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Aim: To examine whether changes in biomarker concentrations in patients with idiopathic normal-pressure hydrocephalus (iNPH) during 72 h of external lumbar drainage (ELD) can differentiate between responders and non-responders., Methods: Twenty patients with clinical and neuroradiological signs of iNPH underwent ELD over a period of 72 h. During this period, changes in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) concentrations of biomarkers (amyloid-β, total and phosphorylated tau proteins) and intracranial pressure were monitored, and the volume of drained CSF was measured. Changes in the concentrations of selected biomarkers at three time points (0, 36, and 72 h) during ELD were tested for association with changes in clinical condition., Results: Ten patients showed significant clinical improvement after ELD, quantified as a difference of two or more points on the Mini-Mental State Examination and/or Japanese iNPH grading scale. The concentration of all tested biomarkers increased during the first 36 h. Respondents had higher Aβ 1-42 at all time points, with a significant difference seen after 72 h. They also had a significantly higher Aβ1-42/Aβ1-40 ratio at all time points., Conclusion: A gradual increase in Aβ 1-42 concentration during three-day ELD represents a possible positive prognostic factor for the placement of permanent CSF drainage in patients with iNPH.

Purpose: The aim of the study was to investigate the incidence of and risk factors for hypopituitarism after gamma knife radiosurgery (GKRS) for pituitary adenoma., Materials and Methods: We conducted a retrospective analysis of the pituitary function of 90 patients who underwent GKRS for pituitary adenoma at the University Hospital Centre Zagreb between 2003 and 2014. Twenty seven of them met the inclusion criteria and the others were excluded from the study due to pituitary insufficiency which was present before GKRS. Eighteen patients had non-functioning and 9 patients had secretory adenomas. Median patients' age was 56 years (24-82). GKRS was performed using the Leksell gamma knife Model C. The median prescription radiation dose was 20 Gy (15-25) and the median tumor volume size was 3.4 cm 3 (0.06-16.81). New onset hypopituitarism was defined as a new deficit of one of the three hormonal axes (corticotroph, thyreotroph, or gonadotroph) ≥3 months following GKRS. SPSS was used for statistical analysis, with the significance level at P<0.05., Results: During the median follow-up period of 72 months (range 6-144), 30% of patients developed new hypopituitarism after GKRS. This corresponds to incidence of one new case of hypopituitarism per 15 patient-years. Age, gender, tumor function, tumor volume, suprasellar extension, prescription dose of radiation, as well as dose-volume to the pituitary gland, stalk and hypothalamus were not predictive factors for the development of hypopituitarism., Conclusions: In our cohort of patients with pituitary tumors who underwent GKRS, 30% developed new hypopituitarism during the follow-up period.

It was established the presence of psychological disorders in 120 breast cancer patients in postoperative chemotherapy and considered the need for correction of revealed changes in the psychoemotional sphere to improve the quality of life of patients. The use of psychotropic drugs to correct the mental and emotional status in 80 women has improved their status, had a positive effect on the postoperative course, and helped to create the installation for continued treatment.

Intra- and postoperative complications were significantly more frequent in lung cancer patients who had been operated on during a geomagnetic storm period (57) than similar patients operated on on "quiet" days (58). Preoperative diazepam 5 mg, thrice a day, for a week, takes care of the immediate postoperative period in case surgery is performed on a stormy day.

A relationship between such signs of humoral immunity failure as decreased levels of B-lymphocytes and immunoglobulins, on the one hand, and psycho-emotional disorders (anxiophobic syndrome associated with autism and depression), on the other, has been identified in lung cancer patients. An inverse correlation was established between anxiety and immunoglobulin concentration. Therefore, an individualized medication treatment can be designed to complement surgery and chemoradiation.

The growing asthenia of the neuro-psychic system which frequently occurs in cancer patients, particularly, in the preoperative period might undermine the body's defenses and thus contribute to tumor progression. The psycho-emotional system and immunological status of lung cancer patients were corrected with a combination of measures including individual psychotherapy and tranquilizer treatment. A study of blood levels of PI, PIP, PG-F and PG-E2 as well as the use of a number of methods of psychological diagnosis showed that the psycho-emotional and immunological status improves as a result of such preoperative therapy.

The authors provide comparative data derived during study of the time-course of changes in IgM, IgG and IgA and cellular eosinophilic and basophilic allergic reactions during application of pentoxyl and becotide alone and combined in multiple modality treatment of 161 patients with chronic obstructive bronchitis. Application of pentoxyl was accompanied mainly by quantitative increment of immunoglobulins, particularly IgA and IgG, and moderately pronounced desensitization effect that manifested by attenuation of the eosinophilic reaction and spontaneous degranulation of basophils. Application of becotide in multiple modality treatment led primarily to attenuation of the cellular allergic reactions under study and less marked increment of immunoglobulins. The combined use of the drugs for bronchitis exacerbation produced maximally pronounced desensitization (according to the eosinophilic reaction and basophil degranulation data) as compared to the effect of these drugs used alone on the patients' allergic status. It is recommended that patients with chronic bronchitis exacerbation should receive pentoxyl (during immunoglobulin deficiency and proneness to allergy), becotide inhalations to obtain primarily desensitization effect, and combined pentoxyl and becotide (in patients with high risk of sensitization).