[Transient ischemic attacks (TIA) from the viewpoint of the clinical neurologist]

A transient ischaemic attack (TIA) is a cerebrovascular attack the clinical symptomatology of which is restored to normal within 24 hours. Minor haemorrhages, epilepsy, hypoglycaemia, migraine and even peripheral neuropathies can be mistaken for TIA. CT examination indicates in a considerable percentage of examined subjects encephalomalacia. The term TIA should be reserved for ischaemic attacks, where after regression of the clinical symptomatology within 24 hours no structural changes are found.

Morphology of regressive changes in the kidney following experimental ischaemia

Total or partial renal ischaemia was studied in rats and pigs in a series of experiments, after total devascularization (ligature of renal vessels and ureter); ligature of isolated renal artery; experimental embolization of renal artery by non-resorbable material; devascularization of a specific renal segment by deep, strangulating sutures. Morphological studies showed that the resulting necrotization is represented most frequently by coagulation necrosis, less frequently by colliquating necrosis. Occlusion of the renal artery by embolization or ligature leads only to partial necrotization or atrophy. Total devascularization of the renal hilus or total devascularization of a specific renal segment by strangulating sutures leads to total destruction of the devascularized (devitalized) tissues. Within 8-12 weeks, the whole organ changes into a small residue of connective tissue. The possibility of the use of the devascularization technique in the treatment of tumours is discussed.

[Actinomycoma of the abdominal cavity]

Six months of gastrointestinal embarrassment in a 31-year old male patient were coped with by transversostomy and subsequent anti-tumour drug and irradiation treatment. However, histology tests of a pseudotumour removed from the abdominal cavity proved the presence of actinomycosis (actinomycoma). Once adequate treatment had been started, the intraabdominal process began to recede thus permitting the transversostomy to be discontinued.

Prevention of postoperative thromboembolism by dextran 70 or low-dose heparin

The efficacy of intravenous infusion of dextran 70 or subcutaneous administration of low-dose heparin in preventing postoperative thromboembolic complications has been investigated in a prospective randomized trial. During part 1 of the study, 232 patients over the age of 40 years who were undergoing major gynecologic surgery underwent a complete test protocol. The 125I fibrinogen uptake test (FUT) was used for the diagnosis of deep vein thrombosis (DVT) in 117 patients in the dextran and 115 patients in the heparin group. Heparin was significantly more effective than dextran for reducing DVT (P less than .001). During part 2 of the study no FUT was done but the incidence of clinical and fatal pulmonary embolism (PE) and the number of complications were studied. Of 444 patients (parts 1 and 2) 1 fatal and 2 nonfatal pulmonary emboli were diagnosed. All the emboli occurred in the dextran group. The benefit: hazard ratio appeared to favor heparin for the prophylaxis of DVT.