Penile Melanoma In Situ: Long Term Follow Up

Penile melanoma in situ is extremely rare. Various treatments have been reported with good success, however follow up is generally limited to 1 year or less. The optimal treatment regimen, pattern of disease progression and utility of sentinel lymph node biopsy are not established. We provide the longest reported follow up for penile malignant melanoma in-situ, highlighting a long-term pattern of recurrence and a route of progression which does not follow more reliable patterns of lymphatic spread known to penile squamous cell carcinoma. A cautious approach should be taken for organ-sparing approaches along with proper patient counseling and close, long-term follow-up.

Mechanical analysis of the effects of bacteria and aprotinin on skin wound healing in adult guinea pigs

Inhibition of wound healing by bacteria may result in part from the conversion of plasminogen to plasmin. This conversion results in dissolution of the fibrin seal in a wound or between skin graft and bed. Aprotinin blocks conversion to plasmin, preserving the fibrin clot. The current study was undertaken to determine the effects of high concentrations of bacteria on wound healing and how these effects are mitigated by aprotinin. Dorsal full-thickness skin incisions were made in 40 anesthetized guinea pigs and closed with nylon sutures. Animals were divided into four groups: (1) control wounds, (2) infected wounds, (3) wounds treated with aprotinin, and (4) infected wounds plus aprotinin (single dose). Animals were killed 3 and 4 weeks after the operation. Skin strips containing segments of the healing wounds were pulled apart by a tensiometer until rupture. Stress-strain curves were generated, and wound strength and toughness were determined. All wounds, including those inoculated with bacteria, appeared healed. The 3-week infected group healed with the least strength and toughness (p < 0.001). A single dose of aprotinin administered with the bacterial inoculum reversed this inhibition. In the 4-week groups, the strongest and toughest wounds resulted from bacterial inoculation alone. Aprotinin alone augmented wound healing when compared with controls. These data suggest that wound healing in both clean and infected wounds is augmented when the plasminogen-plasmin pathway is inhibited.

[Rapid orthodontic treatment. Rapid methods for adults--problem cases requiring them]

Orthodontic treatment of adults is becoming more and more important. In exceptional cases, and differently than suggested by the accepted doctrine, a sped-up method of therapy may be advisable in preparation of oral surgery, in order to improve the general mandible and maxilla situation.

[The incidence of antibodies against hepatitis A virus in various age groups in the Basle population 1978-79]

In a study on the prevalence of hepatitis A virus (HAV) exposure among the Basel population in 1978/79, 763 sera matched for age were tested for HAV antibodies by radioimmunassay (HAVAB). Sera of patients with a recent history of liver disease were not included. The results show that the prevalence of HAV antibodies increases with age, a situation similar to that in poliomyelitis before vaccination. The prevalence of HAV antibodies rises from 15% in the 11-20 year age group to 90% in the over-71 age group. The fall in HAV exposure with decreasing age is attributed to a decline in infections due to improvements in hygienic standards during this century, and especially since World War II. The average prevalence of HAV antibodies found in this study is 52%. The results are partly influenced by the high proportion of subjects originating from foreign countries among the population investigated.