No abstract

The antiviral drug ribavirin was used as an adjunct to laser surgery for the treatment of patients with laryngeal papillomatosis (LP). An uncontrolled clinical trial for four patients with ribavirin treatment at a daily dose of 23 mg/kg was performed. Three adults received drug prior to laser surgery and continuing orally for 6 months. One infant was treated for 3 months. Two adults achieved complete remissions for at least 2 consecutive months, and both patients developed only minimal recurrent disease in 4 months of follow-up. The other adult and the child sustained a partial response and an increased interval between the required surgeries. Ribavirin caused only a mild, reversible reduction in hemoglobin and reticulocytosis. This preliminary trial shows that ribavirin may be an effective therapy in combination with surgery for LP in a larger controlled clinical trial.

Using a fluorescent technique intracellular immune complexes were found in the peripheral leucocytes in all of 12 patients with myelofibrosis studied. Fluorescent cells varied from 12% to 81%; with no relation to the total white count or any obvious clinical finding. Three of the patients with severe refractory anaemia benefited from immunosuppressive therapy.

Nicotinamide failed to induce remission or differences on beta-cell secretion between the two groups.

No abstract