[Hyperthyroidism in Chad and its treatment. 16 cases of which 10 were treated surgically in 1984-1985 in N'Djamena]. / Les hyperthyroïdies au Tchad et leur traitement. A propos de 16 cas dont 10 traités chirurgicalement en 1984-1985 à N'Djamena.

Sixteen patients with thyrotoxicosis were admitted during a period of eighteen months (1984-1985) in Central Hospital of N'Djamena (Chad). Clinical features, laboratory investigations are reported. Ten patients had a surgical treatment:subtotal thyroidectomy. A review of literature in Africa was made. Whereas thyrotoxicosis was rare among Africans before 1970, there has been an increase of frequency for twenty years. Many hypotheses are proposed, among them the possibility of the role of Epstein-Barr's virus, frequent in Africa.

[Carriage of HBs antigen in New Caledonia. Study according to ethnic group]. / Le portage de l'antigène H. B. s. en Nouvelle-Calédonie. Etude selon l'ethnie.

Owing to 2,772 New Caledonian blood donors and pregnant women, a study was made of the salient features of the H. B. s. antigen carrier state; percentages of carriers showed no difference according to the age and a slight difference between sexes. These percentages proved to be quite different according to ethnic groups. Smaller rates of carriers were found among Europeans (1.1%) than among Melanesians (7.6%) as well as Polynesians (7.7%). There is a relation between H. B. s. carrier state and positive treponema serology, the latter occurring more frequently among melanesian and polynesian groups.

Cancer incidence in the islands of the Pacific.

The South Pacific Commission Cancer Registry has been operational since 1977, and reasonably complete cancer incidence rates are available for New Caledonia, Fiji, Micronesia, the Cook Islands, and Niue. In addition, less complete reporting is available from American Samoa, Papua New Guinea, and French Polynesia. Cancers of the lung, oral cavity, esophagus, liver, and cervix are potentially preventable but prevalent in many Pacific island countries. Unusually low rates of many cancers were observed in Fiji, the most notable being lung and colon-rectum. Thyroid cancer rates are elevated in some but not all female populations. These and other variations in cancer by site are important areas for further research.