Clinical and prognostic significance of the T-B immunological classification of non-Hodgkin's lymphomas

This study was made to test the clinical significance and the prognostic value of the T-B immunological classification of non-Hodgkin's lymphomas. Thirty-four patients with adult diffuse lymphomas were studied. Nine patients with T-cell lymphomas and three patients with non-T and non-B lymphomas had poor immunity and poor prognosis. Fifteen patients with B-cell lymphomas have been found to be associated with a prognosis of intermediate range between that of T-cell lymphomas and undetermined lymphomas. Seven patients with undetermined lymphomas, which were considered to have lost surface markers of B-cells, had the best prognosis. Thus the T-B immunological classification of this disorder appears to be essential for clinicians, and provides a basis for proper differentiation of treatment for different groups.

Prolonged neuromuscular blockade following trimetaphan infusion. A case report and in vitro study of cholinesterase inhibition

This is a case report with postoperatively prolonged neuromuscular blockade of 17 hours duration suspected to be caused by trimetaphan. Inhibitory action of trimetaphan to true cholinesterase (human red cell cholinesterase) was estimated in vitro, and it is concluded that this action is too weak to cause neuromuscular disturbances by acetylcholine excess in clinical doses. Trimetaphan is considered to have a neuromuscular blocking action of a non-depolarising type.

Extramedullary plasmacytoma of the oropharynx producing kappa-type Bence-Jonas protein

A case of extramedullary plasmacytoma in the oropharynx of a 41 year-old woman is reported. Histologically, the tumor was plasmacytoma consisting mainly of matured plasma cells and showing a deposit of amyloid in the interstitial structure. Immunoelectrophoretic studies of the concentrated urine specimen revealed a kappa-type Bence-Jones protein even though there was no increase in blood M-protein. Lineac electron radiation of 5,100 rad was given over a period of eight weeks but no effect was noted. After the tumor was surgically removed, follow up of the patient was made for 2 years without evidence of recurrence or metastasis.

Axial transverse tomography of the cervical spine narrowed by ossification of the posterior longitudinal ligament

Ossification of the posterior longitudinal ligament in the cervical region is generally regarded as a rare disease, though a Japanese series of 185 cases has been reported. The main symptoms arise from a myelopathy, the degree of which varies from moderate to severe, due to stenosis of the spinal canal. In order to clarify the relationship between the severity of symptoms and the cross-sectional area of ossification, axial transverse tomography of the cervical spine has been carried out on twenty-six patients at intervals of 5 millimetres over the full extent of the ossification. In this way the cross-sectional areas of the ossified tissue and of the spinal canal were calculated. The former varied from a minimum of 0.8 to a maximum of 1.8 square centimetres. In cases of severe myelopathy the ossification was mainly at the fourth and fifth cervical levels and the stenosis ration exceeded 30 per cent.