[Fatal diphtheria in a 26-year-old man. Repetitorium; Known and current aspects of diphtheria].

This paper reports on a 26 year old male who died of toxic diphtheria with all typical features such as: Bullneck, paralysis of the soft palate, renal failure accompanied by proteinuria and--most notably--myocarditis (very typical microscopically) with circulatory disturbances and finally left and right hand failure. The myocarditis hat caused increases of SGOT, SGPT, CPK, LDH and HBDH to values not seen before by us in the course of myocarditis. The patient had been immunized against diphtheria as a child. Initial treatment consisted of the application of ampicillin which caused rapid regression of the local symptoms in the pharyngeal region including the bullneck-symptom; of course the course of intoxication was not influenced, even after the patient had been admitted to the hospital, the disease correctly diagnosed and antitoxin given three days before death.