Brain weight in completed suicide and other cases of death-comparison of recent and previous studies.

BACKGROUND: The weight of human brains is subject of numerous scientific research studies particularly in anatomy, pathology, and forensic medicine. Just a few investigations deal with a possible correlation between psychiatric disorders, especially suicidality, and brain weight. The results are contradictory. AIMS: This study aims to find out if postmortem brain weight is higher in suicide victims considering the discrepancies of previous studies. METHOD: In a retrospective study, the weight of brains obtained by autopsies performed in the Institute of Legal Medicine in Frankfurt, Germany, was evaluated. Data of 99 suicide cases (64 males, 35 females) were compared with those obtained from similar number cases of sudden death in a matched pair analysis. In each case, body weight, height, and body mass index were also taken into account. RESULTS: No significant differences in brain weight were found in suicide victims compared to those of the control group. CONCLUSIONS: The brain weight depends on various parameters such as gender, age, body height, and weight. The selection criteria for suicide cases as well as for the corresponding control population are essential in evaluating the brain weight in suicide.

[Syphilis. Part 2: Laboratory diagnostics, therapy and prevention]. / Syphilis. Teil 2: Labordiagnostik, Therapie und Prävention.

Sexually transmitted infections and sexually transmitted diseases such as syphilis are a great problem for public health systems worldwide. Syphilis can be curatively treated with penicillin after early diagnosis, competent therapy and consistent monitoring. The fundamentals of syphilis diagnostics are direct and serological methods for pathogen detection. Prevention of syphilis includes exposition prophylaxis and in particular the routine use of condoms and the consistent education of affected persons and their sexual contacts.

[Syphilis. Part 1: Introduction, pathology and clinical aspects]. / Syphilis. Teil 1: Pathologie und Klinik.

In Germany more than 3,500 people become infected with syphilis annually. As elsewhere in Western Europe there is a low level endemicity with a concentration among population subgroups with high rates of partner exchange, such as men who have sex with other men. In Germany after initially reduced numbers of cases, the incidence rate has increased after the turn of the millennium. In 2011 the incidence reached 4.5 cases per 100,000 inhabitants, which is the highest incidence since the introduction of the Infection Protection Act of 2001. Syphilis, like other sexually transmitted infections and diseases with its manifold clinical manifestations and complex diagnostics, is a large global problem for public health systems. The recent resurgence of syphilis presents a challenge for all physicians but particularly for dermatologists and venereologists because the skin and adjacent mucous membranes are initially affected. Rapid diagnosis, differential diagnosis, consequent treatment and monitoring can cure the disease. Prevention of misdiagnosis is essential otherwise severe, sometimes fatal cardiovascular complications, neurosyphilis and transfer to unborn and newborn children can occur. The synergy of syphilis and sexually transmitted human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) is of special importance. Syphilis together with genital herpes and other sexually transmitted genital and oral ulcers is an important pacemaker for HIV.

[Relation of external biometric parameters to health risk and mortality--analysis and evaluation of different measurement methods and study results]. / Das Verhältnis ausserer Körpermasse zum Erkrankungsrisiko und zur Todesursache--Analyse und Bewertung unterschiedlicher Messmethoden und Studienergebnisse (I).

In clinical practice diagnoses can be found which are partially based on body measurements. By measuring body height and body weight the patient is categorised, for example by Body-Mass Index (BMI), in different adipose grades. Different diseases are associated with specific biometric parameters. Abdominal adiposity measured by waist circumference correlates with the risk of colon carcinoma and is one diagnostic criteria of the metabolic syndrome. An unhealthy waist-hip ratio (WHR) can cause a higher risk of a cardiovascular disease and dementia. By combining body measurement with cause of death found during the medicolegal autopsy, clinical relevant correlations can be uncovered. Research in medical databases (e.g. PubMed) was carried out to find studies showing possible associations between body measurements, their indices and morbidity or causes of death. This article is a selective survey of these published studies, current guidelines and the German Institute for Standardisation - Norm (DIN-Norm). We give a wide thematic overview and select relevant parameters, which should be taken during medico-legal autopsies in future. The ascertainment of those parameters and their adjustment with the findings of the medico-legal autopsies can be a key to finding predictors of history of disease and relevant morbidity risks in the institutes of forensic medicine. Such findings are very important in the assessment of risk for living patients and necessary preventive actions. Beside the measurement of waist and hip circumference mentioned in specific clinical guidelines in Germany, we suggest, after analysing the parameters, to measure the thickness of the subcutaneous fat on the anterior chest and the thigh circumference as well.