Volume 95  ·   Issue 07  ·  1982

Computed tomography (CT) of 38 cases of pathologically verified hepatocellular carcinoma is analyzed. The main CT scan features were low density area and expanded tumor mass. Isodense tumor mass was found in 1. Calcification in low density area was shown in another case surviving 4 years after chemotherapy. The relative X-ray attenuation difference between noncancerous hepatic parenchyma and cancerous area was approximately 20-25 HU. The majority of the cases were accompanied with liver cirrhosis. 21 (73.7%) showed spleen enlargement and 8 liver shrinkage with undulating contour.

A new prosthetic vertebral body is presented. It works well in replacing surgical defects of the vertebral column left after extirpation of tumors of the vertebral body. 6 cases of vertebral giant cell tumors were operated upon with resection of the tumorous vertebral body and prosthetic replacement. Two of the 6 cases have been followed up more than 9 and 10 years and both have resumed their original work. Radical resection of vertebral body tumor and reestablishment of vertebral column continuity and of its supporting function with the prosthetic are the keys to successful treatment. The surgical approach and technic and difficulties and precautions are discussed.

Twenty-two cases of Reiter's syndrome (RS) are reported, 20 (90.9%) are male and 2 female, most of them being young. 20 had a history of diarrhea before onset of illness, 18 had conjunctivitis and/or urethritis, all 22 had acute polyarthritis, with a preference for the lower extremities and ESR was elevated in all. Periostitis and painful heel syndrome characteristic of the disease were also noticed and 9570 had fever. Corticosteroids or aspirin therapy for a month or so, resulted in marked relief. A brief discussion of the diagnosis, etiology and incidence of the disease and the newly discovered relationship between HLA-B27 and RS attacks is presented.

This experiment was conducted on young adult albino mice, injected with Ehrlich ascites tumor cells to produce Ehrlich ascites tumor which were divided into 3 groups. Group 1 were injected intraperitoneally with 0.2 ml of our traditional Chinese medicine compound (TCMC) and toad tincture. TCMC contains the water extract of the following: Herba Solani nigri (龙葵); Herba Solani lyrati (白英); Herba Duchesnea Indica Focke (蛇莓); Radix Angelicae Sinensis (当归); Radix Curcumae (郁金); Radix Salviae Miltiorrhizae (丹参). They were also given 0.3 ml diluted whole toad tincture every other day for 8 days. Group 2 received cAMP and amino-phylline for the same period. Group 3 received saline as control. It is found that this TCMC plus tincture and cAMP with aminophylline both inhibit ascitic form Ehrlich tumor cell growth. Of particular interest is the fact that in both groups tumor cell cAMP concentration is increased and tumor cell growth varies inversely with the intracellular cAMP level. This indicates that the TCMC and tincture may regulate tumor cell cAMP level by inhibiting 3',5'-cAMP-PDE activity as they are a potent inhibitor of this enzyme.

The difference in karyotype between 100 ARS and 120 SRS cells is studied by chromosome technic and Giemsa banding method. The possible correlation between karyotype and etiology is discussed.

From June 1978 to 1979, 1,097 sphygmograms of normal, pregnant and sick women were recorded with a diagnostic sphygmograph simulating an electrocardiograph through a strain gauge transducer device. 18 varieties of pulse in 24 kinds of diseases were studied and analyzed. With a multitransducer sphygmograph modified from the original monotransducer apparatus, pulse wave pattern, vessel caliber and depth of vessel location were recorded in 40 other cases. Various pulse wave patterns are demonstrated with distinct features, fundamentally matching the theory of traditional Chinese medicine. Sphygmograms are of clinical value, providing objective data for diagnosis.

In 20,915 normal married women, the position of their uterine cervices was measured by the distance from the cervix to the hymen ring and also from the cervix to the plane of the ischial spine. Figures show that taking the ischial spine as the landmark, the normal level should be below it with the lowest location 2.5 cm below the ischial spine. Mean cervix ring conjugate is 4.92±0.88 cm with straining. Therefore, it is reasonable to take the standard cervical position as more than 4 cm above the vaginal orifice or 3.5 cm from the hymen ring. Statistical analysis reveals that in uterine atrophy among old menopausal and lactating women, the uterine position is virtually higher and the position of the retroposed uterus is lower. The descent of the uterus is more marked in the retroposed uterus during straining. The cervical location is lower in multiparas with increasing in number of delivery and so multipara is an important cause of uterine prolapse.

A transnasal approach to the hypophysis is described and illustrated. Our experience with 3 cases suggests that this procedure is simple, expedient, inexpensive and has no adverse influence upon function or cosmesis, although it may leave a faint linear external scar.

Serum IgA, IgG, IgM, C3 CH50, RF, ANF and the percentage of rosette-forming cells in peripheral lymphocytes are determined in specimens collected from patients with chronic bronchitis and normal controls. It is shown that the patients have a tendency to a reduction in percentage of peripheral T-lymphocytes, increase in levels of IgG and IgA, decrease in serum complement activity and appearance of RF and ANF. The positive correlation between the increasing levels of IgG and IgA, RF positive rate, 24-hr sputum DNA-concentration and sera bacterial antibody titers suggest the importance of respiratory tract bacterial infection in RF pathogenesis and increasing immunoglobulin levels. Whether the declined serum complement activity is due to infection or autoimmune mechanism is still unknown.

Praziquantel, a new effective anti-schistosomal, is studied in the salmonella/microsome system for mutagenicity and in rats for teratogenicity. Using the plate test, the drug's, mutagenic effect was studied on 5 histidine-requiring mutant strains of Salmonella typhimurium (TA 100, TA 98, TA 1535, TA 1537 and TA 1538) with or without activation by liver microsomes. In teratogenicity assay, praziquantel was administered q.d. orally in doses of 210 mg/kg for 6 days or 450 mg/kg for 3 days, beginning at the earlier or later period of gestation. The results showed that praziquantel did not induce mutations at the test dosages of l µg/plate to 1,000 µg/plate in all 5 tester strains with or without activation by liver microsomes and did not cause dysmorphoses of appearance, viscera and skeleton in rat fetuses in any of the test groups. Therefore, the drug may be considered quite safe in chemotherapy of schistosomiasis.