[Cervix cytology: Cervex Brush versus conventional cotton swab]. / Zervix-Zytologie: Cervex-Brush versus konventioneller Watteträger.

Cervical smears should contain endocervical cells to be accepted as representative for a cytologic diagnosis. In this prospective study with 200 women we compared cytologic specimens obtained by Cervex-Brush (100 women) or by conventional cotton-swab (100 women) technique. The incidence of smears containing cylindrical and metaplastic cells was 85% in the Cervex-Brush group and only 58% in the cotton-swab group. We believe that the application of the Cervex-Brush or a similar instrument should result in fewer repeat smears and fewer false-negative smears and thus in an improvement of the cervical cytology.

[Leiomyosarcoma of the breast 16 years following successful treatment of a rhabdomyosarcoma of the orbit in childhood]. / Leiomyosarkom der Mamma 16 Jahre nach erfolgreicher Behandlung eines Rhabdomyosarkoms der Orbita im Kindesalter.

A case of a mammary leiomyosarcoma in a 23-year-old woman is presented. The tumor appeared 16 years after successful treatment of an embryonal rhabdomyosarcoma of the orbit. Rhabdomyosarcomas are the most frequent soft tissue tumors of childhood, the orbit and the paratesticular region being the most common primary site for this tumor. In contrast, leiomyosarcomas other than those evolving from the viscera or the urogenital organs are rare neoplasms at any age. With the improvement of cancer treatment and survival rates, the risk of late effects after successful treatment for malignant tumors during childhood is increasing. Growth, development and fertility may be impaired and cosmetically disturbing facial and dental complications are common. Development of novel primary tumors is a known further consequence of successful treatment of brain tumors, retinoblastoma and acute leukemias. This is the case when high dose local radiation therapy and/or chemotherapy, especially alkylating agents, were used. Development of novel primary tumors is also known after treatment of childhood rhabdomyosarcomas. This report is intended to show that a second primary tumor may occur many years after a first successfully treated malignant neoplasm, and that young people are at risk for development of tumors at sites that are uncommon to this age group.

[Discrepancy in histopathological findings of curettage material and hysterectomy specimens in malignant tumors of the uterine body]. / Diskrepanz der histopathologischen Befunde von Kürettagematerial und Hysterektomiepräparat beim Malignom des Corpus uteri.

The clinical staging of the malignoma of the uterine corpus according to the FIGO classification corresponds in only 85.7% in stage I and 35.7% in stage II to the histopathologic staging after operation. Tumor grading and histology from D and C differ in 31.8% and 9.4% respectively from the hysterectomy specimen. We propose therefore to prefer surgical and histopathological staging to the pure clinical FIGO-staging in order to plan adjuvant therapy and for comparing therapeutic results of different patient groups as well.

[The effects of a gigant-pulse-laser upon the iris of the pigmented rabbit eye (author's transl)]. / Die Wirkung eines Hochleistungslasers auf die Iris pigmentierter Kaninchenaugen.

The eyes of 10 pigmented rabbits were irradiated by a Q-switched Nd:YAG laser. The pulse energy delivered to the right eye was 187 mJ while the left eye was irradiated with 58 mJ. The pulse duration in both cases was 25 ns. The destructive effects were analysed for two different positions of the focus. In the upper half of the eye the focus was positioned at the anterior iris surface. In the lower half it was adjusted near the pigment epithelium. The eyes were analysed by electron microscopy at intervals of 15 minutes to 128 days after irradiation. The immediate effects were found to depend from the position of the focus but less from pulse energy. At later phases, tissue reaction depends from pulse energy. -- Scarification, at the lower energy level, is almost complete after 32 days. At the higher energy level, degenerative processi are setting in; 3 days after irradiation a progressing iris atrophy is observed which has not yet faded at the 128th day.