Congenital rickets caused by maternal vitamin D deficiency

The cases of four newborn infants with congenital rickets are reported. All infants were native Canadian: three were Cree and one was Inuit. One had a narrow chest and pulmonary hypoplasia, two had clinical and radiological signs of rickets with craniotabes, thickened wrists, and prominent costochondral junctions, and one had perinatal asphyxia and hydrops. All had hypocalcemia, hypophosphatemia and secondary hyperparathyroidism. Serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D levels were low in three of the infants. The four mothers had evidence of vitamin D deficiency. All infants recovered following treatment with 5000 IU oral vitamin D daily.     

Surface viable counts with nichrome wire loops

A surface viable counting method is described making use of a nichrome wire loop having an external diameter 5 mm, which is streaked on an overdried plate. The loop holds 1/35 ml (0.02857 ml) peptone water. When tried in parallel with pipettes that delivered 1/50 ml (0.02 ml) drops, it gave reproducible results not at all inferior to those obtained with 50-dropping pipettes.     

Cancer in the africans and arabs of zanzibar

Among 392 cancers histologically diagnosed in Zanzibar during 1957–62 and 1964–67, a definite pattern seems to emerge. Skin and cervix cancers were the most common types in both Africans and Arabs. Skin cancer was predominantly of the squamous cell type. The Zanzibar Arabs thus appear to be protected against basal cell carcinoma which in the Arab desert community has been diagnosed with about the same frequency as squamous-cell carcinoma. In the same manner, the Zanzibar Arab immigrants seem to have a reduced risk for stomach and oesophageal cancers, which are common in other Arab countries. This is probably because Arabs in Zanzibar have adopted the dietary habits and other customs of the Zanzibar Africans in whom cancer of the alimentary tract seems to be uncommon. On the other hand, unlike Zanzibar Africans, the Arabs have an increased risk for Hodgkin's disease similar to that of the Middle East Arab population.     

Capecitabine versus continuous-infusion 5-fluorouracil for colorectal cancer: a retrospective efficacy and safety comparison

For more than 40 years, 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) has been considered the most effective systemic agent for managing advanced colorectal cancer. However, continuous-infusion (CI) schedules of 5-FU require central venous access devices, which are associated with catheter complications and are an inconvenience to patients. The novel oral fluoropyrimidine capecitabine appears to offer comparable efficacy while providing a more convenient schedule that is often preferred by patients. Published phase II/III clinical studies of capecitabine-based regimens for colorectal cancer were compared with key studies of CI 5-FU-based regimens to assess safety, efficacy, quality of life, and pharmacoeconomics. Studies were identified via Medline searches and conference abstracts dating back to 1997. Qualitative analyses show that capecitabine as a single agent as well as in combination regimens is an effective first-line treatment for metastatic colorectal cancer, providing a higher response rate compared with standard 5-FU/leucovorin. Costs associated with capecitabine also appear to be lower than those associated with catheter-based therapies. Capecitabine offers physicians a more convenient treatment for advanced colorectal cancer, with manageable toxicity and antitumor activity comparable to that of CI therapies.     

Splenogonadal fusion: case presentation and literature review

Splenogonadal fusion is a rare congenital anomaly in which there is fusion of the spleen and the gonad or mesonephric derivatives. To date, approximately 150 cases have been reported since the condition was first described by Bostroem in 1883 (Bostroem E. Demonstration eines Praparates von Verwachsung der Milz mit dem lenken Hoden. Gesellschaft deutscher Naturforscher und Aerzte, Verhandlungen der 56 Versammlung, Freiburg; 1883. p. 149). Very few cases have been diagnosed preoperatively, and many cases presenting as a testicular swelling underwent an unnecessary orchiectomy with the suspicion of a testicular neoplasm. A case is presented and the related literature is reviewed.