Ultrastructure of Cardiomyocytes and Blood Capillary Endotheliocytes in the Myocardium under Conditions of Experimental Mechanical Injury to the Heart.

We studied ultrastructural changes in cardiomyocytes and blood capillary endotheliocytes in the ventricular myocardium in response to mechanical injury of the heart of varying severity in Wistar rats. Acute alterative changes in cardiomyocyte and endotheliocyte ultrastructure indicate impairment of the energy-producing, contractile, and protein-synthesizing functions of the cells after mechanical injury. These disorders play the key role in the development of acute contractile insufficiency of the myocardium in mechanical injury to the heart.

Morphological Characteristics of the Cartilaginous Tissue of Human Auricle in Different Age Periods.

A complex morphological study of the auricle to determine the human age was performed by evaluating the metric sizes between fixed points in each auricle with axial guidelines. The auricular elastic cartilage in different age periods was characterized by thickening of the cartilaginous plate, different mature and immature cartilage zone ratio, variations in the volume density of the intercellular substance and elastic fibers, and change in the numerical density of individual chondrocytes and isogroups. Aggrecan content in the cartilage was shown to increase in different age periods. Age-related structural changes in the auricular cartilage expand the possibilities of forensic medical examination and hold much promise for the identification of personality.

[DIAGNOSTICS AND TREATMENT OF BOERHAAVE'S SYNDROME].

The article presents the results of diagnostics and treatment of 12 patients with Boerhaave's syndrome (men--9, women-- 3). The age of the patients was 19-68 years old. The prescription of spontaneous rupture of the oesophagus was 7 h-2 days from moment of the rupture to hospital admission. General aspects of disease were noted in 10 patients, though only 5 patients were directed to the hospital with suspicion on Boerhaave's syndrome. Emergency surgeries were performed on all patients. At first the opening was carried out, than drainage of posterior lower mediastinum were performed by Savinykh-Rozanov method with wound closure of the oesophagus walls. The complications were noted in 2 patients (the first case-pleural empyema, the second case-pulmonary embolism). Late complications, such as esophagostenosis in the place of wound closure were followed up in 3 patients in terms more than one month after operation.

[Amniotic fluid embolism as a cause of maternal death].

This article reports the case of death of a puerperal woman resulting from amniotic fluid embolism. The diagnosis was established based on the results of the pathohistological study that revealed the presence of mucoproteides and epithelial scales in pulmonary blood vessels and capillaries.

[The expert observation of myocardial contusion in a child].

A case of the myocardial contusion associated with the closed blunt chest injury in the girl aged 1 year 7 months is presented. The autopsy revealed hemorrhage of an irregular oval shape, coloured dark-red, and confined to the region with the area of 4.0 x 3.5 cm. It penetrated throughout the entire thickness of the lower part of the left atrial myocardium and the upper and middle parts of the left ventricle. No other changes were found in the heart, nor were congenital cardiac and vascular malformations documented. The main factors playing an important role in the formation of the myocardium contusion are discussed. The authors emphasize that it is the children having the narrow chest with the pliable wall who constitute the group at the highest risk of accidents resulting in the chest injury and myocardial contusion.