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Among numerous factors which induce or exacerbate pancreatitis infection of the biliary-tract--with or without lithiasis--is important. In suitable cases intervallic restoration of this tract is the best way to avoid recidivation. From a total of 624 patients in our department with cholepancreatitis in 225 cases this therapy was performed. After a recidivation of pancreatitis which required hospitalisation within at least 3 years was to be seen in 4.7%.

Scintigraphy with 111indium-marked autologous platelets has been used during percutaneous transluminal dilatation of supra-aortic arterial stenoses; there were 14 successful dilatations and one attempted dilatation. The material consisted of nine stenoses of the internal carotid artery, two stenoses at the origin of the vertebral artery and four stenoses of the first part of the left subclavian artery. Deposition of thrombi could be demonstrated by scintigraphy, both before and after catheter dilatation. The value of this method for deciding on the type of treatment and for observing the course of percutaneous dilatation of cerebral vessels is discussed.

There was too much delay in detecting these carcinomas. Radical operation was only possible in 10 cases, only 1 patient survived for 5 years. Improvement of these disappointing results can only be achieved by earlier diagnosis. Fiberscopy and biopsy seem to be suited best to better the results.

Report on 11 cases of diffuse peritonitis following diseases of the efferent urinary tract. This relatively rare form of peritonitis originates either in a disease of the kidney or the bladder with about the same percentage. The invasion of germs took place either by way of perforation or in a lymphogenous way. 9 patients died.

The gene encoding the beta subunit of mouse thyrotropin (TSH beta) has been isolated from a mouse genomic library, and its nucleotide sequence has been determined. Blot hybridization analysis of restriction enzyme digests of mouse DNA indicates that there is a single mouse TSH beta gene. The gene is 4.8 kilobases in length and contains five exons, which are 27, 47, 41, 163, and 328 base pairs long. Exons 1, 2, and 3 encode only 5'-untranslated mRNA sequences and are separated by introns that are 150 and 380 base pairs long. The protein-coding mRNA sequences are found in exons 4 and 5 and are interrupted by a 460-base pair intron. The position of this intron, between the codons for amino acids 34 and 35, has been conserved in all the known glycoprotein hormone beta subunit genes. Exons 3 and 4 are separated by a large 3.2-kilobase intron. When primer extension analysis, using an oligonucleotide primer complementary to exon 4 sequences, was employed to locate the transcription start site, four products were obtained. Nucleotide sequencing of these products showed that they were derived from separate TSH beta mRNAs that differed in the lengths of their 5'-untranslated regions. These 5'-untranslated mRNA sequences are derived from different combinations of exons 1, 2, and 3, each spliced to exons 4 and 5. The longest 5'-untranslated sequence, 116 nucleotides long, includes exons 1, 2, and 3 and the first base of exon 4; the shorter 5'-untranslated regions, 75, 69, and 28 nucleotides long, arise by splicing out the second and/or the third exon sequences. In contrast to the mouse TSH beta gene, transcription of the rat TSH beta gene from the analogous start site has been reported to give only a single mRNA, with a 5'-untranslated region of 28 nucleotides. Divergence of the mouse and rat TSH beta gene sequences at RNA splice sites can account for the absence of exon 2, but not exon 3, sequences in rat TSH beta mRNA. Primer extension and RNase protection analyses also showed that the mouse TSH beta gene contains a second transcription start site, located 43 base pairs upstream of the first start site, in a position corresponding to that in the rat TSH beta gene. Each start site in the mouse gene is flanked by characteristic TATAA box and CAAT box sequences.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)

A report is given on the results of 668 appendectomies performed because of appendicitis from 1953 to 1974 in patients older than 60 years.-During the last years a considerable relative increase of seniors-appendectomy could be observed.-During the period mentioned perforations came to 27.5% constantly.

On 975 pregnant women treated and delivered during 1973 at the Heidelberg University department of obstetrics 3780 ultrasound examinations were carried out. The frequency of breech presentation related to the duration of pregnancy and the likelyhood of breech presentation at term were calculated. Breech presentation can be seen as physiologic in 70% of early pregnancies. After the 33rd week it is below 10%, after the 38th week 4%. The probability of breech presentation at term at nay given stage before the 30th week is below 10%. After de 31st week this rises steeply up to a maximum of 66% after the 37th week. These influences of parity on these 2 data are described. The relationship between a low placenta and breech presentation is mentioned. These results are discussed.

201 blunt abdominal traumata treated clinically at the surgical department of the Medical Academy in Erfurt from 1967 to 1976 are reported: No increase of blunt abdominal traumata within the period of the report in spite of considerable growth of trafficdensity and industrialization could be observed.--The percentage of severe secundary injuries remained approximately constant, too.--Intestinal lesions, combined hepatolienal ruptures caused the highest mortality especially in combination with severe craniocerebral lesions.