Dostoevsky's epilepsy: A case report and comparison

The Russian writer Dostoevsky (1821–1881) suffered from a rare form of temporal lobe epilepsy termed “ec-static epilepsy.” Dostoevsky used his epileptic experiences to create Prince Myshkin, the protagonist of The Idiot. The recent case of a patient who experienced ecstatic epilepsy as a result of a temporal lobe brain tumor is presented and compared with that of Prince Myshkin. Reading Dostoevsky can give the contemporary physician an insight into the inner life of an epileptic patient — an example of how art can directly benefit medical practice.     

Techniques of lumpectomy and axillary dissection

Preservation of the breast with a good or excellent cosmetic appearance is achievable in most patients. Careful attention to the details of surgical technique allows these procedures to be carried out easily and comfortably for the patient and the surgeon alike.     

Improved graft survival for flow cytometry and antihuman globulin crossmatch-negative retransplant recipients

We compared our standard NIH (extended incubation) crossmatch (XM) with antihuman globulin (AHG) and flow cytometry XMs and correlated the results with rejection episodes and graft survivals. For 89 CsA-Pred, primary renal allograft recipients, AHG and/or FCXM results did not improve on the NIH-XM-negative (NEG) graft survival results, whether testing pretransplant or historical (Hx) sera. Similarly, there was no association of a positive (POS) AHG or FCXM with increased rejection episodes in these primary recipients. However, for retransplant (Re-Tx) recipients a neg AHG or FCXM did discriminate fewer rejections and an improved graft survival compared with the NIH-XM-neg. results. The overall one-year graft survival for the 47 Re-Tx recipients studied herein was 66% (based on a neg pre-Tx NIH-XM). Pre-Tx AHG-NEG, Re-Tx recipients displayed an improved graft survival compared with NIH-XM NEG recipients (77% vs. 66%, P less than 0.05) and with AHG-POS recipients (77% vs. 47%, P less than 0.05). Similarly, pre-Tx, FCXM-NEG, Re-Tx recipients displayed improved graft survivals compared with NIH-XM-NEG recipients (83% vs. 66%, P less than 0.05) and FCXM-POS recipients (83% vs. 48%, P less than 0.05). Re-Tx recipients displaying a POS AHG and/or FCXM experienced a significantly greater number of rejections than NEG-XM recipients (P less than 0.05, respectively). The AHG and FCXM results correlated with rejections and graft survivals whether testing pre-Tx or Hx high-PRA sera. Re-Tx recipients who were AHG-XM-NEG but FCXM-POS, experienced more rejection episodes than recipients who displayed a negative XM reactivity for both AHG and FCXM (P less than 0.02), but with no resulting differences in graft survival. HLA matching, pre-Tx blood transfusions and PRA did not impact on these crossmatch and graft survival results. Use of AHG and/or FCXMs for Re-Tx, but not primary, recipients should help to improve graft survival for these high-risk recipients.     

Humeral fracture after keyhole tenodesis

Author reports on experiences with the Froimson-Oh operation for rupture of the long head of the biceps brachii. The operation is thought to be advantageous. It is stressed in connection with 2 cases that the faulty choice of the place of the keyhole and its unadequate formation may predispose to humerus fracture and therefore this stage of the operation needs special care. The patient has to be warned, beside early movement, to adequate caution.     

Early complex treatment of fractures of leg bones and peripheral nerve injuries

A retrospective analysis of results of treatment of 104 patients with fractures of long tubular bones associated with injuries of peripheral nerves has shown complex therapy to be necessary. Main components of this treatment were biogenic stimulators, vitamin B12, spasmolytic and dehydration drugs in combination with electrophoresis with potassium iodide and thermal procedures. Rapid disturbance of conductivity of nerve trunks after trauma should be followed by revision of the given segment of the extremity in order to remove hematoma and make reposition of displaced fragments of the bone, which can provide recovery of the disturbed function of the nerve.