The impact of motor complications of Parkinson's disease (PD), especially levodopa-induced dyskinesias, on quality of life (QL) was studied in 143 patients with PD. All were evaluated on the Hoehn and Yahr (H&Y) scale, and the Motor part of the Unified Parkinson's Disease Rating Scale (UPDRS). Motor complications were analyzed using the UPDRS Parts IV(A) and IV(B) and the Abnormal Involuntary Movement Scale. A specific Parkinson's disease quality of life questionnaire (39-item version, PDQ-39) was used. Motor complications significantly worsened the PDQ-39 Summary Index (PDQ-SI) of patients with PD. The dimensions of Mobility, Activities of Daily Living, Stigma, and Communication were the most strongly affected. "Peak dose" dyskinesia decreased Mobility, Emotional Well-Being, and Cognition, whereas biphasic dyskinesia affected Mobility, Stigma, Communication, and Activities of Daily Living. Morning akinesia, end-of-dose fluctuations, and "unpredictable offs" decreased QL on the dimensions of Mobility, Activities of Daily Living, Stigma, and Communication. Nocturnal akinesia led to a deterioration of all dimensions of the PDQ-39. Thus, motor complications and especially nocturnal akinesia and biphasic dyskinesias worsened the QL of PD patients.

Since 1972, telecobalt irradiation plus intrathecal methotrexate (ITMTX) has been successfully replaced in Jena by intrathecal colloidal radioactive gold (198Au) plus ITMTX for meningosis prophylaxis in leukemia. Seventy-three children with acute lymphocytic leukemia (ALL) were given 1.24-4.89 mCi (45.8-181 MBq) of colloidal 198Au IT after successful initiation of remission. During cytostatic therapy, the following relapses occurred: meningosis leucaemica, five patients (6.8%); bone-marrow relapse and the meningosis leucaemica, one patient; and bone-marrow relapse, 20 patients (27.4%). In 18 children, combination chemotherapy was terminated after two and a half or three years of treatment. After that time, one meningeal relapse and six bone-marrow relapses occurred. Within the first 24 hours after application of radioactive gold, headaches, vomiting, and fever occurred in less than 10% of the children. An apathy syndrome, leukecephalopathy, or severe infections, were not observed in a single case. Radioactive gold spreads in the subarachnoid space and is phagocytized by the arachnoidea. The tumoricide effect extends selectively over the space of distribution of the latent meningosis leucaemia. The cerebral parenchyma remains unaffected by radiation. Thus, radioactive gold may be preferable to telecobalt irradiation in preventing central nervous system leukemia.

Thirty-one pregnancies in 27 women suffering from mucoviscidosis have been studied in Germany, in the period from 1980 to 1991. This analysis is the largest collection of data to date relating to pregnancy and birth with mucoviscidosis after the American-Canadian study of 1980. The German study demonstrated that only women with few weak symptoms became pregnant: typically the pregnant women's mucoviscidosis was diagnosed at an average age of 9.2 years, and 96.5% of the women had a satisfactory pregravid Shwachman-Kulczicki-Score. Only minor complications were observed in these pregnancies, in particular pulmonary exacerbations (in 18 pregnancies) and an insufficient weight gain (average of 7.2 kg). Abortions were induced in five pregnancies and no spontaneous were observed. There were of maternal deaths during pregnancy or childbirth. More than one quarter of the newborns were premature. All the children had normal sweat chloride test results. 21 women could breast-feed successfully. In fifteen cases the mother's state of health deteriorated after pregnancy however only to a minor (ten cases) or moderate degree (four cases). It is noteworthy that of the twenty six infants twenty one were male. In this study we obtained the unexpected result that unaffected heterocygous children of women with mucoviscidosis are mainly male.

Findings in a total of 200 children suffering from leukemia were evaluated. Ocular symptoms were found in 26% of the cases. Typically, fundus hemorrhages were found in the initial stage, leukemic infiltrates in the final stage and papilledema in the meningosis leucaemica stage. In patients with ophthalmologic changes the survival time was shorter than in patients with no ocular involvement. Ophthalmological "dispensaire" treatment is generally recommended.