[Malignant stenosis of the superior vena cava]. / Maligní stenóza horní duté zíly.

Superior vena cava syndrome is a distressing manifestation of a benign or malignant disease that obstructs the blood flow in the superior vena cava. Radiation and chemotherapy are often used to treat malignant forms of the disease. However, this therapy brings slow and sometimes incomplete regression of symptoms. Percutaneous administration of the metallic intravascular stents appears to be effective therapy. It offers immediate resolution and long-term relief of symptoms. Paper describes two patients with superior vena cava syndrome of a malignant aetiology where the incomplete but hemodynamicaly significant stenosis was successfully treated by percutaneous stenting.

Allogeneic cartilage used for skull base plasty in children with primary intranasal encephalomeningocele associated with cerebrospinal fluid rhinorrhea.

Three children with primary intranasal encephalomeningocele associated with cerebrospinal fluid rhinorrhea were operated on at the Department of Neurosurgery, Hradec Králové. In two children, aged 4 and 9.5 years, freeze-dried allogeneic costal cartilage was glued into the skull base defect. This plugging was covered up with deep frozen allogeneic fascia lata. In the third child, an only 1-year-old boy, after transection of the neck of the encephalomeningocele freeze-dried allogeneic dura mater was glued on extradurally and deep-frozen allogeneic fascia lata applied intradurally. The cerebrospinal fluid rhinorrhea ceased immediately after surgery. Spontaneous atrophy of the intranasal portion of the encephalomeningocele was demonstrated respectively 11, 1, and 7 years postoperatively on computed tomography. To evaluate cartilage healing histologically, the extracted allogeneic cartilage used for orbital roof plasty after 4 months was examined. The extent of spotty regressions represented about 7% of the tissue volume. It is stressed that, once diagnosed, intranasal encephalomeningocele associated with cerebrospinal fluid rhinorrhea should be operated on for prevention of meningitis as soon as possible.

[The role of computer tomography in the diagnosis of aneurysms of the abdominal aorta]. / Uloha computerové tomografie v diagnostice aneurysmatu abdominální aorty.

The advantages of computer tomography are obvious. They include the non-invasive character of examination, the detection of aneurysms with a small diameter and the opportunity to check them systematically. Computer tomography is in the authors' opinion most effective in the differential diagnosis and for the assessment of the character of aneurysms--stable or unstable, and in particular in the diagnosis of initial stages of ruptures.

[Indications for surgical intervention in acute pancreatitis]. / Príspevek k indikacím chirurgické intervence u akutních pankreatitid.

The authors analyze in detail a group of 48 patients treated on account of acute pancreatitis in 1988. As regards the severity and prognosis of the disease, they divide it according to the Mainzer classification into three groups. The first mildest one was not subjected to acute operation. Serious cases in group 2 and 3 called in a total of 22 cases for operation. The authors discuss in detail indications for surgical intervention from four basic aspects: laboratory findings, ultrasonographic and CT examination, the clinical picture and character of the exudate in the abdominal cavity. It is essential to evaluate in a comprehensive way all symptoms and the dynamics of their development, in particular, however, the clinical picture of the disease. The possible lack of of some paraclinical examinations (ultrasonography, CT) must not play a decisive role for the indication.