Surgical treatment by percutaneous anterior screw fixation of scaphoid fractures.

The aim of this study was to evaluate the results of percutaneous screw fixation of scaphoid waist fractures in our surgery unit by comparing them with recent data from the literature. This was a retrospective, descriptive study conducted between January 2010 and September 2016. Patients operated due to a recent scaphoid fracture and treated by percutaneous anterograde screw fixation with a Herbert screw were included in this study. Our cohort was a sub-set from a scaphoid fracture group; other fracture sites, other treatment techniques and fractures associated with scapholunate ligament lesions were excluded. The time to union and union rate were recorded. The Youm and McMurtry indices, scaphoid and scapholunate angles were measured on radiographs. A total of 21 patients were included. The mean age was 30 years (18-44) and the sex ratio (male/female) was 9.5. The union rate was 95% with an average follow-up of 24 months. Four patients had a mobility deficit in the sagittal plane of about 9°. No malunion was found, and no major complications were observed. Based on this study, percutaneous fixation of the scaphoid with Herbert's screw is a reliable technique that leads to union in most cases with limited postoperative immobilization.

Musculoskeletal Echinococcus infection as a rare first presentation of hydatid disease: case report.

BACKGROUND: Hydatid disease (HD) is a cosmopolitan parasitosis caused by Echinococcus granulosus that can potentially affect any part of the human body. Liver and lungs are the most frequent localizations. Primary musculoskeletal hydatidosis are seldom reported in literature and their incidence is unknown. CASE PRESENTATION: We deem interesting to report a case of a primary hydatid cyst in a 25-year-old patient who presented with a painful swelling of the right elbow. Meticulous examination and preoperative imaging did not reveal other localizations. Patient was admitted for surgery where total excision of cyst was done without intraoperative spillage and a cutaneous skin flap was subsequently required to make up for soft tissue loss. CONCLUSION: Primary hydatid cysts are sometimes difficult to diagnose preoperatively. It should be considered in the differential diagnosis of subcutaneous cystic lesions in regions where hydatid cysts are endemic. Currently, surgical excision is deemed first choice treatment for solitary cysts and antihelminthic treatment should be initiated preoperatively in the case of risk of rupture or in the event of complications.

A sero-survey of rinderpest in nomadic pastoral systems in central and southern Somalia from 2002 to 2003, using a spatially integrated random sampling approach.

A cross-sectional sero-survey, using a two-stage cluster sampling design, was conducted between 2002 and 2003 in ten administrative regions of central and southern Somalia, to estimate the seroprevalence and geographic distribution of rinderpest (RP) in the study area, as well as to identify potential risk factors for the observed seroprevalence distribution. The study was also used to test the feasibility of the spatially integrated investigation technique in nomadic and semi-nomadic pastoral systems. In the absence of a systematic list of livestock holdings, the primary sampling units were selected by generating random map coordinates. A total of 9,216 serum samples were collected from cattle aged 12 to 36 months at 562 sampling sites. Two apparent clusters of RP seroprevalence were detected. Four potential risk factors associated with the observed seroprevalence were identified: the mobility of cattle herds, the cattle population density, the proximity of cattle herds to cattle trade routes and cattle herd size. Risk maps were then generated to assist in designing more targeted surveillance strategies. The observed seroprevalence in these areas declined over time. In subsequent years, similar seroprevalence studies in neighbouring areas of Kenya and Ethiopia also showed a very low seroprevalence of RP or the absence of antibodies against RP. The progressive decline in RP antibody prevalence is consistent with virus extinction. Verification of freedom from RP infection in the Somali ecosystem is currently in progress.

Prevalence of bovine herpesvirus-1 in the Belgian cattle population.

The national bovine herpesvirus 1 (BHV-1) seroprevalence (apparent prevalence) in the Belgian cattle population was determined by a serological survey that was conducted from December 1997 to March 1998. In a random sample of herds (N=556), all cattle (N=28478) were tested for the presence of antibodies to glycoprotein B of BHV-1. No differentiation could be made between vaccinated and infected animals, because the exclusive use of marker vaccines was imposed by law only in 1997 by the Belgian Veterinary Authorities. Twenty-one percent of the farmers vaccinated continuously against BHV-1. In the unvaccinated group, the overall herd, individual-animal and median within-herd seroprevalences were estimated to be 67% (95% confidence interval (CI)=62-72), 35.9% (95% CI=35.0-36.8) and 33% (quartiles=14-62), respectively. Assuming a test sensitivity and specificity of 99 and 99.7%, respectively, the true herd, individual-animal and median within-herd prevalence for the unvaccinated group of herds were estimated to be 65, 36 and 34%, respectively. The true herd prevalence for dairy, mixed and beef herds were respectively, 84, 89 and 53%; the true individual-animal prevalence for those types of herds were, respectively, 35, 43 and 31%; whereas, the true median within-herd prevalences were 36, 29 and 38%.