Showing papers by "Maastricht University published in 1978"

Hypercalcitoninaemia in patients with pheochromocytoma

Abstract: As pheochromocytoma sometimes is accompanied by medullary thyroid carcinoma (in the sense of multiple endocrine adonomatosis type II = Sipple-Syndrome), serum calcitonin (CT) was measured by radioimmunoassay in 4 patients with pheochromocytoma. Before extirpation of the adreno-medullary tumor, serum CT was distinctly increased to 3 and 30 ng/ml in 2 of 4 patients, respectively. After removal of the tumor, serum CT was normal in the patients and pentagastrin stimulation produced no exaggerated CT response. In hydrochloric acid extracts from the two corresponding pheochromocytoma tissues, immunoreactive-Calcitonin (IR-CT) was detected, the concentrations amounting 1 and 4 ng/mg wet tissue. These findings suggest that hypercalcitonism in patients with pheochromocytoma cannot always be ascribed to the thyroid, i.e. increased calcitonin levels do not necessarily indicate a medullary carcinoma of this organ.

Newer antiarrhythmic drugs.

Abstract: Dr. Zipes: Our experience with antiarrhythmic agents in the United States has been limited to a small number of drugs used over a long period, while the European experience is much broader with the availability of many new antiarrhythmic agents. Let us start with a discussion of one of the most exciting of these new drugs, namely, amiodarone. Dr. Coumel, will you tell us of your experience with amiodarone for the treatment of both supraventricular and ventricular arrhythmias in children as well as in adults? Dr. Coumel: First, I'd like to differentiate between amiodarone administered intravenously and given by the oral route. In my experience, its effects are completely different orally and intravenously. Amiodarone administered intravenously can easily stop junctional and paroxysmal supraventricular tachycardia by depress-