Volume 99  ·   Issue 03  ·  1986

Ganglioneuroma, especially adrenal ganglioneuroma, is rarely seen in children. In this paper we report a very rare case, in which the ganglioneuromas arosed in both adrenals and metastasized to the liver and spleen.

Between May 1973 and May 1983 we treated operatively 30 patients in our hospitals for ulnar nerve palsy at the elbow. Of these, 23 were due to compression of the nerve by a fibrous band bridging 2 heads of the flexor carpi ulnaris.

This study reveals that the rabbit is susceptible to all epidemic hemorrhagic fever virus strains isolated from both wild rodents and humans with epidemic hemorrhagic fever. Specific fluorescence for epidemic hemorrhagic fever virus antigen was detected in many kinds of rabbit tissue, especially in the spleen, small intestine and pancreas on the 7th-13th day of experimental infection. Using fluorescence antibody positive lungs of wild rodents, epidemic hemorrhagic fever virus can easily be isolated in rabbits as well as Apodemus agrarius. Viremia was detected in rabbits on the 4th-6th day after inoculation of epidemic hemorrhagic fever virus. Epidemic hemorrhagic fever virus strains can be serially passaged in rabbits. Therefore, the rabbit provides a new animal model for the isolation and propagation of epidemic hemorrhagic fever virus and for testing the safety of epidemic hemorrhagic fever vaccine.

Phantom limbs and phantom meridians were experienced by 25 acupunctured acquired and con genital amputees including those who failed by other methods. The phantom limbs elicited by acupuncture were complete, alive, bright, and nearly in the size of the actual limbs the patients should really possess. Acupuncture is a good method for researching phantoms and treating phantom and stump pains. The discovery of the phantom meridian favor ably supports the genetic theory of body schema. Phantom meridians are thought to be a functional phenomenon of the cerebral cortex and formed phylogenetically. Therefore, a meridian center in the brain is suggested.

Seventy-four advanced cases of cervical (72) and vaginal (2) carcinoma were admitted consecutively since October 1980. A follow-up study of the therapeutic results of intraarterial (IA) cisplatin infusions in combination with surgery and/or radiotherapy was made up to August 1984. The clinical anatomic stage was found to be the most significant factor in influencing the outcome of prognosis. The IA cisplatin treatment achieved a high response rate (83.8%) which converted 36 (48.6%) of the 74 non-resectable cases into resectable ones. The medial survival period for the 9 far-advanced cases who received IA cisplatin treatment alone was 9.5 months. The over-all relapse-free remission rate and survival rate of the 74 were 62.9%±7.79% and 74.41%±3.49%. The patients treated by the IA cisplatin, surgery and radiotherapy fared best and this combination is the treatment of choice in advanced cervical and vaginal carcinoma.

Isolated gravid and non-gravid human uterine muscle activity was studied after exposure to enflurane, isoflurane, halothane, methoxyflurane, cyclopropane, and diethyl ether. The activity was assumed equal to the area under the contraction curve and was measured by a compensating polar plain meter. All the tested anesthetics have a significant depressant effect on both gravid and non-gravid uterine muscle. The dose-response curve for all tested agents shows a linear relationship in a semi-log plot. At equivalent minimal alveolar concentration (MAC), enflurane is the most potent uterine depressant, followed by isoflurane and halothane. The least potent uterine depressants are cyclopropane and methoxyflurane. No statistical difference (P>0.05) was found in sensitivity of gravid and non-gravid uterine muscle in response to anesthetics with the exception of halothane. Gravid uterine muscle is significantly more sensitive (P<O.01) to halothane.

This article reports determination of serum interferon in 67 serum samples obtained from 47 systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) cases. The value was increased in 70.1% of the samples and 72.3% of the cases. Correlating with the clinical disease activity, the active disease group showed 80.7% with increased interferon (IFN) while the in active group showed only 10%. In 20 cases, follow up determinations three and a half months after treatment were performed, the IFN titer was parallel to the clinical disease activity in 80% of the cases. It was suggested that IFN titer is one of the parameters representing clinical disease activity, it also reflects the disease severity and so is related to the prognosis. It was observed in this series that the IFN titer is directly related to the ANA titer and inversely related to the serum C3 level. But there is no relationship to the serum CIC and immunoglobulin levels. Cases with active skin rashes, osteo-arthritic, renal and hematopoietic system involvement had serum IFN increased statistically significantly. IFN of SLE is α type, containing both acid stable and acid labile elements. It is inappropriate to treat SLE with interferon or its inducer, as it may aggravate the disease.

The authors creatively performed a combined bilateral free latissimus dorsi myocutaneous flap transplantation for an eight-year-old girl to repair a skin defect measuring 26×18 cm encircling the entire left leg between the knee and foot. Two free latissimus dorsi myocutaneous flaps were joined to form a single flap with only one common vascular pedicle - the right subscapular artery and vein. The left subscapular artery is anastomosed to the right circumflex scapular artery and the left subscapular vein connected with the right circumflex scapular vein. The left circumflex scapular artery and vein being redundant, are ligated. Cross-bridge vascular anastomosis was employed due to the absence of blood vessels available for anastomosis at the recipient site. The flaps survived and the patient can bear weight and walk with the affected leg. There has been no functional impairement of the upper limbs after the removal of both latissimus dorsi myocutaneous flaps.

Plexiglass templates and lined slides have been designed and used in quick Kato's smear to count helminthic eggs. The efficacy and sensitivity of detecting helminthic eggs using this kind of plate has been evaluated from several aspects. The merits include: stability of quantitating feces and counting helminthic eggs is well maintained, precision is achieved and processing errors reduced; the technic is simple, the procedure quick and the instruments light and easy to handle; and the technic is suitable for screening surveys of helminthic infections, especially in rural areas and for the assessment of anthelminthic effects of chemotherapy and procedure of helminthiasis.

Tumoral calcinosis is a rare disease. Recently we found a typical case and thereby report it in the following.