[Non-malignant lymphoid changes in the lung]. / Uber die nicht malignen lymphoiden Veränderungen der Lunge.

The authors diagnosed 5 cases of lymphoid interstitial lymphomas (LIP) and 2 pseudolymphomas among their patient material. 2 of the 5 LIP patients were men, whereas 3 were women. One of the patients was a 9-year old girl at the time of diagnosis. In all the 5 cases the disease was verified by means of the histological findings on biopsy of the lung. The patients were treated with corticosteroid, in one case with corticosteroid + cytostatic. The condition of 4 patients improved significantly; they were finally free from complaints. A definite regression was seen on x-ray film. The 5th patient (a woman) is still undergoing treatment at the time of writing. Of the 2 patients with pseudolymphoma, one was male and the other one female. The woman patient is still alive 14 years after the disease had been diagnosed. She received steroid and cytostatic treatment, and she is in a good condition. The male patient died 13 years after the disease had been confirmed, but his death was caused by another disease. He had been given telecobalt therapy. The authors discuss on the basis of two disease patterns the non-malignant lung changes and their differential diagnosis.

[Simultaneous occurrence of lupus erythematosus and desquamative interstitial alveolitis]. / Lupus erythematodes és desquamativ interstitialis alveolitis együttes elöfordulása.

Several subtypes can be distinguished within the disease lupus erythematosus according to the clinical appearance, serological and histological findings. With their case reports the authors wish to present that there is no definitive dividing line among them in practice, but transitional appearances and forms also exist.

[Hematologic changes in sarcoidosis]. / Haematologiai eltérések sarcoidosisban.

On the basis of the literature authors analyse the importance of the involvement of spleen in sarcoidosis and the haematological changes that follow from this. In a group of patients with sarcoidosis of their own department (more than 1200 patients) they observed 2 women with thrombocytopenic purpura, one woman with thrombo- and leukocytopenia, and one woman with agranulocytosis. They shortly reviewed the previous history of their patients, the disease process, and the results of the treatment. All the four of their patients were given corticosteroid treatment and with this the thrombocytopenia was cured. No relapse was observed. One of the patients they have followed for 25 years, and an other one for 20 years. The patient with agranulocytosis was given corticosteroid, granulocyte concentrate, gammaglobulin, and antibiotics, too. Her status also became settled, and during the 10 years after her first observation we did not notice any relapse. The fourth patient is still being treated.

[Primary malignant fibrous histiocytoma of the lung]. / Primaer malignus fibrosus histiocytoma a tüdöben.

The authors interpret a case-report on malignant fibrotic lung histiocytoma diagnosed in a 69 year old female. The patient was admitted for examination because of suspicion of tumor. None of the usual pulmonology tests (sputum cytology, fiberoscopy, bronchus-brush-cytology) could reveal the origin of the change. Upper-lobe resection was done because of the round shadow on the X-ray image of the upper lobe. The pathohistological diagnosis was malignant fibrotic histiocytoma. Combined cytostatic treatment was administered on this patient--after the surgery. She was sinking gradually and died 4.5 months after the resection.

Transfer factor therapy of thoracic sarcoidosis.

The authors repeatedly treated 59 patients with thoracic sarcoidosis with transfer factor (TF) since 1976. They utilized this therapy with TF from human tonsil lymphocytes (TFh) on account of the ineffectiveness of the corticosteroid treatment, because of the side effects of the corticosteroids, and as primary TF therapy, and to test an animal TF preparation from pig tonsil lymphocytes (TFp). In their observations only fraction II of the dialysable leukocyte extract was sufficient. Differences in the effectiveness between TFh and TFp do not exist on the whole. Our conclusion is that TF can stimulate the immunosystem of the patients, and can be an important mode of treatment. The mode of action is not clear.

Cytological investigation of biopsy performed in sarcoidosis.

One of the most frequent appearance of sarcoidosis is the enlargement of mediastinal lymph-nodes. The clinical picture first of all must be distinguished from the malignant processes and seldom from lymph-node tuberculosis. At our clinic material was obtained for cytological examination in two ways: through mediastinoscopy in the course of which we had opportunity of histological evaluation too and by means of transbronchial thin-needle puncture respectively and only cytological examination was performed with this material. We carried out investigations in 155 patients sent to our clinic on account of the suspicion of sarcoidosis. According to the course of disease or rather other examinations 123 out of 155 patients suffered from sarcoidosis and in 112 of these cases that is in 91% the diagnosis was verified by the help of cytological examination. In the smears epithelioid cell groups were generally found in large number but Langhans' giant cells could be produced only in 21 cases. In 70 of 123 patients mediastinoscopy and in 53 transbronchial thin-needle biopsy was accomplished. Through cytological investigation of material obtained mediastinoscopically we attained nearly 100% positivity rate and 80% by the help of thin-needle biopsy. Although forasmuch as the transbronchial puncture does not need special intervention because it can be carried out in the course of routine bronchoscopy we think the application of the procedure reasonable not only in finding metastasis if it involves the hypertrophy of mediastinal lymph-nodes. In this way we spare the patient from further examinations. The cytological finding, of course, must be always fitted in clinical picture but on the basis of our experience the close cooperation between the clinician and cytologist assures the avoidance of wrong diagnosis.