Incisional hernia repaired with tanatalum gauze; preliminary report

Herein is presented a preliminary report on the use of tantalum gauze in the repair of a massive incisional hernia with good immediate results as well as x-ray pictures and photographs of three additional patients treated similarly.It is far too early to draw conclusions, yet it would appear that this form of reconstructive repair deserves further study especially in those patients who do not lend themselves readily to other methods.     

Intracranial Abscesses: A Review of Treated Patients Over 20 Years

A series of 49 consecutive patients with an intracranial abscesstreated over a 20 year period is analysed and reported. Theoverall mortality was 28 per cent. The authors regard this figureas quite unacceptable and stress that the combination of isotopescans and computerized axial tomography (CAT) should allow animmediate reduction in mortality to around 10 per ccent. The plea is made that whenever a primary source of infectionie present the possibility that an intracranial mass could bean abscess is constantly borne in mind. Under such circumstancesthe patient should be referred immediately to a neurosurgicaldepartment (where computerised axial tomography is usually available)without a preceding lumbar puncture.