[Pneumatosis cystoides intestinii]. / Pneumatosis cystoides intestinii.

Pneumatosis cystoides intestinalis (PCI), a condition involving submucosal or subserosal gas-containing cysts of the wall of the gastrointestinal tract, is a rare entity. It is mostly diagnosed between the third and fifth decades of life without a clear sexual predominance. Different aetiopathogenetic factors are under discussion, the most probable being a bacteriologic cause (Clostridium perfringens) in combination with minimal leaks in the mucosal barrier. There are no pathognomonic symptoms; the clinical picture ranges from incidental findings to haematochezia. Diagnosis is based on plain abdominal film and X-ray following barium enema. Methods of treatment in symptomatic cases are oxygen and antibiotic (metronidazole) therapies and, in severe cases, resection of the diseased part of the intestine.

[Adjuvant postoperative irradiation of rectal cancer in a risk group]. / Adjuvante postoperative Bestrahlung beim Rektumkarzinom in einer Risikogruppe.

The results of the pilot study carried out in 1985 are described. The group with high risk of recurrence is clearly distinguishable by means of prognostic factors. The adjuvant postoperative supervoltage therapy on the former rectum lodge (2 x 5.0 Gy per week up to a total dose of 45.0 Gy) failed to increase the survival rate. The tendency towards reduction of the recurrence rate, 56% vs. 70%, was levelled by post-radiogenic side effects.

[The diagnostic and therapeutic status of cancer of the bile ducts and liver]. / Zur diagnostischen und therapeutischen Situation der Karzinome der Gallenwege und der Leber.

In 1980 in the GDR 641 primary liver carcinomas (380 male, incidence 3.8, 261 female, 1.4) and 1834 biliary tract carcinomas (414 male, 3.7 and 1420 female, 7.0) had been registered by the National Cancer Registry. An analysis of stage, age-distribution. Operability and resectability had been performed. For all stages of liver carcinomas the 5-year-survival-rate was 3.5% (male) and 1.0% (female), for the biliary tract carcinomas 3.4 and 4.9% respectively. At present a significant improvement of treatment results cannot be expected.

[Chemoembolization of the hepatic artery combined with intraportal cytostatic infusion--a new concept in the regional chemotherapy of liver metastases]. / Chemoembolisation der A. hepatica kombiniert mit intraportaler Zytostatikum-Infusion--ein neues Konzept für die regionale Chemotherapie von Lebermetastasen.

At present international the regional cytostatic chemotherapy for hepatic metastases is used by the intraarterial way. Newest methods are the technically very pretentious intraarterial perfusion with venous hemofiltration and the chemo-embolization of the hepatic artery requiring meanwhile an adjuvant systemic chemotherapy because the chemo-embolization influences only the arterially supplied part of the metastases. By the combination of the transumbilical intraportal chemotherapy formerly developed in the Central Institute for Cancer Research Berlin-Buch with the intraarterial chemo-embolization it is possible to reduce considerably the technical expenditure and to increase the regional concentration of cytostatics simultaneous avoiding the load of the whole organism. The bases of this new method and the technical procedure are discussed.