Mucinous adenocarcinoma arising from chronic perianal fistula

Perianal mucinous adenocarcinoma is a rare tumour which may be associated with long‐standing chronic perianal sepsis. Early diagnosis is challenging and is based on a high index of clinical suspicion and specific histological features. Definitive treatment is surgical, in the form of an abdomino‐perineal resection. We hereby describe a case of a perianal mucinous adenocarcinoma arising from long‐standing recurrent perianal fistula and complement this with a brief review of the literature pertaining in particular to the management of this condition.     

Neuropsychological predictors of self-neglect in cognitively impaired older people who live alone.

OBJECTIVE: The authors examined the accuracy of certain neuropsychological tests in the prediction of harm resulting from self-neglect in cognitively impaired seniors who lived alone. METHODS: The study included 130 participants, aged 65 and older, who scored less than 131 on the Dementia Rating Scale. Neuropsychological tests were administered at baseline, resulting in eight predictive scores. Informants and primary care physicians provided information about harm that occurred to the participants during the 18-month prospective follow up. An incident was defined as harmful if it occurred as the result of self-neglect or disorientation and resulted in physical injury or property loss or damage and required emergency interventions. Proportional hazard regression analysis was conducted to examine the predictive relationship between the eight neuropsychological tests and time to incident harm with age, sex, education, the Charlson Comorbidity Index, and the Mini-Mental State Examination included in the model as covariates. RESULTS: Twenty-seven participants experienced harm during the 18-month follow-up period. A proportional hazards model indicated that three neuropsychological tests, which measured recognition memory, executive functioning, and conceptualization, were independent risk factors for harm. CONCLUSIONS: These findings provide insight into why harm occurred in these cognitively impaired elders who lived alone. They also support the ecologic validity of these tests and suggest directions for the development of intervention strategies for harm prevention.     

“Inorganic and Organometallic Clusters and Polymers: Syntheses and Applications” Symposium

Conference Reports: This section contains reports on topical conferences. Reports are usually written at the request of the editorial office, but unsolicited contributions are also welcome. Suggestions should be sent to the editorial office of the Macromolecular journals, preferably by E‐mail to macromol@wiley‐vch.de.     

Recurrent pregnancy loss due to familial and non-familial habitual molar pregnancy.

OBJECTIVES: To present a series of women with recurrent molar pregnancies, including rare familial cases, and discuss etiology and treatment options. METHODS: We performed a detailed clinical evaluation and pedigree analysis of five Egyptian women with recurrent pregnancy loss due to molar pregnancy. RESULTS: The women had a history of four to nine consecutive hydatidiform moles but of no viable pregnancies. Two of the women had molar pregnancies with different husbands who themselves had viable offspring from previous wives; and three of them, who belonged to a family with extensive intermarriage, had a pedigree consistent with an autosomal recessive maternal-effect mutation. CONCLUSIONS: Recurrent pregnancy loss due to habitual molar pregnancy is uncommon and familial cases are extremely rare. The etiology of this disorder is not well understood but likely results from a maternal-effect mutation. Management options are limited, especially for couples who desire to have their own genetic offspring.     

Prefabrication of bone by vascular induction: an experimental study in rabbits.

The various methods of prefabricating flaps include vascular induction through staged transfer; pretransfer delay, expansion, and grafting; the use of alloplastic materials; and tissue bioengineering. In this experimental study, vascular induction was used to provide an axial vascular pedicle to randomly nourished tissue. Twenty-six New Zealand rabbits, ages and weights ranging between 6 months-1 year and 1.5-3.5 kg, respectively, were used. The sex difference was not considered. The deep inferior epigastric artery and vein were used to carry blood and were placed into a segment of femur to prefabricate the bone. Four weeks later, the viability of the segment of bone prefabricated by new axial pedicle was shown by scintigraphic study, and the new axial pedicle was ready for free transfer.     

CongenitaI Polycystic Disease of the Brain: Report of an Unusual Case

Multiple congenital supratentorial intracerebral cysts occurred in a newborn infant. The cysts, of varying size, content and lining, occupied the cerebral hemispheres. They formed a mosaic pattern on CT scan and left no trace of a recognisable ventricular system. Multiple surgical procedures were performed during the first year of life, and at one year the child was very well and asymptomatic, with two functioning shunts.     

Sonographic changes following splenectomy for portal hypertension in Schistosoma mansoni.

Eleven patients with portal hypertension due to infection with Schistosoma mansoni underwent splenectomy and devascularization operations. The patients were examined with ultrasound once preoperatively and twice postoperatively over a period of about 6 months. Following surgery there was significant and sequential reduction in the diameter of the portal vein at the hilum and the splenic vein at the pancreas. The liver lengths and index of liver size did not change significantly. No changes in the degree of periportal fibrosis could be detected.     

Diagnostic utility of serum dipeptidyl peptidase (DPP- IV) /CD26 as a serum marker in Egyptian patients with colorectal cancer

ABSTRACT

Background

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is considered a major cause of morbidity and mortality in Egypt. Colonoscopy is the standard for detection of lesions. The combination of screening methods is effective. Decrease and loss of DPP-IV/CD26 expression and activity are found in microenvironments of specific tumors which are related to impaired immune functions.