[Clinico-laboratory and morphologic characteristics of the tropical splenomegaly syndrome]. / K kliniko-laboratornoi i morfologicheskoi kharakteristike sindroma tropicheskoi splenomegalii.

A follow-up of 142 patients with the syndrome of tropical splenomegaly in Mulago Hospital in Uganda made it possible to study a clinical course, the informative value of hematological, some biochemical and immunological indices, morphological changes of liver biopsy specimens in this syndrome. Over a 10-year period 9020 autopsy records were studied for comparative assessment of a histological picture and causes of death in Mulago Hospital. The syndrome of tropical splenomegaly was diagnosed in 88 (0.98%) of them. The main diagnostic criteria were proposed for this pathology. This pathology should be denoted as the syndrome of tropical splenohepatomegaly.

Hypokalaemic periodic paralysis in an African-case report.

The case history of a typical case of hypokalaemic periodic paralysis is described. A 21-year-old male Ugandan African presented with his second attack of complete flaccid tetraplegia. Serum potassium levels, ECG changes ,nd response to therapy were entirely consistent with the diagnosis. Family history was negative. It is possible that this rare disorder has not previously been reported in an African. Possible mechanisms involved in the disorder are briefly discussed.