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Result and problems were studied in 12 patients who received percutaneous cardiopulmonary support (PCPS) after cardiac or aortic surgery. Causative diseases included acute myocardial infarction in 7 cases, rupture of the left ventricular septum after infarction, acute mitral valve regurgitation after infarction, rupture of the left ventricular free wall, a stuck valve, and an aortic aneurysm in the thoracicoabdominal region in each 1 case. The time of postoperative PCPS ranged from 2 to 361 hours, and the mean supply flow volume was 1.78 +/- 0.45 l/min/m2. Seven patients could be taken off the treatment or discharged from the hospital (58.3%). The comparison between surviving and non-surviving cases showed a significantly longer assisted circulation time in the latter. An increase of bleeding after surgery was found in all 8 patients who received PCPS for a long period postoperatively. This was assumed to be due to the thrombocytic activation by heparin.

A 51-year-old woman admitted to our hospital. Chest X-ray film showed infiltrations in left S4 region, which had been pointed out since two years before. On exploratory thoracotomy, lingual segmentectomy was performed because no metastatic lesions were found in the mediastinal and hilar lymph nodes. Pathological and immunohistological examinations revealed findings corresponding to pulmonary malignant lymphoma (diffuse, small cell type, B cell) with amyloid plaque. The patient is doing well 20 months after operation without any signs of recurrence. The clinical and histological findings of this case may suggest a close relationship between malignant lymphoma and production of amyloid.

It was examined whether the tannin-fluoride preparation (HY preparation), which might have a caries-reductive, plaque inhibiting and astringent action, could reduce the incidence of gingival inflammation around abutment teeth. Zinc oxide eugenol cement mixed with the HY preparation was packed in the cavity prepared in the resin base facing the abutment tooth. Gingival crevicular fluid (Periotron units:GCF), gingival index (GI), plaque index (PlI) and probing depth around the abutment teeth were measured over a 3 month period. The following results were obtained: 1. GCF decreased at month 1 and showed low values at months 2 and 3. 2. GI showed a decreasing tendency. 3. PlI and probing depth did not show obvious changes. These results indicate that the tannin-fluoride preparation reduces gingival inflammation around abutment teeth.

A new sectional partial denture utilizing lock mechanism (lock denture) has been developed. Utilizing the lock mechanism, two parts of sectional partial denture are locked together easily and tightly. A lock denture has been constructed for an upper removable partial denture, has been worn for over three months and has clinically been proven to obtain good function and esthetics.

A case of left ventricular-right atrial (LV-RA) communication associated with a false aneurysm of membranous septum is presented. The patient was a 51-year-old woman. Using a left ventriculography this case was diagnosed preoperatively as LV-RA communication. We found that the right atrium was directly communicated with the left ventricle through a fibrous membranous aneurysm adhering to the septal leaflet of the tricuspid valve. It was suggested that a false aneurysm, made by jet lesion from the left ventricle, perforated to the right atrium. So the current case was considered an acquired infravaluvular type LV-RA communication formed in the course of the natural closure of the membranous ventricular septal defect.

We reported three cases of spontaneous rupture which were surgically treated with direct suture method. One patient was operated on within eight hours after rupture with good results. In two patients diagnoses were made more than two days after rupture. One had esophageal fistula, but completely recovered after cervical oesophageal fistula, and another died of multiple organ failure. In this syndrome, early diagnosis and surgical treatment are essential for acceptable results. For early diagnosis, we emphasized on the presence of roentgenologic mediastinal and cervical emphysema. In patients for whom diagnosis was delayed and post-operative leakage at the oesophageal suture line occurred, temporarily fistulation of the cervical oesophagus proved to be effective in exclusion and diversion of the ruptured segment.

Sixty subjects (42 subjects with dentures and 18 subjects without dentures) participated in this study. Crevicular fluid flow (Periotron unit: CGF), gingival index (GI), plaque index (P1I) and probing depth (PD) of 209 marginal gingiva around the proximal surface area adjacent to the edentulous space of natural and crowned abutment teeth were measured to evaluate gingival health. The following results were obtained. 1. The GI, P1I and PD in the subjects with dentures were higher than those in the subjects without dentures. The GCF in the subjects with dentures was inclined to be higher when compared to that in the subjects without dentures. 2. In the subjects with dentures, the GCF, GI and PD of crowned teeth were higher than those of natural teeth. On the other hand, in the subjects without dentures, the GCF, GI and PD of crowned teeth were almost equal to those of natural teeth.

A 49-year-old man was admitted for the further examination of the abnormal shadow of the left posterior mediastinum, which was incidentally detected on routine chest X-ray. He has no complaints, and no abnormalities on neurological examination. Thoracic spine X-ray showed the destruction of the T12 vertebral body and the dilatation of the left intervertebral foramen between T12 and L1. Myelography showed no abnormalities, but contrast-enhanced CT scanned just after myelography revealed the extradural dumbbell-formed tumor. One stage removal of the tumor was safely performed through left posterolateral thoracotomy and transthoracic partial laminectomy. Postoperative course was uneventful. The tumor was histologically schwannoma, originated from the left thoracic sympathetic trunk. We think that this procedure is available for the operation of a kind of dumbbell tumor of the posterior mediastinum.