Anomalies of the position of the spleen in the child Case report and review of the literature from 1896 to 1990

We report on the case of a 6-year-old girl admitted as an emergency with an acute abdomen with the diagnosis of peritonitis; clinical examination under anesthesia revealed the presence of an abdomino-pelvic mass. Laparotomy confirmed the diagnosis of torsion of an ectopic spleen. Splenectomy was required because the spleen was gangrenous. A review of the literature from 1896 to 1990 revealed reports of 74 cases. Epidemiology, etiology, pathophysiology, the diagnostic and therapeutic problems are discussed.

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Ektopische Milz beim Kind: Fallbericht und Literaturübersicht 1896–1990

Zusammenfassung Anhand eines Fallberichtes und einer Literaturübersicht über 74 Fälle werden Epidemiologie, Ätiologie, Pathophysiologie, Diagnostik und Therapie der im Kindesalter sehr seltenen ektopen Milz besprochen. Die klinischen Zeichen reichen von unspezifischen abdominellen Beschwerden bis hin zum Vollbild eines akuten Abdomen (50%). Die praeoperative Diagnostik richtet sich nach Klinik, Abdomenleeraufnahme und Sonographie, evtl. Computertomographie. Aufgrund der hohen Torsionsraten besteht generell eine Operationsindikation, wobei die Entscheidung über Splenopexie oder Splenektomie sich an dem Lokalbefund orientieren sollte. Zur Splenopexie wurden mehrere Techniken mit gleich guten Resultaten angegeben.

     

Location and geometric description of carpal bones in CT images

The carpal regions of ten cadaver extremities were imaged by CT. The images were combined into a 3-dimensional model of the carpus using a technique based on a dynamic programming algorithm to find an optimal estimate of the location of the bone boundaries in the CT images. The resulting set of surface points on each bone was used to compute volumes and principal and antipodal axes for the bones. A spatial coordinate system was established based on the positions of the centroids of three bones in the distal carpal row. The angular orientations of all carpal bones were determined with respect to this system. The principal axes for the same bone among ten wrist specimens proved to be more widely dispersed than the antipodal axes for the same bones. The antipodal axes also correspond more closely to an intuitive notion of the “longest axis” of the bones. We conclude that the antipodal axis is a more reliable and useful measure of bone orientation than the principal axis.     

Premature closure of the physis following diaphyseal fractures

Three patients who experienced premature complete physeal closure of the ipsilateral limb following diaphyseal fractures are reported. The diagnosis was recognized because of unexpected progressive limb length discrepancy following fracture healing. The cause is unknown. This phenomenon should be recognized by those treating fractures in children.     

Electro-encephalographic disturbances due to chronic toxin abuse in young people, with special reference to glue-sniffing

A study was carried out in order to document any abnormalities in the electro-encephalogram (EEG) that might appear in young adolescents who have deliberately inhaled the range of volatile substances loosely referred to as 'glue'. The EEGs of a group of 'street children' being assisted in a Johannesburg shelter were examined. The records were analysed for any clinical abnormalities and also subjected to spectral analysis in order to examine the overall characteristics of frequency, power and spatial distribution. The EEGs clearly revealed that, although at the time of the examination the subjects were ostensibly abstinent, both clinical and normative evidence of continuing brain disturbance was present. It was concluded that glue sniffing is likely to have long term electrocerebral sequelae.     

The in vitro fertilisation programme at Tygerberg Hospital and the University of Stellenbosch. Five years' experience, April 1983-January 1988

The results of the in vitro fertilisation programme at Tygerberg Hospital for the period April 1983 to January 1988 are presented. Of the 1117 laparoscopies performed, 825 patients reached the transfer stage. A live-birth rate of 9.3% was achieved. The pregnancy rate after transfer of 4 embryos was 25.9% compared with 15.4% after 2 embryos and 10.8% after 3 embryos (P = less than 0.0001). The multiple pregnancy rate was 2.8% in the group receiving 2 embryos and 11.7% and 10.4% in those receiving 3 and 4 embryos, respectively. Of the 77 successful pregnancies (90 babies), 1 baby died at 34 weeks' gestation as the result of abruptio placentae due to preeclampsia and 1 cot death occurred. The only congenital abnormality encountered was a cleft palate.     

The nature and extent of aggressive behaviour amongst people with learning difficulties (mental handicap) in a single health district

ABSTRACT. This paper describes the method and results of a survey of aggressive behaviour amongst people with learning difficulties. The study was confined to a single health district in the South Western Region of the UK with a general population of about 370000. At the time of the survey, the Handicap Register for the district recorded 1362 people as having a learning difFiculty. The overall prevalence of aggressive behaviour amongst people with learning difficulties for whom base population data was available was 17.6%. The lowest rate was identified amongst day facilities (9.7 %) and the highest in hospitals within the district (38.2%). The prevalence rate amongst those attending schools for children with severe learning difSculties was 12.6%. Proportionately more males than females were reported to present problems of aggressive behaviour. The gender difference appeared to be largely accounted for by the disproportionate number of men identified within day facilities. There was no significant evidence of an association between the person's gender and the presence aggressive behaviour within schools or hospitals. The results indicated that, although physical and verbal aggression were the most frequently reponed behaviours, many of the sample were also said to engage in other forms of challenging behaviour, particularly self-injurious, ritualistic, stereotypical and withdrawn behaviour. The risk of a serious or very serious injury to another person was very low; 0.7% or six people with learning difiSculties firom the district were reponed to be currently presenting such a risk. Similarly, only 2% of the base population (n=18) were reponed to be extremely difficult to manage. The implications of the findings are discussed.     

A new technique for assessing the efferent innervation of the human striated urethral sphincter

A technique is described for recording the electromyographic response of the striated urethral sphincter to transcutaneous magnetic stimulation of the brain and spinal cord. A series of 11 control patients have been studied and 3 examples of patients with neurological disease also are reported. The most reliable response was recorded after facilitated transcranial stimulation of the cerebral cortex, with the mean latency of the electromyographic response in the striated sphincter being 26.4 msec. (standard deviation 2.21). It is concluded that assessment of the latency of the striated urethral sphincter electromyographic response to transcranial magnetic stimulation may be a useful technique in the investigation of patients with disorders of micturition.     

Gonadoblastoma in an anatomically normal man: a case report and literature review

Gonadoblastoma, a rare gonadal neoplasm, presents most frequently in phenotypic female or phenotypically male patients with dysgenetic gonads or undescended testes. To date, only 2 cases of gonadoblastoma have been reported in anatomically normal male patients with scrotal testes. Both of these patients presented with testicular masses and germ cell tumors. We report a case of a genotypically and phenotypically normal, fertile man with descended testes who on evaluation for chronic orchialgia had a gonadoblastoma unaccompanied by a germ cell neoplasm. The tumor was nonpalpable and was initially discovered on scrotal ultrasound.