Volume 94  ·   Issue 04  ·  1981

90 cases of sellar region tumor diagnosed by computed tomography (CT) are analysed. CT diagnosis is very accurate in localizing supra-sellar cistern tumors but is useless in localizing intrasellar tumors, especially microadenomas, which do not involve the suprasellar cistern. Although the appearance of tumors of each type vary from each other most have certain typical characteristics. When CT findings are considered with the clinical and X-ray manifestations, the character of more than half of the tumors can be determined with fair accuracy. A protocol on selecting the radiologic methods for sellar region tumors is suggested.

Needling point Zusanli 足三里 has a relatively specific analgesic effect on pain response induced by peroneal nerve stimulation. When this point is stimulated electrically, it is mainly the large afferent nerve fibers, especially Group n fibers, that are excited. Local afferent fiber composition at this point is characterized by "3 mores"-more myelinated fibers, more large size fibers and more Group II fibers. This predominance of afferent fibers in the composition and activity may be one of the basic characteristics of meridian points in regard to structure and function. The main distribution of myelinated, large sized and Group II fibers in local meridian points and the methodologic problem related to the localization of meridian point coordinates are discussed in this paper.

Three cases of respiratory tract erosive burns are presented. We describe in relative detail the adverse circumstances, pathogenesis, clinical features and treatment of this special injury. The details of the blazes encountered demonstrate clearly the close relation of carbon monoxide poisoning and chemical intoxication in erosive (chemical) pulmonary burns. It should be emphasized that the clinical course and prognosis of these burns differ significantly from thermal pulmonary burns. Based on the higher survival rate, slow clinical development and erosive character of the chemical agent, we prefer the term erosive burns.

This is a further report on observations of the nonsurgical treatment of traumatic intra-cranial hematomas in 9 patients with either acute or subacute extradural hematomas treated successfully by traditional Chinese medicine without surgery. The diagnoses and results of treatment in all were confirmed by repeated cerebral angiograms, echoencephalograms and fundus photographs. The feasibility, advantages, indications, principles and prescription are discussed.

On the basis of repeated clinical and labora- tory investigations on 147 tinea patients, we have found that p-hydroxy acetophenone, the active part of the herb used in traditional Chinese medicine Artemisia Scoparia Waldst et Kit茵陈, promotes secretion of bile and bile salts, which promotes griseofulvin absorption in the duode- num. This was confirmed by the fact that patient urine 6-dimethyl griseofulvin (6DMG, a metabolite of griseofulvin) in the experimental group was 69To higher than in the control group. Our investigation leads one to expect that p-hydroxy acetophenone may well have syner- gistic action on other fat soluble drugs, this re- quires further investigation.

Survey and community control of hypertension, stroke and coronary heart disease have been carried out in the Shijingshan People's Commune, Beijing since 1975. The prevalence rate of hypertension (WHO criteria) in people over 15 years of age is 5.50%. A simple regime of compound antihypertensive drugs brought satisfactory control of hypertension in 65.43%. The coronary heart disease prevalence rate in persons over 40 years of age is 3.93%. Follow up in 114 cases shows a 5 year case fatality rate of 7.6% from cardiovascular complications. ECG follow up examination in 85 cases shows improvement or stationary changes in 83.5% of the group. Review of the mortality statistics shows a 13.03% reduction in the cardiovascular mortality rate and a 23.21% reduction in the stroke mortality rate.

The technic of abrasive cytology is a simple and efficient procedure for the diagnosis of early carcinoma of the esophagus and is now widely adopted as an important diagnostic armamentarium in most thoracic clinics. It is particularly valuable in mass screening in high incidence areas whereby a high percentage of early cases of esophageal carcinoma can be detected. With early detection and early surgery for carcinoma of the esophagus, the results of treatment are gratifying.

Sera from 193 cases of epidemic hemorrhagic fever renal syndrome (EHFRS) and 173 normal persons and patients with other diseases in endemic and nonendemic areas were examined for immunofluorescent (IF) antibodies to Korean hemorrhagic fever (KHF) antigen by indirect immunofluorescent antibody (IFA) test. 76 of 78 (97.44%) paired sera from EHFRS patients were KHF antibody positive in 1 or both samples. Of 109 acute stage sera samples 81 (74.31%) were KHF IgM antibody positive whereas of 162 convalescent sera samples 156 (96.29%) were KHF IgG antibody positive, indicating that the EHFRS agent is immunologically related, if not identical with KHF. The earliest date of IF IgM antibody appearance was 1 day after onset of illness and IF IgG antibodies could be found in the patient convalescent serum 16 years after the acute attack. There was no immunologic relationship between the EHFRS agent and Japanese B encephalitis (JBE) or influenza A3 viruses.

Congenital aneurysm of the thoracic aorta (CATA) is an uncommon variety of aortic aneurysm but not so rare as described in the literature. The essential pathologic characteristics of CATA, based on a study of the present series were developmental dysplasia of the smooth muscle and elastic tissue and degeneration of the ground substance of the vessel wall. All the 9 CATA cases, 5 being saccular and 4 fusiform or fusosaccular in type, were located around the isthmus portion of the thoracic aorta. In 3 of the 9, CATA was associated with coarctation, and 2 with mild hypoplasia of the transverse aortic arch. The results of plain film and angiographic analysis and some comments on diagnostic problems are presented.

Paroxysmal nocturnal hemoglobinuria (PNH) is a common hemolytic disease in north China and may be considered a good field for RBC membrane study. Some clinical experience has been accumulated in our hospital and some preliminary studies exploring the hemolysis mechanism undertaken in our laboratory. Cobra venum factor (CoF) test was simplified and used as a routine PNH diagnostic procedure. Scanning electronmicroscopic observations showed no unique PNH characteristics, but could be utilized as a supplementary means for diagnosing hemolytic anemia. Studies of the hemolysis mechanism revealed that the C3 receptors were not increased on PNH RBC surfaces and that the reason for raised complement susceptibility should be sought for elsewhere. RBC membrane protein by sodium docecyl sulphate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE) showed a band VI increase in some PNH cases, while the acetylcholin-esterase (AChE) activity of red blood cell membrane and SH radical content were lowered in some. RBCs of some PNH patients hemolyzed less after incubation with neuramidinase. The diversity of results among different patients probably reflects PNH complexity and heterogenicity of RBC membrane defects as well as disparity of clinical manifestations, PNH seems to be a syndrome rather than a single disease. More biochemical, immunologic and morphologic studies are needed before the secret of PNH hemolysis is fully disclosed.