Strahlenschaden des Herzens

Abstract

Radiation-induced effects may damage various cardiac structures chronically and cause heart valve dysfunction as well as occlusive lesions of coronary and other arteries exposed to radiation. A 72-year-old woman with a history of radiation treatment after breast cancer was admitted 25 years later with symptoms of tachycardia and acute dyspnea. We found valvular thickening, medium to severe valvular dysfunction and high grade occlusive coronary artery disease in proximal portions. The left subclavian artery also was affected. Surgical treatment was required immediately. Long-term follow-up cardiac evaluation even in asymptomatic patients is mandatory to uncover cardiac injuries by radiation. To lower the risk and maximize the benefit, early intervention by valvular replacement and myocardial revascularization is indicated. Restrictive myopathy and chronic pericarditis increase risk and have to be clarified. Diagnosis in these radiation exposed patients can be made by typical findings. Echocardiography is of eminent relevancy.

Eosinophilia in Peripheral Blood and Inflammatory Exudate in Non‐specific Proctocolitis

“…Since Andresen (1) first suggested allergy as a pathogenetic possibility in nonspecific proctocolitis evidence has accumulated in favour of the view that at least some cases of this disease have an allergic pathogenesis. Thus several authors have presented series of proctocolitis patients with various allergies (2,12,18,21,23,27), high titres of antibodies against milk proteins have been found in some patients with proctocolitis (1 1, 24), and antibodies against human colon mucosa and other pathological globulins have been demonstrated in the serum of patients with the disease (7, 14,25).…”