Hormonal therapy in chronic radiation colitis.

Severe gastrointestinal bleeding is a rare complication of radiation therapy that requires frequent transfusions. This case report describes a patient with severe bleeding from radiation colitis after treatment of bladder cancer. During 5 months of therapy with multiple drugs, the patient needed 26 units of packed red cells. A subsequent hormone therapy consisting of an estrogen-progesterone combination significantly reduced the need for blood transfusions and hospitalization. We conclude that hormones might provide a promising new additional symptomatic therapy for bleeding radiogenic colitis.

Intracoronary Stent Used in a Transplanted Heart.

The development of occlusive cardiac allograft vasculopathy is different from coronary artery disease in native vessels and treatment is still an unsettled problem. We describe a case of a 53-year-old male who underwent heart transplantation because of severe dilated cardiomyopathy. Based on myocardial ischemia, coronary angiography was performed six years later. Significant two-vessel coronary artery disease had developed and was treated by coronary angioplasty. Due to a suboptimal result, a Palmaz-Schatz stent was successfully implanted in the left anterior descending artery. The patency of the stent was demonstrated by ultrafast computed tomography and confirmed by control angiography three months later.

Magnetic resonance imaging and spectroscopy of progressive cerebral involvement in Kearns Sayre Syndrome.

Kearns Sayre Syndrome (KSS) belongs to the group of so called 'mitochondrial encephalopathies'. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS) may have the potential to noninvasively detect and monitor disease specific cerebral involvement, as we wish to demonstrate in a patient whom we have followed for 3.5 years. At first presentation with incomplete external ophthalmoplegia, ptosis, pigmentary retinopathy and impaired hearing MRI demonstrated ill defined areas of symmetric T2-prolongation in the dorsal parts of the mesencephalon, the pons and in both cerebellar hemispheres. While the patients clinical symptoms deteriorated, including the onset of dysphagia, signal abnormalities spread downwards into the medulla oblongata involving the glossopharyngeal nuclei and supratentorially into the white matter. Proton MRS performed with the PRESS sequence (TR/TE 1500/136 ms) in the area of white matter damage showed a doublet at 1.33 ppm, which is characteristic for the presence of lactate. Our findings suggest MRI abnormalities to increase in parallel with neurologic progression of KSS and confirm the utility of 1H-MRS in supporting mitochondrial respiratory chain insufficiency as the underlying cause of parenchymal alterations.

Giant cyst of the liver with complete resolution following blunt trauma to the abdomen.

Here we report on a 78-year old female who was admitted to a local hospital with unspecific abdominal complaints. Sonography showed a solitary liver cyst 30 cm in diameter confirmed by computed tomography. At that time the patient refused any intervention. Thus, neither needle puncture nor operation were carried out. Approximately three years later patient was reexamined following a fall with blunt trauma to the chest and abdomen. Ultrasound examination now indicated complete disappearance of the cyst and this was confirmed by computed tomography. To our knowledge disappearance of such a large cyst following a blunt trauma has not been previously documented by CT imaging.

Cyclic phenomena in early myocardial infarction.

It has been shown by a number of authors that early myocardial infarction constitutes a dynamic process of cyclic oscillation between coronary occlusion and spontaneous coronary reopening. Infarct-markers, such as ST-segment elevation, serum-creatine kinase isoenzyme MB, the atrionatriuretic peptide (ANP) and serum-myoglobin (Mb) exhibit cyclic behaviour pattern during early AMI and thus reflect episodes of intermittent, spontaneous reperfusion. The latter have recently been verified by angiography. The mechanism underlying the phenomena seen in early myocardial infarction is likely to be based on a constant vasoconstrictive stimulus, deriving from aggregating platelets. The vasoconstriction subsequent to platelet aggregation produces an initial episode of myocardial ischemia. This episode is followed by a hypoxia of the artery wall. Reactive coronary dilation secondary to ischemia is than promoted by the release of vasoactive by-products of anaerobic glycolysis as well as changes in the open propability of certain transmembrane ion channels. Thereafter, the initial coronary occlusion is interrupted by transient vasodilation. A wave of reperfusion follows and leads to reoxygenation and wash-out of ischemia-induced vasodilative components as well as biochemical markers. The vasoconstrictive forces then take over again. This results in repeated waves of reperfusion. A number of arguments in favour of this concepts are discussed in this paper.

[First aid measures by lay persons in cardiovascular arrest]. / Erste-Hilfe-Massnahmen der Bevölkerung bei Herz-Kreislaufstillstand.

The efficiency of first aid resuscitation is affirmed by many publications. In a questionnaire of the division of Cardiology of the Department of Internal Medicine, Graz and the Styrian Heart Patient Society distributed during the course of the Graz spring fair 1993 the population was approached as to first aid in cardiac arrest. 550 subjects responded to answer this circular for assessment dividing the population statistically in 4 different age groups showing differences among male and female and country and city dwellers. It has been shown that general first aid resuscitation has been known sufficiently, whereas special cardiorespiratory procedures (such as artificial respiration or cardiac massage) were unknown to most.

[Coronary heart disease as the initial manifestation of primary hyperparathyroidism]. / Koronare Herzkrankheit als Erstmanifestation eines primären Hyperparathyreoidismus.

Due to unstable angina pectoris coronary arteriography was performed in a 57 year-old female, showing diffuse 3-vessel disease; aortocoronary bypass surgery was recommended. During routine pre-operative examination hypercalcemia, as well as an elevated value of parathormone were observed. Ultrasonography of the parathyroid glands showed two enlarged cranial glands. In a simultaneous surgical procedure 4 bypass grafts were performed and 4 hyperplastic parathyroid glands were removed, one of which was re-operated as an autotransplantation in the left musculus adductor magnus. Histological examination showed water clear cell hyperplasia of the parathyroid glands. Though the patient had suffered from stomach and duodenal ulcers and nephrolithiasis over several years, primary hyperparathyroidism was diagnosed only after angiographically proven coronary artery disease.