O.J. Undergoes Lymph Node Surgery

LOS ANGELES--O.J. Simpson was taken to a hospital before dawn in an unmarked sedan yesterday for minor surgery to biopsy swollen lymph nodes, then was returned to jail.

Simpson's condition had been closely monitored because the lymph nodes under his armpits were swollen and he recently had been having "drenching night sweats," his doctor said in a statement.

Lymph nodes from his right armpit were removed to check for cancer. The operation was performed under sedation and a local anesthesia, Dr. Robert Huizenga said. "The patient fared very well," he said.

Swollen lymph nodes in the armpit, neck or groin can indicate the presence of a wide range of viral or bacterial infections, or more serious diseases such as AIDS, cancer or Hodgkin's disease. Huizenga said a search for an infectious cause for Simpson's condition--including HIV--turned up nothing.

Six sheriff's officers escorted Simpson on the trip from the jail to Cedars-Sinai Medical Center. He was in one of three unmarked sedans that arrived at the hospital. He was admitted at 4:30 a.m. REGION

Psychiatrist Accused of Sexual Misconduct

BOSTON--The medical registry board said yesterday that a psychiatrist who allegedly had sex with a patient may have had inappropriate relationships with other patients too.

The board on Wednesday suspended the license of 42-year-old Dr. Suzanne K. King after receiving reports that she had a sexual relationship with a patient and become pregnant with his child.

Paul Gitlin, chair of the Massachusetts Board of Registration in Medicine, called the decision "extraordinary" because King was not given a hearing first. The board has the right to summarily suspend a doctor's license without a hearing if it believes the doctor is a threat to public safety.

King has 10 days to request a hearing if she wants one. King did not return a phone call seeking comment. Her attorney, Alan Posner, said he could not comment on the case. He also would not comment on whether King was pregnant.

In its statement, the board said King had been treating the patient at Massachusetts General Hospital. She allegedly had sex with him several times at his home and at her home in Brookline from March to June.