Use of endoscopic papillosphincterotomy in the treatment of acute pancreatitis

The authors describe results of using endoscopic papillosphincterotomy in 100 patients with acute pancreatitis. Methods of endoscopic papillosphincterotomy and endoscopic papillosphincterowirsungotomy are presented. The effectiveness of the treatment was 96%. Operative procedures on emergency made up 1%, lethality-1%, complications-3% of the cases.     

Neuroimaging in Pineal Tumors

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: The authors report radiological findings in 11 tumors in the pineal region, which were histologically diagnosed as germinomas, pineocytomas pineoblastomas, ependymomas, teratomas, and astrocytomas. METHODS: Computed tomography (CT) was performed in seven patients and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) was performed in all patients. RESULTS: CT showed a solid or solid/cystic mass with variable contrast enhancement. MRI showed a heterogeneous mass, with hypointense signal on T1 and iso/hyperintense signal on T2-weighted images (WI) and gadolinium enhancement. Extension to adjacent structures occurred in five patients and spread through the cerebral spinal fluid (CSF) in two. CONCLUSIONS: Pineal region tumors have no pathognomonic imaging pattern. MRI and CT are complementary in diagnosis and are important to determine localization, extension, and meningeal spread.     

Sex determination in intersexuality in children

The authors performed the treatment of 124 patients with various patterns of androgyny: 51 with false female and 64 with false male hermaphroditism, and 9 patients with true hermaphroditism. Karyotyping of 31 studied patients revealed karyotype 46XY in 13 persons, mosaic type 45X0/46XY in 2 persons with false male hermaphroditism. In patients with false female hermaphroditism karyotype 46XX was identified in 12 persons. In patients with true hermaphroditism karyotype 46XX was identified in 2 subjects and 47XYY in 1 examinee. The authors supposed the term "gonadal" sex to be a determinant for the identification of the sex status in persons with various patterns of androgyny as it could define a "gamete" and "hormonal" sex. The key problem of androgyny is the detection of true causes of various sexual abnormalities and the technique of their prevention. A true "gonadal" sex should be identified during the first month of a child's life. It would permit one to start timely cortisone treatment for adrenopathic false female hermaphroditism an adequate registration of a child: proper name (documented sex), timely examination of its internal genitalia (removal of those sexual organs that contradict to the sex chosen) and planning the further scope and terms of necessary plastic surgery as well as alleviating severe emotional and psychic traumas of a child's parents.     

Primary structure of the hemagglutinin gene in strains of the influenza virus A/Leningrad/624/86 and A/Leningrad/621/86 serologic subtype H1N1

A molecular analysis was made of genomes of influenza A (H1N1) virus strains, the causative agents of an epidemic in Leningrad, 1986. The primary structure of hemagglutinin gene of two of these strains, A/Leningrad/624/86 and A/Leningrad/621/86, was established, as well as partial primary structure of PB1 gene of certain current strains of the A (H1N1) subtype. A hypothesis of a "shift" of PB1 gene in 1950-1957 is suggested.