Intrapleural BCG in operable lung cancer

In a controlled randomised clinical trial of 92 patients with surgically resected lung cancer, intrapleural BCG had no clear effect on survival. Adverse effects were insignificant.

Adverse reactions to frusemide in hospital inpatients

Out of 2580 medical inpatients included in a drug-surveillance programme, 585 (22.7%) were treated with frusemide. Of these, 123 (21.0%) had a total of 177 adverse reactions. The most common were hypovolaemia (85 cases), hyperuricaemia (54), and hypokalaemia (21). Most reactions were mild, and only three patients had potentially life-threatening effects. The incidence of adverse reactions increased significantly with daily dose, occurring in 47 patients (13.5%) given up to 40 mg, 42 (26.3%) given up to 80 mg, and 34 (43.6%) given over 80 mg (P less than 0.001). There was no clear association between side effects and a raised blood urea concentration on admission, confirming that treatment with frusemide is not more hazardous in patients with renal failure. Frusemide is a safe and highly effective diuretic. Nevertheless, in view of the potential seriousness of volume depletion, dosage should probably begin at 20 rather than 40 mg daily.

Abnormal Blood Rheology in Young Male Diabetics With and Without Retinopathy

We compared red cell deformability (filtration rate through 5 µ sieves), blood viscosity (rotational viscometer), haematocrit, plasma fibrinogen and plasma viscosity in young male diabetics (age ˂50 years) and normal controls matched for age and smoking habit. Diabetics with no retinopathy or other vascular complications (n = 20) had normal red cell deformability, but increased blood viscosity at shear rates of 100s-1(p ˂0. 05) and 1s-1(p ˂0. 01), due in part to moderate elevations of haematocrit, fibrinogen and plasma viscosity. Diabetics with retinopathy (n = 10) had a more marked increase in viscosity and also reduced red cell deformability (p ˂0. 05). Increased blood viscosity is present prior to the onset of detectable vascular complications in male diabetics, while reduced red cell deformability is associated with complications.

Acetylator phenotype in spontaneous SLE and rheumatoid arthritis

Acetylator phenotype was determined in 22 patients with spontaneous systemic lupus erythematosus and the proportion of 'slow' acetylators compared with that obtained in a group of patients with rheumatoid arthritis and a group of healthy controls. 73% of the SLE group were designated 'slow' compared with 72% of the rheumatoid group and 64% of the control group. These differences were not significant.

Wegener granulomatosis with avascular necrosis of a lower extremity

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Solitary bone cyst in the infant radius. A case report

The exceptional case in the distal radius of an 18-month-old girl demonstrates the natural history and characteristic features of solitary bone cyst at an early age. There were recurrent pathological fractures and even recurrence of the cyst, but spontaneous complete healing occurred after a period of 7 years. Splinting of the fractures, curettage and bone graft were performed per primum. Aspiration of the cyst and collapse of the cyst walls were secondary procedures. The recommended treatment is biopsy and prolonged immobilization until spontaneous healing of the cyst is complete.

Uptake of colloidal radioactive yttrium by synovial membrane

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