[Studies of CT images of bronchial tuberculosis, in reference to its pathogenesis]

CT images of 18 patients with bronchial tuberculosis were studied and pathogenesis of the disease was analyzed on the basis of CT findings. Characteristic CT findings, observed in 15 cases, were thickening of bronchial wall and/or swelling of adjacent pulmonary arteries in peripheral part of bronchial tuberculosis lesion. In 11 of these 15 cases, observed pulmonary cavity and/or large tuberculosis lesions at the periphery of the above-mentioned CT findings, were considered to develop to the direct extension from parenchymal tuberculosis. Other 4 cases showed the above-mentioned characteristic CT findings, but without parenchymal lesions, the pathogenesis of the disease remained undetermined. In remaining 3 cases, neither characteristic CT findings nor remarkable parenchymal lesion was noticed. One of them was clarified by bronchoscopic examination.

[Experimental study on the effects of a replacement of the vitreous body with perfluorotributylamine on the rabbit eye]

The effects of replacement of the vitreous body with perfluorotributylamine on albino rabbit eyes were studied. Twenty eight eyes were divided into three groups. In the first group (n = 14), which was used as a control, only vitrectomy was performed. In the second group (n = 6), the vitreous was temporarily substituted with perfluorotributylamine after the vitrectomy. One hour after the operation, the injected perfluorotributylamine was again replaced with a balanced salt solution (SM-A2). In the third group (n = 8), the injected perfluorotributylamine was left in the eye until the time of enucleation. The eyes were evaluated both electrophysiologically and histopathologically, at predetermined time intervals ranging from one to form one to four weeks after operation. All the eyes in the second group did not show any histopathological changes until four weeks after the operation. The ERGs obtained from these eyes exhibited dominant a- and b-waves similar to those of the control group at all intervals after operation. However, the eyes in the third group showed progressive deterioration with elapsed of time. At the two weeks after operation, b-wave amplitudes moderately decreased in two eyes. These eyes showed an initial slight degeneration in the outer segment layer. At four weeks after the operation, the a- and b-waves further decreased in amplitude with a significantly prolonged peak latency. The outer segments were severely damaged, and the histopathological changes extended to the inner segment layer as well as the RPE layer.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

[Evaluation of CT images in pulmonary tuberculosis]

Characteristics of CT images of 40 patients with pulmonary tuberculosis were compared with those of chest radiograms of the same patients, and the clinical usefulness of CT was evaluated. CT findings in pulmonary tuberculosis could be classified as follows. (1) centrilobular shadow, (2) lobular shadow, (3) multilobular shadow, (4) small nodular shadow, (5) pneumonic shadow, (6) cavitary shadow, (7) shadow showing, broncho-vascular dilatation. It was concluded that CT could express far more precisely the location, extension and stage of the tuberculous lesions and could give more informations on the clinical and pathological natures of the lesions than ordinary chest radiograms. Further, CT was superior for the radiological analysis of the detail of the lesions and their distributions.

Diagonal abdominothoracic incision as an approach to carcinoma of the cardia and upper gastric region

An operative technique consisting of a diagonal epigastric incision extending to the left chest wall and severing the inner side of diaphragm adjacent to the pericardium to the hiatus is introduced. This technique was successfully used in 16 cases and the present surgical approach facilitates frontal visualization of the lower esophagus without disruption of the circulatory system. Furthermore, a sufficiently large operative field is obtained and radical dissection of cardia and upper gastric region or combined resection of infiltrated adjacent organs is facilitated. Postoperative recovery of pulmonary function in terms of PaO2 and PaCO2 was similar to that of patients who had received an upper median incision. We found no postoperative complications peculiar to the operative technique introduced here in any of the 16 patients.