Sherman M. Mellinkoff

Temporary redness of the hair in ulcerative colitis

SummaryThe hair of a patient with ulcerative colitis turned red with malnutrition and resumed its normal dark brown color with a gain in real body weight. The condition is similar to one feature of kwashiorkor.

Xanthomatosis involving the colon and small intestine; report of a case.

SummaryA 54-yr.-old woman with pericholangiolar biliary cirrhosis, hypercholesterolemia, and hyperlipemia had striking abnormalities of the colon and small intestine, as revealed by X-ray. Autopsy disclosed extensive xanthomatous deposits in the colonic submucosa and serosa. Sections of the small intestine were not available for study.

Determination of cardioportal circulation time by external scintillation counting.

Summary1. A simple technic for studying the hepatic circulation has been described in which the heart to liver circulation time is estimated.2. The method uses simultaneous external scintillation counting over the heart and over the liver after the intravenous injection of radioiodinated serum albumin.3. The portal circulation time is increased in cirrhosis and appears to reflect the portal pressure. The characteristic alterations in circulation after portacaval anastamosis have been described.4. The method provides a valuable aid to clinical diagnosis and is a tool for studying the physiology and pharmacology of the hepatic circulation.

Leucine aminopeptidase; its nonspecificity as a test for carcinoma of the pancreas

Summary and conclusions1. Serum and urinary LAP values were determined in 13 patients with proved carcinoma of the pancreas. Elevations were noted in 9 of the 13 patients, 7 of whom were jaundiced. One of the 9 patients developed an elevated serum LAP only terminally. Only 1 of the 4 with normal serum and urinary LAP was icteric.2. In 17 of 26 patients without carcinoma of the pancreas who had elevated LAP values, the elevations were moderate to marked and in general not quite as striking as those in the carcinoma group. Ten of the 17 were jaundiced.3. It is felt that elevated serum and urine LAP values are not specific for carcinoma of the pancreas but are seen in diseases of the hepatobiliary system in which intra- or extrahepatic obstruction is a prominent feature.

Idiopathic hypoparathyroidism with small-bowel X-ray features of sprue, without steatorrhea

SummaryA patient with idiopathic hypoparathyroidism is described with an abnormal radiographic appearance of the small-bowel suggesting sprue although there was no evidence of malabsorption. The relationship of an absorptive defect to hypoparathyroidism is discussed, and it is suggested that at least in some of these patients the malabsorption is secondary to the parathyroid insufficiency and not the reverse.

Serotonin concentration in the spleen

SummaryModifications of previous methods for determining the serotonin concentration of blood and other body tissues are described.The spleen does not appear to release free serotonin into the portal blood. On the contrary, it appears that serotonin is removed from the blood by the spleen. Diseased spleens from human beings and rats have an abnormally low serotonin concentration which is not dependent upon the blood platelet concentration.An unidentified substance, probably chemically related to serotonin, was found spectrophotofluorometrically in 3 human spleens.

A physical sign in sprue.

SummaryIn steatorrhea due to pancreatic exocrine deficiency or sprue, the frequently observed abdominal distention is often accompanied by relatively little tympany. The cause of this sign is probably fluidfilled intestine.

Meetings and congresses

Increased act ivi ty in the field of clinical research has p rompted the development of regional research meetings. The Southern group has become identified with New Orleans where the Southern Section of the American Federat ion for Clinical Research met in conjunction with the Southern Society for Clinical Research on J a n u a r y 25 and 26, 1957. A total of 22 papers were presented to tile Southern Section of the American Federa t ion for Clinical Research. Three were of interest to those concerned with gastrointest inal problems.