[Heart operations for heart tumors in Germany--results of 1996 survey]. / Herzoperationen wegen Herztumoren in Deutschland--Ergebnisse einer Umfrage für das Jahr 1996.

In the Federal Republic of Germany, no data existed regarding the frequency of open heart surgery for excision of cardiac neoplasms. Therefore, a standard questionnaire concerning heart tumors was sent to all 77 German heart centers performing cardiac surgery. Data from 65 of the 77 heart centers (= 84%) are finally available: 187 patients were operated upon for myxomas, only 44 upon for non-myxomatous cardiac tumors (28 of them with malignant primary or secondary lesions of the heart). In 1996, 0.32% (231/72,763) of all surgical procedures using a heart-lung machine (registered 72,763 of 87,372 total) were aimed at excision of heart tumors. Based on surgical data, the incidence of solely the primary tumors of the heart in Germany is at least 3 per million population per year (253 tumors/81.814 million inhabitants). Even if small tumors are asymptomatic and remain undetected, today, the majority of primary tumors of the heart will be revealed by echocardiography, computer tomography, and magnetic resonance imaging, and these patients are usually referred to operation. Thus, in Germany, about 0.3% of operations using a heart-lung machine were performed for cardiac tumors-among these, myxomas are clearly predominant.

Leukocyte responsiveness to substances that activate the respiratory burst is not altered in borderline and essential hypertension.

Activated leukocytes have been implicated in the pathogenesis of hypertension and its complications. The present study investigated the activity stage of leukocytes for production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) in 17 normotensive controls and subjects with borderline (n = 17) or essential hypertension (n = 17) using different biological materials (whole blood and isolated polymorphonuclear leukocytes (PMNLs)), stimuli (zymosan and formyl-methionyl-leucyl-phenylalanine (FMLP)) and ROS detection assays (chemiluminescence, hydrogen peroxide and superoxide anion determination). Neither the capacity for extracellular generation of oxygen metabolites nor the production of ROS with an intracellular origin were significantly different in isolated PMNLs between controls and hypertensive subjects. There were no significant differences in the luminol-amplified zymosan- or FMLP-stimulated whole blood chemiluminescence response. In addition, the leukocyte count did not differ between the groups. The results suggest that circulating leukocytes of controls and hypertensives existed in a resting state in our experimental conditions. We did not find any evidence of enhanced basal leukocyte free radical activity in patients with mild or severe hypertension.

[Modification of cardiac pacemakers of the MCP and LCP series by electrodiagnostic and electrotherapy procedures]. / Beeinflussung von Herzschrittmachern der MCP- und LCP-Serie durch Elektrodiagnostik- und Elektrotherapieverfahren.

47 patients with cardiac pacemakers of the MCP- and LCP-series were examined for influence by disturbances caused by devices of electrodiagnostics and electrotherapy used in the GDR. A general prohibition of such diagnostic and therapeutic methods cannot be maintained. Low frequency current therapy (apart from TENS-currents), hydrogalvanic baths and ultrasonic therapy could be applied without any danger. In the CP-current should be guaranteed a minimum distance of 50 cm, when it fell short of, however, only insignificant disturbances appeared. The same concerns the microwave therapy. Also electrodiagnostics was possible without endangering the pacemaker-patient. TENS-currents caused, depending on distance and frequency, no disturbances or dangerous ones (total inhibition). Short-wave repeatedly led to total inhibition or warming at the cardiac pacemaker and should therefore generally be forbidden.

Facilities for digital pattern recognition: an ECG detective trick.

Algorithms for digital pattern recognition optimized for the demands of the physician are urgently needed. They have to provide high levels of recognition, accuracy, reliability, artefact rejection and flexibility in detecting different types of signal time-course. The microcomputer algorithm presented here works on the principle of Walsh-transformation of signal sections and in-image judging. The algorithm efficiently solves simple tasks, and also recognizes, for instance, ECG P-waves using the same algorithm. A test with 1054 randomly selected outpatient's ECG and with an additional 72 ECGs of inpatients with clinically proved myocardial infarcts produced the following results: The recognition ratio for the R-wave amounted to 98.8% with a failure ratio of 2.3%, while an initial common P-T-pattern was correctly recognized in 80.3% of cases, with a failure ratio of 4.9%. The algorithm was implemented on a Z80 microprocessor and on a single-chip computer Z8.

[Heart involvement in rheumatoid arthritis]. / Herzbeteiligung bei Rheumatoid-Arthritis.

It is reported on the malignant course of a case of rheumatoid arthritis, in which the participation of the heart became the cause of death. Here it is stated that we certainly enlarge our knowledge on the participation of the heart by modern cardiological diagnostics, but therapeutically are not yet able to engage decisively in the fateful course of the systemic rheumatoid basic disease. Therefore, efforts about an early cardiologic diagnosis are at present not yet of therapeutic consequences.

[Automated information processing of systolic time intervals]. / Automatisierte informationsverarbeitung der systolischen Zeitintervalle.

The revalorization of the systolic time intervals in clincial and experimental cardiology is described on the basis of informations from literature and own experiences. Concerning the method of work the systolic time intervals have reached a limit which can be overcome only be automatized information processing. It is reported on principles and problems of the automatized information processing of systolic time intervals and an own development is described (HTME 101).