A comparative histopathological study of the influence of chemo- and radiotherapy on human prostatic carcinoma grown in nude mice.

Histological investigations were carried out to determine the effects of various kinds of treatment on the heterotransplanted prostatic carcinoma PC EW in athymic nude mice. Morphological changes after chemotherapy, radiotherapy, and combined radiochemotherapy were analyzed qualitatively and quantitatively. Effects of chemo- and radiotherapy like reduction of mitotic activity and increase of necrotic resp. fibrotic areas cumulated under the combined therapy. Results after radiotherapy or combined therapy corresponded to those reported for human prostatic carcinoma. Our observations indicate that the heterotransplanted tumor line PC EW represents a well suited preclinical test system for treatment of human prostatic carcinoma.

[Noninvasive ventilation in the acute care hospital--a cost factor?]. / Nichtinvasive Beatmung im Akutkrankenhaus--ein Kostenfaktor?

BACKGROUND: Noninvasive ventilation as well established in treatment of chronic respiratory failure. Many announcements and our own experience give evidence that this method of treatment is useful for patients with acute respiratory failure too. Also the actual situation of our health system requires increasing attention to financial points of view. PATIENTS AND METHOD: We analyzed a number of 185 patients who needed mechanical ventilation in our intensive care unit in 1995. 80 of these 185 needed mechanical ventilation due to pulmonary and cardiopulmonary diseases (e. g. cardiac failure, exacerbation of chronic obstructive lung disease, pneumonia and status asthmaticus). 61 received invasive, 19 noninvasive ventilation. RESULTS: Nineteen of 61 patients with invasive and 1 of 19 with noninvasive ventilation died. The mean duration of ventilation was 8.9 (1-50) days in the invasive ventilated group and 2.9 (1-8) days in the noninvasive ventilated group. A cost reduction of nearly 10000 Marks per patient can be calculated, using noninvasive ventilation due to the shorter duration of treatment. CONCLUSION: So noninvasive ventilation is a cost reducing and gentle alternative compared to conventional invasive mechanical ventilation for many patients with acute respiratory failure. It is also practicable in regional hospitals. Further investigation is needed to specify those groups of patients who receive the most benefit from noninvasive ventilation.

Transient bifrontal solitary periventricular cysts in term neonates.

We describe three children born at term investigated for neonatal seizures or transient apnoea. Cranial ultrasound and MRI unexpectedly revealed symmetrical periventricular cysts adjacent to the anterior horns. We found no evidence of prenatal viral infection, intraventricular or subependymal haemorrhage or hypoxic-ischaemic lesions. The lesions were not seen on MRI at 3 months of age, but there was no compensatory dilatation of the anterior horns nor secondary loss of white matter. The appearance and location of these transient cysts were different from those of the cystic changes which typically follow germinal matrix haemorrhage or periventricular leukomalacia. Their pathogenesis and clinical significance remain to be determined.

Prevalence of Rett syndrome in Switzerland.

In an extensive survey, 35 cases of Rett syndrome born in Switzerland were found. Only 5 probands were older than 20 years; the oldest subject was 37. The prevalence for 1967-1982 was 0.41/10,000 (= 1:24,600) girls. This is considered a minimum prevalence since complete ascertainment was not possible by this investigation. Prevalence figures from southern Sweden and west of Scotland are higher (approximately 1:15,000). Rett syndrome is apparently responsible for a considerable proportion of girls with neurodegenerative disorders.