[Evaluation of testosteronemia in men undergoing surgery for urethral strictures].

INTRODUCTION: Testosterone plays an important role in the functioning of various organs and systems of the male body. Its diagnostic and prognostic values are studied both in urological diseases and in the patients undergoing non-urologic surgery. AIM: To investigate changes in testosterone level in patients with urethral strictures (US) depending on its baseline level, the cause of US, the age of patients and the number of surgeries. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The study comprised 30 patients aged 19-63 years with traumatic (76.7%) and inflammatory (23.3%) US. Primary and recurrent US were diagnosed in 25 (83.3%) and 5 (16.7%) patients, respectively. Nineteen (63.3%) patients underwent excision and primary anastomosis, while replacement urethroplasty was performed in 11 (36.7%) patients. In addition to the standard diagnostic work-up, all patients were tested for total serum testosterone 24 hours prior to surgery and at 1, 3, 7, 14 days after the operation. RESULTS: 33.3% of men with US had a testosterone deficiency in the absence of any testicular or endocrine injuries and diseases. Surgery was associated with a drop in testosteronemia in 83.3% of patients. The degree of postoperative testosterone level decline and its changes were significantly influenced by the age of patients and the number of operations. Men who had baseline testosterone deficiency and underwent repeat surgeries remained in a hypogonadal state throughout the postoperative period. CONCLUSION: Investigating the clinical value of testosterone in men with US and the risks of their surgical treatment associated with testosterone deficiency will provide insight into the role of testosterone in the treatment of this condition and the decision-making regarding pharmacological correction of testosterone deficiency in patients undergoing surgery for US.

[Evaluation of the central nervous system activity according to the data of a psychophysiological "Rhythmotest" device in workers engaged in manufacture of construction plastics]. / Otsenka deiatel'nosti tsentral'noi nervnoi sistemy po dannym psikhofiziologicheskogo pribora "Ritmotest" u rabochikh pri proizvodstve stroiplastmass.

The paper deals with some topical problems in monitoring the central nervous system of workers contacting with chemicals in the manufacture of building plastics. The use of psychophysiological "Ritmotest" devices is demonstrated to enhance the diagnostic efficiency of occupational diseases in this group of patients.

[Blood viscosity, deformability and morphological types of erythrocytes in vibration disease]. / Viazkost' krovi, deformiruemost' i morfologicheskie tipy éritrotsitov pri vibratsionnoi bolezni.

The study evaluating pathogenesis of microcirculatory disorders in subjects with vibration disease covered 63 patients. The patients demonstrated trends to low blood (and, especially, serum) viscosity, to decreased RBC deformability evaluated by filtration and viscosimetry methods, higher number of degenerative and reversibly changed RBC (echinocytes and stomatocytes). The authors discuss the role of these rheological disorders in pathogenesis of angiodystonic syndrome in vibration disease.

[Bioelectric activity of the myocardium and central hemodynamics in patients with vibration disease]. / Bioélektricheskaia aktivnost' miokarda i tsentral'naia gemodinamika u bol'nykh vibratsionnoi bolezn'iu.

Examination in occupational clinic covered 60 male sufferers from vibration disease caused by local vibration (28 patients with I and I-II stages, 26 with II stage, 6 with residual signs). Nearly 36% of examinees demonstrated moderate disorders of bioelectric myocardial activity in left ventricle. Hyperkinetic type of central hemodynamics was diagnosed in 75% of the subjects, hypokinetic one-in 8.3%, eukinetic one-in 16.7%. The hyperkinetic type may promote arterial hypertension during vibration disease.

[Work conditions and results of the health screening in workers of linoleum producing industry]. / Usloviia truda i rezultaty obsledovaniia rabochikh proizvodstva linoleuma.

Screening in 115 linoleum shop workers exposed to small concentrations (at the level of MAC) of dioctyiphthalate, cyclohexanone, lead, carbon dioxide revealed the complaints of digestive and nervous systems in 84.3% and 60.9% of examines respectively. The special questionnaire and neurologic examination revealed the autonomic nervous system dysfunction in 62.6% of examinees. According to the Kardo index 70.7% had parasympathicotonia, 21.2% of examinees--sympathicotonia and 8.1% had eutonic dysfunction.

[Acute poisoning with bromine vapors of a pharmaceutical plant operator]. / Ostroe otravlenie parami broma u apparatchika khimiko-farmatsevticheskogo zavoda.

A characteristic feature of bromium acute intoxications in levomycetine production is the delayed hemorrhagic component manifestation in the clinical course of toxic bronchitis (on the 20th day after inhaling bromium vapours), and the changes in the heart in the form of myocardial toxic dystrophia, as well as the growing activity of some liver related enzymes, which is indicative of the hepatocyte membrane lesions.