Cent Afr J Med

The surgical pathology of the appendix in South African blacks.

Year 1998
Muthuphei MN. Morwamoche P.
Ga-Rankuwa Hospital, Medunsa, South Africa.
OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to evaluate the type of pathology seen in appendices removed for acute appendicitis. DESIGN: A retrospective study. SETTINGS: Department of Anatomical Pathology at Ga-Rankuwa/Medunsa Academic Complex, Gauteng Province, South Africa. SUBJECTS: 408 Black patients who had appendectomy at Garankuwa Hospital. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Prevalence of appendicitis. RESULTS: Appendicitis was diagnosed in 65.7% of the cases of which 25% showed perforation. The disease was common in males and was predominantly seen in the second decade. Parasites were seen in 3.4% of cases and two benign tumours were seen. CONCLUSION: Appendicitis is common amongst urban South African Blacks and the pattern of the disease is similar to that observed in other African urban centres.

Foreign body causing chronic subacute small bowel obstruction: an unusual case from Harare Hospital.

Year 1998
Da Silva EJ. Golakai VK.
University of Zimbabwe Medical School, Department of Surgery/Harare Hospital, Zimbabwe.
This report describes the clinical presentation, diagnostic work up and surgical management of a rare case of a wedge-shaped organic foreign body found lodged transversely in the wall of the terminal ileum at laparotomy in a 74 year old woman operated on for segmental constrictive intestinal obstruction. The presence of foreign bodies in the gastro-intestinal tract as causative agents of intestinal obstruction is discussed.