Plasma volume (PV) and red blood cells volume (RBCV) were measured in 76 normotensive acromegalic patients (42 males and 34 females) and compared with those of 28 controls on the basis of body surface. In untreated males PV and RBCV were significantly higher than in normals (P <0.001) and total blood volume (TBV) was above the normal range in 85 %. Untreated females also showed an elevated PV but had significantly lower RBCV than the male patients. The only vascular volume of the patients which correlated significantly with the body weight or surface was RBCV in females.One to five studies were done after treatment in 52 patients and analyzed as a function of plasma GH levels. Plasma volume reverted to the normal range (males) or was significantly lower than in untreated patients (females) in the groups of patients with normal GH levels while RBCV normalized at higher GH concentrations. At similar GH levels, treated patients without pituitary failure (n = 35) or given T4 and/or cortisol substitution for hypopituitarism showed similar vascular volumes. The plasma volume and TBV in both sexes and RBCV in males was significantly correlated with Log 10 GH levels. It is concluded from these data and other experimental evidence that endogenous GH hypersecretion is responsible for the reversible PV and RBCV increases frequently found in acromegalic patients.

Preliminary Phase I trials have shown iodine 131 (131I)‐Lipiodol (ethiodized oil; Laboratoires Guerbet, Aulnay‐sous‐Bois, France) to be well tolerated and most likely effective in the treatment of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). In this multicenter Phase II trial, the authors tested the feasibility and reproducibility of this treatment in other medical institutions and evaluated its efficacy in 50 patients with unresectable Stage I or II HCC, by the classification of Okuda et al. The authors studied 47 men and 3 women (63.9 ± M 7.1 years old) with Stage I (n = 18) or II (n = 32) HCC, by the classification of Okuda et al., which was verified by histologic findings (n = 25), cytologic findings (n = 11), or association of a tumor with alpha‐fetoprotein serum values greater than μg500 /tg/l (n = 14). This multicenter trial (1) confirmed that the 131I‐Lipiodol treatment is well tolerated; (2) showed that there is a high reproducibility of results with respect to other institutions and an objective tumor response in 40% of the cases; and (3) indicated the necessity of performing a randomized controlled study.

The agreement between gated SPECT (after correction) and 4D echocardiography confirmed the relevance of the comparisons. This study was an initial step before conducting clinical trials to compare exhaustively left ventricular volumes obtained with the two modalities.