Whole-gut irrigation as a preparation for colorectal surgery.

Whole-gut irrigation was used to prepare 43 patients for colorectal surgery. Antibiotics were used pre-operatively in the first group and added to the irrigation fluid in the second. The condition of the bowel lumen was regarded as perfect or good in 87,2% of cases, and the total sepsis rate was 15,4%. The results are regarded as a significant improvement on conventional methods of bowel preparation.

Benign hypertrophic gastropathy: ménétrier's disease in childhood and adolescence.

Menetrier's disease (hypertrophic gastropathy) in patients under the age of 20 years is rare. A case is described and the features of the condition found in 11 young patients are discussed. The patients, when seen, are usually in acute abdominal pain and vomiting or edema due to hypoproteinemia is present. Eosinophila was found in half of the recorded cases and the cause in these cases may be due to hypersensitivity. Anemia is common and hypoproteinemia usually found. There is a distinct male predominance and patients are usually Caucasians. Our patient is the second black male youth recorded with this disease. The distinction from adult Menetrier's disease is its benign nature in this age group and complete clinical recovery is the rule. The term benign hypertrophic gastropathy is suggested.

Benign duodenocolic fistula. A report of 3 cases.

Duodenocolic fistulae, although often malignant in aetiology, may result from a wide range of relatively benign disease processes. A report is given of 3 patients with benign duodenocolic fistulae, in 2 on the basis of tuberculosis and in 1 after a duodenal ulcer. The subject is reviewed and the ease of management and good prognosis are stressed.

Peritoneoscopy in the management of breast cancer.

Peritoneoscopy has been recommended by the Combined Breast Clinic at the Provincial Hospital, Port Elizabeth, since 1975, mainly to confirm or exclude metastatic involvement of the liver. Experience with 27 procedures is reviewed. Peritoneoscopy is shown to be a useful aid in the staging and management of selected cases of breast cancer. Positive findings, confirmed by histological examination, were recorded for 5 patients. Negative findings in 22 patients were equally helpful, and were found to be reliable, in that none of these patients had evidence of liver involvement during the follow-up period, while in 5 patients there was evidence of metastases elsewhere.