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Biomedical subjects

W Berges

Publications and source records attributed to W Berges.

11 recordsLinked to original sources

Treatment results of the thioether lipid ilmofosine in patients with malignant tumours.

In a multicentre study patients with liver metastases stratified to the histology of the primary tumour were investigated. A total of 102 patients with colorectal adenocarcinoma, non-small-cell lung cancer, pancreatic cancer, primary liver carcinoma and malignant melanoma were treated with the thioether lipid ilmofosine. The drug was administered orally as a tablet at a dosage of 150-300 mg/day (75 mg/tablet). The tolerability of ilmofosine was poor. There was a dose-limiting gastrointestinal toxicity with nausea, vomiting and loss of appetite (WHO grade II-IV) in 67% of patients. During the period of therapy (1-29 weeks, 8.5 weeks mean) no complete remission and no partial response were observed. We thus conclude that treatment with oral ilmofosine is not effective in patients with liver metastases due to various malignancies.

Adenocarcinoma

[Treatment of reflux oesophagitis with cimetidine (author's transl)].

The effect of cimetidine on reflux oesophagitis was studied in a double-blind trial. Sixteen patients were given cimetidine 1.6 g/d, 20 patients received a placebo. Within the first six weeks the oesophagitis improved both on cimetidine and the placebo, but the patients taking the former had fewer complaints during the day than those on a placebo. Continuing the regimen for another six weeks further improved the endoscopic findings in patients with cimetidine but not in those on placebos. Complaints lessened during the sixth to twelfth week during cimetidine treatment, but remained unchanged under placebo administration. Complete healing of the oesophagitis was achieved in only 33% of patients with uncomplicated oesophagitis (grade I-III) and in 6% of those with severe complicated oesophagitis (grade IV). If non-surgical treatment is indicated, it must be continued through at least 6-12 weeks.

Adult

[Cimetidine treatment of reflux esophagitis: results of a double-blind study].

The effect of cimetidine on healing of reflux esophagitis was investigated in a double blind study in which 16 patients received 1.6 g cimetidine/day and 20 patients placebo. After 6 weeks endoscopic healing or amelioration of the esophagitis was observed in 10 of 20 patients on placebo (50%) and in 9 of 16 patients receiving cimetidine (56%). Continuation of double blind therapy in 24 patients for another 6 weeks led to improved healing in 12 cimetidine patients but not in 10 placebo patients. In only 4 of 16 cimetidine patients there was complete healing of esophagitis at the end of the study. The cimetidine patients had fewer symptoms to a statistically significant degree after 6 and 12 weeks, respectively. It is concluded that, despite its statistically significant effects on esophagitis and reflux symptoms, cimetidine therapy of reflux disease is not satisfactory. If cimetidine therapy appears to be indicated, it should be continued for at least 12 weeks.

Adult

Does dopamine predispose to gastroesophageal reflux?

In the American opossum dopamine causes a dose-dependant fall in the lower esophageal sphincter (LES) pressure. The effect in man is unknown. Therefore, the effect of two dosages of dopamine (1 mcg.kg-1 body weight.minute-1 and 5 mcg.kg-1 body weight.minute-1) was studied in ten healthy volunteers by pullthrough manometry. The results show that neither dopamine nor normal saline solution as a control changed LES pressure which is an important determinant of gastroesophageal sphincter competence. Thus, dopamine in clinically used doses does not appear to predispose to gastroesophageal reflux.

Adult

[Cardiac arrhythmia during pneumatic dilatation of achalasia of the esophagus (author's transl)].

ECG was recorded in 38 patients with achalasia of the esophagus before, during and after pneumatic dilatation. During the dilatation both marked increases as well as decreases of heart frequency were observed. The mean values of all patients remained virtually unchanged. The most frequent type of arrhythmia were ventricular extrasystolies (16 patients), whereas supraventricular extrasystolies (4 patients), second degree-av-block (2 patients) and av-dissociation (1 patient) occured infrequently. In none of our patients arrhythmia was critical, even in a patient with preexisting cardiac insufficiency. Thus, patients with achalasia of the esophagus are not endangered to a major degree by cardiac arrhythmia during pneumatic dilatation.

Adult