[Studies of lysozyme activity in serum, urine and blood smears from patients with haematological diseases]. / Untersuchungen der Lysozymaktivität in Serum, Urin und Blutausstrichen von Patienten mit hämatologischen Erkrankungen.

Lysozyme activity was studied in blood smears, serum, and urine of patients suffering from leukaemia or other haematological diseases. Increased enzyme activity was found in myelocytic, myelomonocytic and monocytic leukaemia and equally in secondary granulocytosis and polycythaemia vera. Reduced rates were found in lymphocytie leukaemia, malignant lymphoma with bone marrow involvement, and myelophthisic conditions. A rise in urinary lysozyme occurred when the serum level exceeded 50 microgram/ml. Abundant activities were found in myelomonocytic and monocytic leukaemias. Using the bacteriolytic method in blood smears, no enzyme activity was demonstrated in cells of acute or chronic lymphocytic leukaemia, in monocytic leukaemia however, almost all cells show strong reaction. In acute myelocytic or myelomonocytic leukaemia, the portion of positive cells changes from case to case depending on the degree of cell differentiation and maturation. In chronic myelocytic leukaemia there was no difference as compared to enzyme activity of myelocytes in bone marrow of control cases. Thus the bacteriolytic demonstration of lysozyme in blood smears may additionally contribute to distinction of different types of blastic leukaemias, and serum lysozyme also may allow more reliable insight into granulocytic and monocytic myelopoiesis than morphologic studies of blood or bone marrow smears can do, e.g. in agranulocytosis and pancytopenia.

[Acquired infundibular pulmonary stenosis. Possible late complication following radiotherapy of Hodgkin disease]. / Erworbene infundibuläre Pulmonalstenose. Mögliche Spätkomplikation nach einer Strahlentherapie wegen M. Hodgkin.

A case of infundibular pulmonary stenosis occurring years after a mediastinal radiation for Hodgkin's disease is reported. As far as the literature is known to us, a similar case has not yet been described. It is most likely that the development of the stenosis is due to the radiation therapy, since a murmur was not heard before radiation and a mild stenosis was proved several years after radiation. Now, a high gradient with the typical signs of an infundibular pulmonary stenosis was present. Unfortunately the patient refused the operation. Further possibilities for acquired pulmonary stenosis and cardial complications after mediastinal radiation for Hodgkin's disease will be discussed.

[Percutaneous punch biopsy of vertebral bodies with Jamshidi's needle (author's transl)]. / Die perkutane Wirbelkörperstanzbiopsie mit der Jamshidi-Biopsienade.

In 24 patients with vertebral body changes which could not be clarified either by x-ray examination or scintigraphy, percutaneous vertebral body punch biopsies were performed between the twelfth thoracic vertebral body and the first sacral vertebral body, using Jamshidi's needle. Findings were malignant in six cases and benign in twelve cases, NAD in six cases. Jamshidi's biopsy needle, which is easy to manipulate, has proved very successful, with a good yield of material. Biopsies were conducted on an outpatient basis. No complications were seen.