Regional Scintimetry in Scaphoid Fractures

A quantitative scintigraphic method was introduced to examine the proximal, middle and distal third of the carpal scaphoid bone. ^99mTc-Sn-pyrophosphate scintimetry was obtained by the use of a gamma camera equipped with a pinhole collimator. of six patients in whom a unilateral fresh fracture of the scaphoid was clinically suspected, radiology showed a fracture of the scaphoid in four and no fractures in two. the method may be suitable in early diagnosis and further localization of clinically suspected fractures with initially non-diagnostic radiographs.     

Neurological disorders in Nigerian Africans: a community-based study

In a Nigerian town with a stable population of 20,000, a door-to-door survey was conducted, using a questionnaire involving a complete census and a simple neurological evaluation which had previously showed a 95% sensitivity and an 80% specificity for detecting neurological disease. Positive responders were evaluated and categorised, using agreed criteria for diagnoses. Nearly 100% cooperation was obtained. Life prevalence ratio for at least one episode of headache was 51/1000. Crude point prevalence ratio for migrainous headache was 5.3/100, and peak age-specific ratio was in the first decade. Prevalence ratio for epilepsy was 533/100,000 and peak age-specific prevalence ratio occurred in the 5-14 years age groups. The prevalence ratio for peripheral nerve disorders was 268/100,000, and age-specific prevalence ratio for tropical neuropathy increased with age. Prevalence ratio for stroke was rather low at 58/100,000, but was probably due to the people's attitude to the disabled elderly and high mortality of stroke which showed annual mortality rate of 70/100,000 which increased with age to 1519/100,000 per year in the eighth decade. Crude prevalence ratios (cases per 100,000) for others are 112 for neurological complications (including sciatica) of spondylosis, 15 each for poliomyelitis, motor neurone disease, development speech disorders, 10 each for syncope, hereditary neuropathies. Parkinson's disease, benign essential tremor, primary cerebellar degeneration, cerebral palsy, mental retardation, organic psychosis (probable intracranial tumor) and 5 each for muscular dystrophy, pyomyositis, spina bifida occulta, alcohol dependence and cerebral malaria. The implications of the findings are important for development of community neurological services in the developing countries.     

The reduction of pain on injection of propofol: the effect of addition of lignocaine

The effects of addition of 1 ml of lignocaine (10 mg) or isotonic saline to 19 ml of the emulsified preparation of propofol (Diprivan) were studied in a randomised, double-blind trial in 80 patients. The incidence and severity of pain on injection of propofol were significantly reduced by the addition of lignocaine (P less than 0.01).     

Ureteritis cystica

Six cases of ureteritis cystica are reported. Pathogenesis and diagnosis are discussed emphasizing the papillary tumour as an important differential diagnosis. A conservative attitude is recommended with a follow-up until the intravenous urography has normalized.     

Cytogenetic Studies in Myelomatosis

Cytogenetic studies have been carried out on bone marrow aspirates from 25 patients with myelomatosis. Abnormal stem lines were present in 7 of the patients; the remainder had a diploid chromosome complement. In most patients — also in those without an abnormal clone — some metaphases had a blurred appearance similar to that seen in bone marrow aspirates from patients with acute leukaemia. In many of the chromosome preparations obtained before cytostatic therapy some metaphases with structural aberrations of the chromosomes were seen. Evidence is presented that in the patients with abnormal stem lines in the bone marrow, the chromosome abnormalities are confined to the myeloma cells and are not found in the erythrocytic or granulocytic precursors, which thus do not seem to be involved by the neoplastic process. Based on the present results and on a review of the relevant literature some general cytogenetic features are emphasized which may contribute to a better understanding of the disorder. Especially, it is demonstrated that in myelomatosis the cytogenetic changes are much more uniform than in other malignant disorders with the exception of chronic myeloid leukaemia.     

DMN诱导的小鼠慢性中毒性肝炎过程中IL-18、TNF-α mRNA及Fas mRNA的动态变化

目的 观察二甲基亚硝胺(DMN)所致小鼠慢性中毒性肝炎时肝组织损伤与IL-18、TNF-αmRNA、Fas mRNA表达的动态变化。方法 取30只小鼠作为模型组，腹腔注射0．1％的DMN14mg／kg，每隔4d注射1次，共注射5次。分别在第1、3、5次注射后2d(即实验第3d、11d、19d)及停止注射14d(即实验第31d)眼球取血后分批处死动物(每次处死6只)，检测血清IL-18、肝组织TNF-α mRNA及Fas mRNA的表达。对照组6只小鼠，腹腔注射生理盐水，每隔4d1次，共5次，于第31d处死，检测指标同模型组。结果小鼠第一次注射DMN后肝细胞气球样改变为主，炎症、坏死不明显。随着注射次数的增加，炎症、坏死逐渐加重。停止注射后，肝组织逐渐修复。血清IL-18、肝组织TNF-α mRNA及Fas mRNA水平随着炎症、坏死的加重而升高，且呈正相关关系。结论 DMN所致小鼠中毒性慢性肝炎的IL-18、TNF-α mRNA、Fas mRNA的改变与肝组织病理改变同步，呈正相关关系，与人类肝炎时有一定的相似性。     

Oral ability to recognize forms and oral muscular coordination ability in dentulous young and elderly adults*

A study has been carried out to investigate possible differences between a group of dentulous young adults (average 22.5 years of age) and a group of dentulous elderly individuals (65.9 years), when attempting to recognize forms orally and to carry out tasks which demand a fine-coordination of the oral muscular apparatus. The results showed, that the older group had reduced ability for both forms of tests used in this study (RF-test for estimating the oral ability to recognize forms, and MA-test to estimate oral muscular ability). The reduced capacity of the older individuals to learn the requirements of the tests as compared with the younger ones, was especially obvious. Furthermore, individual differences in this respect were more obvious for the older than for the younger examinees. The suggestion is made that in further studies the number of trial-rounds may be reduced from three to two. certainly for older individuals and for both the RF- and the MA-test. Because of the obvious correlation between the results of the RF- and the MA-test among older individuals, it is concluded that both forms of tests may measure common or closely related factors, which are reflected by these tests.