Somatosensory evoked potentials after posterior tibial nerve stimulation--normative data in children.

We report normative data of somatosensory evoked potentials to posterior tibial nerve stimulation from 47 children 4-15 years of age. We recorded near-field potentials from the peripheral nerve, the cauda equina, the lumbar spinal cord and the somatosensory cortex. Far-field potentials were recorded from the scalp electrodes with a reference at Erb's point and on the earlobe. The near-field potentials N8 (peripheral nerve) and P40 (cortex) were present in all children. N20 (near-field from the cauda equina) was recorded in 38 subjects. N22 (near-field from the lumbar spinal cord), P30 and N37 ( both far-field waveforms probably generated in the brainstem) were recorded in 46 subjects each. The latencies and the peripheral conduction time (N8-N22) increased with age, while the central conduction time (N22-P40) and the intracranial conduction time (P30-P40) both decreased with age (up to about 10 years of age). The spinal conduction time (N22-P30) was relatively independent of age. The interpeak latencies allow the assessment of specific portions of this pathway. The subcortical posterior tibial nerve-somatosensory evoked potentials are of particular interest in children when the cortical peaks are influenced by sedation and sleep, or by anaesthesia.

[Results of quantitative radionucleid investigations in acute testicular disease (author's transl)]. / Ergebnisse einer quantitativen Radionukliddiagnostik bei akuten Hodenerkrankungen.

All publications dealing with tortion of the testis stress the difficulty of diagnosis and the frequency of errors. This has suggested to us the need to develop a radio-isotope testiculogram corresponding to the radioisotope nephrogram used for renal functional diagnosis. The substance for the timeactivity curve is 99mTc pertechnitate which is taken up by the tubular epithelium of the testis and epididymis. A scan at 20 minutes proved highly diagnostic and produced a small amount of radiation only. Six quantitative parameters described the shape of the curve. These have been determined for the normal and related to age and point of measurement. It is then possible to differentiate partial and total tortion from acute epididymoorchitis. It is no longer necessary to subject every patient with acute testicular disease to surgery. With partial tortion, a conservative operation with fixation of the testis can be recommended instead of semicastration.

[User-oriented programs for semi-automated evaluation of radio in vitro tests]. / Anwendungsorientierte Programme zur halbautomatischen Auswertung von Radio-in-vitro Tests

Most of the programmes for the evaluation of radio in vitro tests proceed from the anticipation that the best method should give an approximation of standard values by a curve as perfect as possible. According to our experiences this demand, however, is not decisive for a good standard curve, as in principle all standard values can be incorrect. The application of relatively simple linearising transformations and an additional curve (recovery of a normal serum) guarantees the necessary precision in the programme described. After a short description of the contents of the system, the programme for the assessment of CPBA - methods is shown, by help of which the sample changer - calculator-system determines the absolute concentration of the substance to be measured. This makes the starting point for the more complex RIA programme which methodologically takes into consideration the special problems of these tests.

[Antigenicity of serum albumin in allergy against cat or dog epithelium (significance of the radioallergosorbens test in the diagnosis of allergies)]. / Antigenität des Serumalbumins bei Allergie gegen Katzen- und Hundeepithelien und Bedeutung des Radioallergosorbens- Tests in der Allergiediagnostik

Intracutaneous, nasal provocation (NPT) and radioallergosorbens (Phadebas RAST) tests were performed on 49 subjects hypersensitive to cats and (or)dogs using serum albumin and epithelium extracts from cats and dogs. Serum albumin elicited intracutaneous reactions in most of the subjects, but gave positive NPT und RAST results in only a few and was, therfore, of limited clinical importance. The intracutaneous tests with epithelium extracts were positive in some subjects in whom other tests had been negative. It is possible that these false-positive skin tests were caused by serum albumin present in the extracts, while in others non-specific skin reactions were apparently caused by epithelial components. On the other hand, the results suggest that the few patients allergic to dogs were incorrectly diagnosed with the RAST. But the described in-vitro method increases the chances of diagnosing allergies against animal epithelia. It is furthermore useful in the interpretation of equivocal skin tests.