Volume 95  ·   Issue 03  ·  1982

A case of multiple pulmonary arteriovenous fistulae is reported. The patients presented with cyanosis, need for squatting, progressive dyspnea, epistaxis and fainting, progressive dyspnea, epistaxis and fainting spells. A continuous murmur was heard over the right as well as to the left axilla. Right heart catheterization and venous angiocardiogram revealed normal pressures in the right chambers and an opacified mass in both the right and left lower chest. Right lower lobectomy was done with only slight improvement of cyanosis. Reassessment of the patient 6 years postoperatively confirmed the presence of multiple fistulae in the right middle and left lower lobes of the lung.

To observe the value of blood-gas analysis in clinical orthopedics and intensive care, the authors employed the method in 50 traumatic cases. 34 (68%) had hypoxemia and 42 (84%) had PaCO2 less than 33.5 mm Hg. Platelet counts taken at different times varied in different groups. The relationship between hypoxemia and decreased platelet count and between complications and hypoxemia are described.

A case of recurrent attacks of retrobulbar neuritis is reported. Typical neurologic signs of multiple sclerosis appeared 7 years after the initial attack. Diagnosis was based on the presence of disseminated lesions, recurrent attacks and a history of exacerbation and remission. Retrobulbar neuritis is often the first symptom of multiple sclerosis. The longer the period of observation the greater the proportion of patients developing other signs of multiple sclerosis.

Experience in 600 consecutive cases of peritoneoscopy performed in our gastrointestinal (GI) clinic are reported with the indications and procedure described. Peritoneoscopy confirmed the clinical diagnosis in 56.2% of the examined cases and corrected the clinical impression in 36.6%. Peritoneoscopy accuracy (both confirmation and correction of clinical diagnosis) was 92.8%. Diagnostically, it is of some assistance in an additional l.7%; yields a l.3% misdiagnosis; is ineffective in 3.5% and fails in 0.7%. Complications occurred in 5.3%, of which more than 2/3 were subcutaneous emphysema. 3 cases (0.5%) died of massive hemorrhage due to rupture of hepatic carcinoma. The principal etiologic varieties of intra-abdominal diseases discovered in this series were liver carcinoma (173 cases), hepatitis (79 cases), liver cirrhosis (73 cases), intra-abdominal tuberculosis (54 cases), liver abscess (52 cases), congenital polycystic liver (21 cases), obstructive jaundice of various etiology (16 cases), metastatic liver carcinoma (17 cases) and miscellaneous (99 cases). Peritoneoscopy is an important procedure in the diagnosis of intra-abdominal diseases, especially of the liver and peritoneum.

150 cases of intrahepatic stones were operated upon during the past 20 years. All of them had a history of biliary infection. The diagnosis in the majority of the cases was established by operative findings and the others by cholangiography, ultrasound and/or scanning. Morbid liver anatomy included multiple abscesses, fibrosis, ductal stenosis and perihepatitis. This article reports the results of a variety of operations for the treatment of this disease. Experiments to investigate the mechanism of gaUstone formation were performed to ascertain ascaris as a main cause of lithogenesis. 30 rabbits, divided into 3 groups were used to create models of lithogenesis successfully.

10 cases of atrial myxoma, left 9 and right 1, are analysed with emphasis on the clinical symptoms and signs and laboratory findings. The differentiation of left atrial myxoma from theumatic mitral stenosis and of right atrial myxoma from pericarditis and tricuspid malformation (Ebstein's anomaly) are discussed, as is the diagnostic value of angiocardiography, echocardiography and cardiac catheterization.

Echocardiography combined with roentgenography and electrocardiography (ECG) were performed on 69 chronic cor pulmonale patients and 30 normal subjects in order to assess its value in early diagnosis. The echocardiography is a very useful method in early diagnosis of chronic cor pulmonale since it can image the structures of the heart and vessels and may be used to measure dimensions of the cavities and wall thickness. However, some factors such as emphysema, defects of ultrasonic instrument and technical skill of the operator may affect the results. This study has shown that echocardiography combined with roentgenography and ECG may increase the detection rate and reliability of early chronic cor pulmonale.

This paper reports the normal values of 12 dermatoglyphic parameters in Chlinese Hans. They are total finger ridge count (TFRC), a-b total ridge count (a-b TRC), atd angle and axial triradius percent distance (tPD) and frequencies of simian line, finger prints, palmar thenar patterns, palmar interdigital patterns, palmar hypothenar patterns, sole hallucal patterns, sole interdigital patterns, sole hypothenar patterns and sole calcar patterns. The data are compared with those of Caucasians.

The quantitative morphology of experimental rabbit coronary atherosclerosis is rarely reported. This paper shows how the measurement is made on histologic sections by light microscope.

6 cases of duodenal injury were seen with 1 death during the years 1968-1979. Local repair, duodenostomy and partial gastrectomy plus Billroth's II reconstruction are considered the treatment of choice for cases with severe duodenal mutilation, while in cases complicated by severe trauma, local repair and side-to-side anastomosis are indicated.