In a five year long study efficiency of Praziquental in a prevention of human echinococcosis relapses was studied. Study was conducted in a period from October 1996 till October 2000, and it included patients with echinoccosis treated in Clinical Center of Sarajevo University in Sarajevo, and in Hospital Konjic, in Konjic. In the above stated period 136 patients with echinoccosis were treated surgically, and in 30 of them combined therapy with Praziquental was used. Antihelmint therapy was applied in hospital settings for 14 days in a dose of 25-50 mg/kg of body weight with adjuvant corticotherapy. After hospital discharge patients were followed up in outpatient clinics by infectologists, surgeons and pediatricians. Follow up included clinical, biochemical, ultrasonic and radiological investigations. Longest follow up interval was 5.5 years and shortest year and a half. Results of study have shown that in a group of 106 patients, treated only with surgical treatment, there were 12.5% of relapses. In a group of patients that we treated with combined therapy with Praziquental there were not relapses. Our results suggest Praziquental could be a drug of choice for the prevention of relapses in human echinoccosis in a combined therapy.

UNLABELLED After complete pulmological investigation remains about 20% of all the pleural effusions without etiological diagnosis designated as unexplained pleural effusions. Thoracoscopy enables further investigation with the final aim--establishing of the etiological cause of the unexplained pleural effusions. Recently numerous studies demonstrated that the malignancy is the most frequent cause of this aforementioned pleural effusions. OBJECTIVE Descriptive-analytic appraisal of validity of thoracoscopy in establishing of malignancy as a cause of idiopathic pleural effusions. TASKS: To establish if the malignancy is the most frequent cause of unexplained pleural effusions, to establish diagnostic-thoracoscopic sensitivity and specificity for malignant disease as cause of pleural effusions and to establish positive and negative predictive value of thoracoscopy for malignancy. PATIENTS AND METHODS In the period between 06.11.1984 and 01.02.2002, included in this investigation were all patients with pleural effusions of unknown origin who were referred to the Clinic for Thoracic Surgery--UCC Sarajevo, for thoracoscopy after less invasive means of diagnosis had failed. Investigation had clinical-manipulative, descriptive-analytic and retrospective-prospective design. RESULTS There were 74 patients with the pleural effusions of unknown origin. The malignancy was found in 47.3% (35/74) patients. Diagnostic sensitivity of the method for malignancy was 89.7% and the specificity 100.0%. The positive predictive value of the thoracoscopy for malignancy was 100.0% and negative predictive value 89.7%. CONCLUSIONS The malignancy was the most frequent cause of idiopathic pleural effusions. Thoracoscopy has high specificity and sensitivity in regard to discovering of malignancy as a cause of idiopathic pleural effusions. Undiagnosed malignancy by thoracoscopy excludes malignancy as a cause of pleural effusion with high security.

From own clinical material the authors examined and analysed isolated injuries of thorax made by war injuries. The results are compared with the same from other authors in same conditions. Conclusion is that the fast evacuation to the first hospital urgent and if it is possible compensate the volume of blood, reanimation and drainage of pleural cavum. Considering the results the authors are making clear the indications for operative treatment for early and last thoracotomy and specially noticed contraindications for thoracotomy. The intensive care: is also very important and it has to be interdisciplinary, permanent and aggressive. The separate part is analysis of logistics in treatment of cases injury of thorax where the authors are showing their own experiences and making suggestions for solving the problem.

Role and importance of the explorative thoracotomy in diagnostics of malignant neoplasmas of the lung have great value. Among other diagnostic procedures explorative thoracotomy has an advantage because of visualization of process and possibility of the biopsy "extempore". As each diagnostic procedure, explorative thoracotomy has its own deficiencies because the procedure is aggressive, related to possibility of the postoperative complications, and because of these problems explorative thoracotomy is ultimative method in diagnosis of malignant neoplasmas of the lungs.

The authors describe injured guy with thorax compression, with difficult bones injury, lungs rupture, major air-way, and blood vessel. The authors try to explain how could injured live more than 20-min with such injuries that make one impossible to live.