Endoscopic sclerotherapy in the treatment of gastric varices

Of 309 patients with portal hypertension, gastric varices were found in 48 (16 per cent). While the majority (88 per cent) of the patients had gastric varices in association with oesophageal varices, 6 (12 per cent) patients had 'isolated' gastric varices. Gastric varices were seen significantly (P less than 0.01) more often with grade 4 than with grade 3 varices. In 11 (28 per cent) of the 40 patients who completed sclerotherapy for oesophageal varices, gastric varices disappeared concurrently on eradication of oesophageal varices or during the following 6 months. Of the initial five patients with gastric varices who received direct intravariceal injections, four rebled; this technique was therefore replaced by combination (paravariceal + intravariceal) gastric variceal sclerotherapy. Emergency combination sclerotherapy successfully controlled bleeding from gastric varices in six of the eight treated patients. Thirty-two patients entered a programme of elective combination gastric variceal sclerotherapy. Variceal obliteration was achieved in 12 cases (38 per cent) and reduction in size was noted in another 7 patients (22 per cent) after a minimum of four courses. There were 11 (23 per cent) deaths, 8 due to uncontrolled bleeding from gastric varices and 3 due to hepatic coma. The other complications of gastric variceal sclerotherapy were minor and included retrosternal pain, fever and dysphagia. It is concluded that gastric varices often coexist with large oesophageal varices. If they persist for 6 months after eradication of oesophageal varices, a combination of paravariceal and intravariceal sclerotherapy should be attempted for their obliteration.     

Scleromyxoedema with features of systemic sclerosis.

The case is described of a patient with scleromyxoedema with features typical of systemic sclerosis. The features were so characteristic that the disease was misdiagnosed as systemic sclerosis. A brief review of the association of the two diseases is given.     

Acute polymyositis associated with W. bancrofti

Two cases of acute polymyosotis associated with W. bancrofti , presented with generalised painful swelling and weakness of the muscles. These patients had elevated muscle enzymes, a myopathic EMG pattern, inflammatory myopathy on biopsy and W. bancrofti in the peripheral blood smear. The clinical, improvement of the disorder and total clearance of microfilariae was obtained with the combination therapy of steroid and diethyl-carbamazine in comparison with steroid alone.     

The challenges facing nurse-midwives in working towards Safe Motherhood in Malawi

A midwife is the only health worker most of the women of the childbearing group in Malawi will ever meet in their lifetime. A midwife plays an essential role in the promotion of health and provision of care to these women. It is therefore, very important that midwives be available for the well being of these women. However, mere presence of midwives is not adequate for women''s optimal health.     

A simplified approach to understanding urea kinetics in peritoneal dialysis.

Urea, a small molecular solute, is the candidate molecule commonly used to understand solute kinetics in both peritoneal dialysis (PD) and hemodialysis. Serum urea or serum urea nitrogen levels are used to calculate measures of dialysis adequacy and nutritional status in patients on dialysis. The kinetic behavior of this molecule is different for a continuous therapy such as PD compared with an intermittent therapy such as hemodialysis. This article presents a simplified approach to understanding urea kinetics on PD.     

Primary breast lymphoma.

Primary breast lymphoma (PBL) is a rare tumor of the breast. Three cases of PBL are being described. All three cases achieved remission following biopsy, chemotherapy, and/or radiotherapy. The literature is extensively reviewed with emphasis on true incidence of PBL and survival rates.     

A sequential study of visual evoked potential in patients with vitamin B12 deficiency neurological syndrome.

OBJECTIVE: Visual pathways are vulnerable to vitamin B(12) deficiency but there is paucity of studies evaluating visual evoked potential (VEP) changes following vitamin B(12) supplementation. Our aim was to evaluate the visual evoked potential changes in patients with vitamin B(12) deficiency neurological syndrome and their changes after vitamin B(12) therapy. METHODS: Seventeen patients with vitamin B(12) deficiency neurological syndromes diagnosed on the basis of megaloblastic bone marrow or low serum vitamin B(12) level or both were subjected to testing of visual acuity, field of vision, colour vision and neurological examination. Cranial magnetic resonance imaging was done in 9 patients and pattern reversal VEP was carried out on admission. P(100) latency and amplitude were measured. Visual function and VEP studies were repeated at 3 and 6 months after vitamin B(12) therapy. RESULTS: The patients' age ranged between 17 and 69 years; 7 were females and 16 were lactovegetarians. The duration of symptoms ranged between 10 days and 10 years. Visual acuity, colour vision, field of vision and fundus oculi were normal. VEP revealed prolongation of P(100) latency in 10 patients (17 eyes) which was mild in 2, moderate in 10 and marked in 5 eyes. Six months after treatment, P(100) latency improved to normal in all except 4 eyes. VEP abnormality was related to duration of illness and antiparietal cell antibodies. CONCLUSIONS: VEP is frequently prolonged in patients with vitamin B(12) deficiency neurological syndrome although asymptomatic. It usually returns to normal after treatment.