Anatomic variations of the carotid bifurcation affecting doppler scan interpretation

An anatomic variant for the position of the external carotid artery (ECA) at the carotid bifurcation was noted in 5.3 percent of patients studied by Doppler ultrasound and contrast angiography. The ECA is lateral to and posterior to the internal carotid artery (ICA) in these patients. Consideration of this important variant is mandatory for accurate ultrasound image correlation.

Death associated with nitrite ingestion: report of a case

The tissue concentrations of nitrite and nitrate found at autopsy of a case of intentional ingestion of nitrite salts have been reported. The percentage of methemoglobin and the serum nitrite concentrations are consistent with those reported for acute overdoses. We conclude that noth nitrite and nitrate salts may be identified in tissues from persons ingesting only nitrite salts and that a significant conversion to nitrate may result from oxidation of nitrite during the conversion of heme iron to Fe3+.

Human plague in New Mexico: report of three autopsied cases

Plague is a deadly disease of obvious concern to individuals, communities, and public health officials. The rapid recognition of plague victims is of paramount importance in saving the lives of the victims and in the protection of contacts. Three autopsied plague cases have been presented and the pathological features have been discussed.

Overcoming the feeding problems of the mentally and the physically handicapped

Three centres in the South Manchester area for mentally and physically handicapped children were visited. The paper describes the feeding difficulties of mentally and physically handicapped children and the techniques developed to overcome them, with special reference to the cerebral palsied child. The problems of the adult handicapped person are considered, and the apparatus designed to assist feeding.

John Crighton Bramwell

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Demonstration of extracellular material at the surface of pathogenic T. pallidum cells

Pathogenic T. pallidum cells possess and extracellular layer when observed in vivo and in vitro after exposure to ruthenium-red. The extracellular layer is partially removed from a pre-fixed cell by repeated washing in vitro. Non-pathogenic treponemes examined in this study do not possess an extracellular layer. It is hoped that the data presented herein will cause our colleagues to take another look at the methods and techniques used for preparing pathogenic T. pallidum cells for practical end-point objectives.

Experimental syphilis vaccines in rabbits. I. Differential protection with an adjuvant spectrum

This study shows that 1 per cent. glutaraldehyde fixation of unwashed Treponema pallidum, Nichols pathogen, preserves the integrity of the outer envelope as well as the ruthenium-red (RR) staining extracellular slime layer. Since other researchers wash their treponemal suspensions before preparing their vaccines, it is likely that the vaccine preparations used in this study contain antigens not tested elsewhere. In an attempt to eliminate the requirement of large numbers of injections to achieve any protection, the rabbits in this study were injected with glutaraldehyde-fixed T. pallidum (GFTP) only once, with or without one of a spectrum of adjuvants, and 5 months later were challenged intradermally or intratesticularly with freshly harvested pathogenic treponemes. Data of time of lesion appearance and severity of lesions reveal a differential protective effect of the various vaccine preparations when compared to the response of non-vaccinated controls. Vaccines which included phytohaemagglutinin (PHA) or alumina C gel (ALC) as adjuvants provided some degree of protection, whereas vaccines which contained the adjuvants incomplete Freund's, zymosan, complete Freund's, polyadenylic-polyuridylic acid, or no adjuvant at all produced enhanced infections. The differential protection data indicate that various portions of the immune mechanism are either suppressed or are not stimulated by T. pallidum antigens alone, but can be made to respond with a minimum of vaccine injections.

Lymphocyte transformation in syphilis: an in vitro correlate of immune suppression in vivo?

Suppression of cellular immunity during primary and secondary infection may explain, in part, the unusual clinical evolution of syphilis. We have previously shown that lymphocytes from normal subjects undergo blastic transformation when exposed in vitro to Treponema refringens. This response was suppressed in patients with syphilis. the suppression being unrelated to serum factors. In the present paper we studied lymphocyte response in vitro to T. refringens, T. reiter, and T. pallidum as well as to monilia and trychophytins. The response to these antigens was suppressed in patients with syphilis although the response to phytohemagglutinin. pokeweed mitogen, and streptolysin was normal. These data support the hypothesis that human infection with T. pallidum is followed by a complex interaction between cellular and humoral immunity, the former being suppressed in primary and secondary stages.

A new form of hereditary retinal degeneration in Wag/Rij rats

A spontaneous, hereditable, bilateral retinal degeneration affecting all adult animals in a closed, imbred colony of Wag/Rij rats has been discovered. The disorder is characterized by early onset and a slow progressive course. Early lesions are detected by one month in retinas which are otherwise fully developed. Destruction of the photoreceptor layer proceeds as more and more cells degenerate. Degeneration appears to begin in the photoreceptor cell body and only secondarily affects the outer segment. Futhermore, phagocytic activity of pigment epithelium remains intact until late in the disease. Endstage lesions include retinal disorganization, proliferation and vascularization of pigment epithelium, and migration of pigment epithilial cells into the retina. The temporal and structural characteristics of this retinopathy indicate it may serve as a useful model for study of retinitis pigmentosa in man.

PENICILLIN TREATMENT OF SUBACUTE BACTERIAL ENDOCARDITIS

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