Volume 93  ·   Issue 10  ·  1980

Of 13 cases of multifocal atrial tachycardia (MAT), 11 had chronic bronchitis and obstructive emphysema with pulmonary infections (7 cor pulmonale and 4 coronary heart disease). This arrhythmia often occurs in cases where the clinical condition is severe and may cause further deterioration of cardiopulmonary function. Diffuse lesion of the atrial musculature may be the pathologic basis of MAT, while the presence of multiple ectopic foci and probably disturbances in the atrial conduction system is its electrophysiologic basis. Mortality is very high. It is suggested that treatment be directed at abolishing or relieving the underlying diseases, including control of infections and improvement of cardiopulmonary function.

181 resectable cases of primary liver carcinoma are reported, with an operative mortality of 8.8% and survival rate of 55.9% ,16% and 10.2% at 1, 5, 10 years. The data of surgical indications, operative technic, lowering of mortality and evaluation of surgical treatment are analysed. The authors believe that surgical resection is the best method of choice than any other modalities of treatment. By α-fetoprotein (AFP) detection in mass survey early stage patients were diagnosed and 1-year, 2-year survival rates after resection were 85.7% and 70%.

The authors agree that some thyroid diseases are of autoimmune nature, in their 123 cases of hyperthyroidism autoantibodies including thyroglobulin, thyroid cytoplasmic, antinuclear, antiheart, antismooth muscle, parietal cell and second component colloid antibodies were found as well as long acting thyroid stimulator and human thyroid stimulating immunoglobulin. Detection of thyroid antibodies is of great value in the diagnosis, assessment of therapeutic effect and appropriate prognosis in thyroid diseases.

Orcein stained paraffin sections of liver tissue of 101 autopsy cases of liver cirrhosis and liver cirrhosis with liver carcinoma are studied to investigate HBsAg positivity and its histological distribution of HBsAg. HBsAg positivity in portal cirrhosis (75.6%) as well as in postnecrotic cirrhosis (73.6%) is notably higher than in noncirrhotic cases. Close relationships between hepatitis B infection and the development of portal as well as postnecrotic cirrhosis seem to exist. Furthermore, HBsAg positivity in liver cirrhosis associated with liver carcinoma is higher than in cirrhosis without liver carcinoma. Its significance awaits further study.

22 cases with typical Sturge-Weber syndrome was analyzed and the literature reviewed briefly. 4 cases were reported in detail.

Human CSF endorphins fraction I, fraction III and fraction 29 are increased significantly after electroacupuncture. Using push-pull perfusion, we have observed endorphins release after acupuncture in the periaqueductal gray (PAG), caudate nucleus and accumbens nucleus. This shows that endorphins are related to acupuncture analgesia (AA). Electroacupuncture may increase the pain thresholds of rabbits, inhibit the cortical potentials evoked by tooth pulp stimulation in rabbits and decrease the cAMP levels of the perfusates in the caudate nucleus. These effects can be reversed by naloxone. Our results show that the endorphins participate in AA from the presynaptic levels to the receptor sites.

This paper reports diabetes mellitus (DM) incidence among 101,624 Shanghai people. 1,028 cases were diagnosed, an overall prevalence of 10.12‰ and a statistically standardized prevalence of 9.29‰. These diabetics are divided into the overt 721 cases (7.1‰) and the latent 307 cases (3.02%). Of the 49,664 males examined, 523 DM cases are diagnosed (10.53‰), including latent DM 184 cases (3.7‰) and overt DM 339 cases (6.83‰). Of 51,960 females examined, 505 DM cases are diagnosed (9.72‰), including latent DM 123 cases (2.73‰) and overt DM 382 cases (7.35‰). DM is closely correlated with age, sex, body weight and occupation. All these can be considered as intrinsic and extrinsic factors to the pathogenesis of this disease and further research is needed. The ratio of overt and latent DM in this series is 2.3. The sex ratio between male and female diabetics is 1.08, males being slightly more affected than females. On excluding the influencing factors of age, body weight and occupation, the difference is not statistically significant, p>0.05. Latent DM strikes males more frequently while overt DM strikes females more frequently. In the latent group the male to female ratio is l.56, in the overt group it is 0.93. DM prevalence in both sexes, no matter whether it is overt or latent increases with age. DM age distribution is: before 40 years of age, females are more affected than males (sex ratio m:f<1), after 40 males are much more affected than females (sex ratio m:f>l). The difference is even more marked in the over 60 group, because in groups older than 60 DM male prevalence continues to show sharp increment, while in the female group, the increment is much lower. DM according to occupation. On excluding age and overweight factors, the difference is still statistically significant, p<0.01. The highest prevalence occurs in retired workers, housewives and then aged cadres, etc. The lowest prevalence is in the peasant group, students excluded. When body weight exceeds average weight by l0% it is considered overweight. DM prevalence in this overweight group is 20.88‰, 2.8 times higher than in the nonoverweight group (7.49‰). This implies that obesity is an important predisposing factor in DM development and in this group DM also increases with age.