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During the last two years oral contraceptives containing gestodene were suspected to cause cerebrovascular disorders. 52 cases with adverse neurological side effects were registered up to October 31, 1990. Anonymous protocols received from the Companies Schering AG and Wyeth Pharma were analyzed from a clinical point of view. There are different arterial and venous, thrombotic and embolic disorders caused by different pathogenetic principles. Only one third of the cases was documented by neuro-imaging to render possible actual diagnostic reliability. Suspected cases represent a great number of different cerebrovascular disorders usually observed in neurological and neurosurgical series, concerning both men and women, OC-users and non users.

The fibrinous adhesion, although generally adopted and more and more successfully applied in many sectors of surgery, is not yet fully established in the anastomosis of separated nerves. Initially, the adhesion was expected to offer some essential advantages in this domain, especially in the prevention of suture granulomas. However, the blood clots dissolved too early, and this resulted in the formation of dehiscences. So antifibrinolytic substances had to be added to the adhesive, and this led to a frequent appearance of fibroses. The adhesion of nerves is still hampered by this fact. Now we have examined the fibrosis-inducing effect of different factors of the adhesive system. We found that aprotinin and the fibrin clot as an obstacle to supply had no additional fibrotic effect, whereas thrombin, factor XIII and fibronectin promoted the formation of fibroses.

A prospective study of 60 patients with head injuries who received both primary care and an assessment at our Department, the influence of various parameters on the assessment was investigated. Catamnestically, the insurance-relevant results actually achieved are shown. It can be seen that at a 40 per cent incapacitation, reintegration into the work-a-day world is hardly possible.

Production of hydrocephalus in animal experiment has been difficult and not uniformly successful so far. The preparation Ethibloc (supplied by Ethicon, Hamburg-Norderstedt), which is a protein solution in alcohol, and which has been in use in abdominal surgery for occluding the pancreatic duct system, enables production of an obstructive hydrocephalus easily and with reproducible results. The authors report on 24 cases of development of an obstructive hydrocephalus in rabbits after Ethibloc had been introduced into the ventricular system.