) as well as pyelo- and nephrolithotomy represent a great problem in the treatment of stones. The choice of therapy for patients with insufficient renal drainage, poor renal function, and a high anesthetic risk also remains quite difficult. Between 1991 and 1993, 5 patients underwent percutaneous antegrading chemolysis with 'Suby G' solution.

Comparison of clinical chemical variables in blood plasma and serum of horses.

Several clinical chemical blood variables were compared, in order to evaluate the differences between Na heparinized plasma and serum samples. Samples from 45 healthy horses were used. No differences between the two sample substrates were found for aspartate aminotransferase, lactate dehydrogenase, lactate dehydrogenase-isoenzymes, creatine kinase, alkaline phosphatase, bilirubin, cholesterol, urea, total protein, alpha-globulin, gamma-globulin, albumin, calcium (Ca), phosphate (P), sodium (Na) and potassium (K).