[Cervical vascular penetrating trauma]

The case of a 25 year old male with a stab wound of common carotid artery and the internal jugular vein is reported. He was admitted in severe hemorrhagic shock and immediately treated successfully by arterial reconstruction by means of a venous patch. Mild, declining neurological deficits correlated in magnetic resonance imaging with disturbances in the perfusion area of the medial cerebral artery. A survey of the literature shows that the fast repair of the carotid artery is clearly to be given preference to ligature. First can be executed successfully in exceptional emergency cases also by non-carotid surgeons, if basic vascular-surgical techniques are controlled.

Human brain aldehyde dehydrogenase: activity with DOPAL and isozyme distribution

Aldehyde dehydrogenase (ALDH, EC 1.2.1.3), has been shown to be the most important enzyme for DOPAL metabolism in human brain (Agarwal et al.). In the present investigation cerebellum, corpus striatum and pons showed the highest ALDH activity. Most of the enzyme activity was found in the mitochondrial and microsomal fractions. Two activity bands on IEF gels and dual Km values indicate the presence of two distinct isozymes in all the fractions. Two cerebella from alcoholics yielded the same results as the control group regarding their total ALDH activity, subcellular distribution pattern and protein content. The presence of DOPAC (acid metabolite of DOPAL), pargyline, pyrazole or ethanol in the assay mixture did not alter the ALDH activity significantly.

Aorticopulmonary window associated with tetralogy of Fallot. Report of one case and review of the literature

A case of aorticopulmonary window associated with tetralogy of Fallot is reported with its clinical, hemodynamic, angiocardiographic, surgical, and necropsy findings. The difficulty in diagnosing a tetralogy of Fallot in the presence of a large aorticopulmonary shunt is emphasized. It is also noted that the only means of discovering the infundibular stenosis of the right ventricle is by angiocardiographic study of the right ventricular outflow tract. The difficulty in distinguishing truncus arteriosus from an aorticopulmonary window coexisting with a ventricular septal defect is discussed, and it is pointed out that the only means of differentiating these two anomalies is the angiocardiographic finding of two sigmoid valves. An embryological hypothesis concerning the pathogenesis of this association is also discussed.