One hundred seven patients presenting with malignant melanoma of the extremities were included in a prospective randomized study, which was conducted to evaluate the effectiveness of adjuvant hyperthermic regional cytostatic perfusion. In a control group (A, N = 54) the tumors were excised widely and the regional lymph nodes were dissected. The patients in the second group (B, N = 53) received additional hyperthermic (42 C) perfusion with melphalan. The mean follow-up observation period was 554 days. We chose the disease-free survival time as the criterion for success. The study could be discontinued prematurely, since the intermediate evaluation revealed a highly significant difference between the groups (p = 0.0001). We observed 21 local recurrences in the control group and four recurrences in the perfusion group. The retrospective breakdown by clinical stages also showed significant differences. The recurrence rate in the control group was 27.8% in Stage I, 31.6% in Stage II, and 58.8% in Stage III. In the perfusion group we observed recurrences equaling 5.6% in Stage I, 5.5% in Stage II, and 12.5% in Stage III. The differences between the groups based on the target-criterion of disease-free survival represent significance levels of p = 0.09 in Stage I, p = 0.03 in Stage II, and p = 0.003 in Stage III. We feel that on the evidence provided by our study, shown in the above results, the adjuvant application of regional hyperthermic cytostatic perfusion has proven itself to be superior to conventional procedures alone.

A simple, reliable and efficient miniaturized extracorporeal circulation system for the use in small animals, especially for the perfusion of rat hind limbs, has been described. The system consists of a newly devised bubble oxygenator and heat exchanger and of commercially available roller pumps, polyethylene cannulas and silicone tubes. The minimal and maximal priming volume of the entire system is 4.7 and 16.7 ml, respectively. The efficiency of the system is reflected in a high value of oxygen uptake in the range of 0.061 ml O2 X min-1 X ml-1 blood, a heat transfer coefficient ranging from 0.96 to 0.31 at flow rates between 1 and 20 ml X min-1, a low pulsation amplitude of the roller pump, a constant flow resistance at the arterial cannula, which implies optimal flow conditions, and in a low blood trauma with plasma hemoglobin concentrations of 47.5 +/- 5 mg dl-1 after 60 min of in vitro perfusion.

Malignant melanoma of the anal canal in stages I, II and III, respectively, was diagnosed in a 58-year-old woman and two men, aged 69 and 73 years. The patients' age was thus above the average reported age of manifestation (60 years) of this tumour. In two patient the tumours had been incorrectly diagnosed because of their proximity to the linea dentata and their similarity to haemorrhoids: operation had been delayed for four and about six months, respectively. Treatment of choice for stages I and II was abdominoperineal amputation of the rectum, while in the patient with stage III a colostomy was performed as a local palliative measure. The patients with stage II and III tumour died after six and 12 months, respectively, a survival time which corresponds to that expected from published series. Radiotherapy did not influence tumour growth in the patient in stage III. The patient in stage I has been free of tumour for six months.

Objective: To examine the prevalence and characteristics of pregnant women with borderline personality pathology (defined as borderline personality disorder and borderline personality traits) referred to a perinatal consultation-liaison psychiatry service. Method: Socio-demographic and clinical data, and diagnoses made according to Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (5th ed.) criteria were recorded for all women referred to and seen by the perinatal consultation-liaison psychiatry service over an 18-month period. Data were analysed using descriptive statistics and logistic regression analysis. Results: A total of 318 women were seen. The most common diagnoses found were depressive disorder (25.5%) and anxiety disorder (15.1%). Borderline personality disorder was found in 10.1% of women and almost one in five women had two or more borderline personality traits (19.5%). When compared to women with other diagnoses, women with borderline personality pathology had higher rates of unplanned pregnancy, being unpartnered, substance use during pregnancy and higher rates of child safety services involvement as a child or in a previous pregnancy. Over 40% of women with borderline personality pathology were referred to child safety services in the current pregnancy and a diagnosis of borderline personality pathology increased the risk of child safety services involvement by almost sixfold (odds ratio: 5.5; 95% confidence interval = [1.50, 20.17]). Conclusion: The prevalence of borderline personality pathology in antenatal women identified at antenatal screening and the recognition that women with borderline personality pathology are ‘high-risk’ caregivers argue for borderline personality pathology to be recognised as a high priority for investment in service development.

In experiments on dogs (n=13) we tested a procedure for estimating leakage during regional perfusion of the extremity by means of a dye dilution method. After systematic application of 0.5% Evans blue solution (0.1 ml/kg b.w.) we measured the dye concentration in plasma by means of a spectral photometer. The plasma volume (5.5 ml/100 gb.w.) and the disappearance rate of the dye (10%/h) were calculated. In a second procedure the supplying artery and vein of the extremity were proximally clamped and distally connected to an extracorporeal circulation unit consisting of oxygenator, pump, and heat exchanger, and the isolation of the extremity was tested. By simulated of leakage it was possible to detect a little amount of shunt of about 1% escaping from isolated region into the systemic circulation. There were no hints to toxicity when the same dye concentration. There were no hints to toxicity when the same dye concentration was applied. The standardized method was using during 132 cytostatic hyperthermic perfusion in man. In 20 patients we determined shunts of less than 5%, in 104 patients shunts between 5 and 10%, and in eight patients shunts of 10-20% of the extracorporeal circulation. The benefits of the described method are simplicity to carry out and missing of toxicity or radiation.