Inguinal herniotomy in young infants.

Ninety-two consecutive infants aged up to 12 months underwent primary inguinal herniotomy over a 5-year period. All were treated in a district hospital paediatric surgical unit according to recommendations of the British Association of Paediatric Surgeons. After a mean follow-up of 45.

Direct cephalic vein cannulation for safe subclavian access.

Over a 2-year period we have successfully inserted 70 subclavian catheters in 68 patients from 76 attempts by cephalic vein cutdown. There were no complications of catheter insertion although 40% were inserted by junior surgeons (mean survival of catheters was 16.5 days) and in 30% of patients the catheter was removed before the completion of treatment for both infective and other complications.

Luteinising hormone releasing hormone for incomplete descent of the testis.

Forty boys with 54 incompletely descended testes took part in a double blind, controlled trial of intranasal luteinising hormone releasing hormone. In the control (placebo) group of 18 boys there was no significant change in testicular descent and all required orchidopexy; in the 22 treated boys, however, 12 of 29 testes (42%) were found in a lower position. This study supports the idea that a trial of intranasal luteinising hormone releasing hormone (1200 micrograms/day for 28 days) will help clarify the need for orchidopexy in at least 30% of boys with incomplete descent of the testis, particularly those in whom the testes have emerged from the inguinal canal.