Islet cell tumors have been described the past 25 years in frequent series. Multiple symptoms lead often to prolongation of disease and misinterpretation of diagnosis. Because of its rarity most authors report only few cases. We had the chance to observe 24 patients of which four had carcinoma within 12 years. Symptoms, clinic, different surgical procedures are described. Clinical difference seems to exists between benigne and malignant islet cell tumors.

We are reporting our 2 years experience in the fiberscopic sclerotherapy of esophageal varices. 170 patients from 15-83 years of age were treated (61 females and 109 males), the majority being around 50 years of age. In 162 cases, the cause of the portal hypertension was cirrhosis of the liver and in 8 cases thrombosis of the splenic or portal vein. 47 patients were treated during acute bleeding, 101 in the interval, and 22 prophylactically. Using the modified intravascular technique, most varices could be sclerosed after a maximum of three treatments. In 83%, acute hemorrhages were stopped. The hospital mortality amounted to 30%, while in the interval group only it was 5%. None of the prophylactically treated patients died during their stay in hospital. The mortality after an average of 11.2 months amounted to 11.8%: The main cause was liver failure. Bleeding reoccurred in 11.2% and resulted in death in every fifth case. The most common complication, namely stenosis, arose in 16 cases and 4 of these necessitated dilation therapy. Esophagothoracic fistulae occurred in 2 cases and could be cured by siphon drainage. The rate of complication amounted to 10.6%, without any lethal outcome.

In a prospective study on 212 patients who had aseptic and conditioned aseptic operations, smears from the region of drainage and from the drainage material itself were taken per-and postoperatively. Whereas bacterial contamination was found in 13% and 54% of the aseptic and conditioned aseptic operations respectively during surgery, 18 % and 32 % revealed positive proof of bacterial infection postoperatively. From the analysis of the type of bacteria it can be assumed that migration of bacteria from the skin through the drainage tube can occur. Zusammenfassung. In einer prospektiven Studie bei 212 Patienten mit aseptischen und bedingt aseptischenOperationen wurden intra-und postoperativ Abstriche vom Drainzielgebiet und Wunddrain zur bakteriologischen Untersuchung entnommen. W~ihrend bei aseptischen Eingriffen in 13 %, bzw. bei bedingt aseptischen Eingriffen in 54 % ein positiver bakterieller Befund am Operationssitus festgestellt wurde, fand sich postoperativ am Wunddrain in 18% bzw. 32% ein positiver Keimnachweis. Die Analyse der Keimarten erlaubt die Vermutung, dab eine Migration von Hautkeimen durch das Wunddrain m6glich ist. Schliisselw~Jrter: Bauchh6hlendrainage -Kontamination -Infektion.Summary. Diagnosis of peritonitis by clinical signs is difficult in critically ill patients. Instead we found renal and pulmonary insufficiency to be of diagnostic value in 56 cases. The discriminating laboratory parameters were: creatinine clearance < 70ml/min and/or arterial pO 2 < 70ram Hg or FiO2 > 0.5, revealing peritonitis in

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