ABSTRACT
A piezoelectric lithotripter ("Piezolith 2300") was used in 24 patients for extracorporeal fragmentation of radiolucent gallbladder stones. In 19 patients with one stone and 4 patients with two stones (diameter: 0.8-3.1 cm) fragmentation to a maximal fragment size of 7 mm was achieved. One to three treatment sessions were necessary (mean 1.5). During adjuvant oral litholytic therapy with chenodeoxycholic acid and ursodeoxycholic acid (500 mg each daily up to 80 kg bodyweight and 750 mg in patients with more than 80 kg bodyweight) 4 patients came to be completely free of stones within a mean follow-up time of 15 weeks. Treatment was well tolerated by all patients, no analgesia or sedation was needed. Side effects were cutaneous petechiae in two patients, microscopic haematuria in two others and leucocyturia in another. We conclude that lithotripsy of gallbladder stones can be performed safely and effectively not only by the established underwater spark discharge type of lithotripter but also by the piezoelectric system.
Subject(s)
Cholelithiasis/therapy , Lithotripsy/instrumentation , Adult , Aged , Chenodeoxycholic Acid/administration & dosage , Cholecystography , Cholelithiasis/diagnosis , Combined Modality Therapy , Female , Humans , Liver Function Tests , Male , Middle Aged , Ultrasonography , Ursodeoxycholic Acid/administration & dosageABSTRACT
A case of Verner-Morrison like symptomatology of an histological identified, metastasizing, non-serotonin-producing carcinoid of the pancreas is described. The likeness of symptomatology to courses of disease by islet-cell tumors is pointed out, the coincidence of carcinoid and islet-cell-tumors and their common origin are discussed.
Subject(s)
Carcinoid Tumor/diagnosis , Pancreatic Neoplasms/diagnosis , Dehydration , Diarrhea , Humans , Liver Neoplasms , Male , Middle Aged , Neoplasm Metastasis , Serotonin/metabolism , Syndrome , VomitingABSTRACT
A new gastrotherapeutical preparation, AcT 72, has been evaluated. This preparation contains the anticholinergic drug propantheline bromide, the psychotherapeutical agent perazine, and antacids. In two different series of tests it was demonstrated that after a peroral dose of ACT72, gastric motility was significantly reduced when compared with the control situation. Dosages used were in accordance with normal therapeutic doses, and, because of the influence on gastric motility, the duration of action in the stomach was prolonged, thus reducing daily dose requirements. Reduction of stomach motility per se, has therapeutic value in patients with gastric ulcers.
Subject(s)
Antacids/therapeutic use , Antipsychotic Agents/therapeutic use , Gastrointestinal Motility/drug effects , Perazine/therapeutic use , Propantheline/therapeutic use , Stomach Ulcer/drug therapy , Adult , Drug Combinations , Drug Evaluation , Female , Gastric Mucosa/drug effects , Humans , MaleABSTRACT
In vitro lymphocyte transformation (14C-thymidine incorporation rate following stimulation by PHA) was studied in 19 patients with histologically proven chronic aggressive hepatitis. In the majority of the cases measurements were performed prior to and during a combined (azathioprine/corticosteroid) immunosuppressive therapy. In comparison to normal controls, the majority of the patients showed a significantly reduced lymphocyte transformation before the treatment started. During the immunosuppressive therapy there was a normalization of PHA-responsiveness in most of the patients, or an improvement, at least. Bioptic control seems to be the most reliable parameter to prove a therapeutic effect, since the histologic criteria for a decrease of the inflammatory activity were the last to occur. After transient cessation of the therapy, in 4 out of 6 cases a decrease of lymphocytic PHA-responsiveness was developed again, paralleled by histologic activation of the process where biopsy could be performed. This observation favours a long-term therapy for at least several years.
Subject(s)
Hepatitis/immunology , Immunosuppressive Agents/therapeutic use , Lymphocyte Activation/drug effects , Adult , Aged , Autoantibodies/analysis , Azathioprine/therapeutic use , Chronic Disease , Female , Hepatitis/drug therapy , Hepatitis/pathology , Humans , Lectins , Liver/pathology , Male , Middle Aged , Prednisone/therapeutic use , Remission, Spontaneous , Time FactorsABSTRACT
Monomeric IgM could be found rather frequently in acute hepatitis and chronic aggressive hepatitis and occasionally also in chronic persistent hepatitis. Earlier it was reported in lympho-proliferative-, autoimmune diseases, some infectious diseases and in cirrhosis of the liver. The occurence of monomeric IgM in chronic aggressive hepatitis correlates with the detection of several autoantibodies (ANA, SMA, RF). The 7S-IgM-test may be used as an easily measurable additional criterium for diagnosis and course of chronic liver diseases.
