SYNOVIAL RUPTURE COMPLICATING BRUCELLA ARTHRITIS

A patient with Brucella arthritis presented as ‘pseudothrombophlebitissyndrome’, with rupture of knee synovial membrane intothe calf. Bacteriological identification of the same organismfrom the patient's blood, knee effusion and calf-swelling aspiratesuggested the diagnosis, and ultrasonography of the calf swellinggave supportive evidence. Synovial rupture into the calf in infective arthritis is a rareoccurrence and this has not been reported previously in Brucellaarthritis. KEY WORDS: Brucella arthritis, Baker's cyst rupture, Pseudothrombophlebitis syndrome     

Heat Stroke at the Mekkah Pilgrimage: Clinical Characteristics and Course of 30 Patients

The clinical picture and the final outcome of 30 patients withheat stroke during the Mekkah pilgrimage 1404 (September 1984)were analysed. Rapid cooling by the ‘evaporative method’was achieved in a mean time of 59 mm (range 15–135). Aninitial temperature above 42°C and a cooling time of morethan 1 h indicated a poor prognosis. Acute hepatic failure,‘adult respira tory distress syndrome’ and decerebrateconvulsions were among the fatal complications occur ring inthree patients. In the final outcome three patients (10 percent) died, two patients (7 per cent) recovered but developedmyocardial infarction and cerebellar ataxia respectively. Twenty-fivepatients (83 per cent) made an uncomplicated recovery.     

Upper Gastrointestinal Endoscopy in Saudi Arabia: Analysis of 6386 Procedures

SUMMARY Fibreoptic endoscopy is now established in the investigationof upper gastrointestinal disease. We report our findings ina large series of endoscopic procedures (6386) mostly in MiddleEastern Arabs, and compare the results obtained in Western patients.We find fibreoptic endoscopy to be feasible, safe, acceptableand effective