Health-related quality of life and its determinants in patients with chronic low back pain at a tertiary hospital in Cameroon: a cross-sectional study.

Objective: To evaluate health-related quality of life (HRQoL) and its determinants in chronic low back pain (CLBP) patients in Cameroon.

Design: Observational cross-sectional study.

Setting: Tertiary hospital.

Factors influencing disability in patients with chronic low back pain attending a tertiary hospital in sub-Saharan Africa.

Background: Very little is known about the burden of chronic low back pain in Africa. This study aimed at assessing disability and associated factors in chronic low back patients in Cameroon.

Methods: We carried a hospital-based cross-sectional study including patients suffering from low back pain (LBP) of at least 12 weeks' duration.

Gastrointestinal surgery and the acquired immune deficiency syndrome.

Acquired immune-deficiency syndrome (AIDS) is becoming an increasing problem to the surgeon. The impact of HIV/AIDS on surgical practice include the undoubted risk to which the surgeon will expose him or herself, the atypical conditions that may be encountered and the outcome and long term benefit of the surgical treatment in view of disease progression. The two factors most associated with surgical outcome and poor wound healing were AIDS and poor performance status (ASA score).

A rare spontaneous enterocutaneous fistula.

A 70-year-old woman presented with a short history of a spontaneous enterocutaneos fistula in the left inguinal region. A laparotomy revealed a fistulizing Richter's hernia. The fistulizing small bowel segment was resected and the femoral hernia repaired from below.