[Benign cystic mesothelioma, a rare tumor of the peritoneum].

We report the case of a 28-year-old woman, who presented with acute abdominal and pelvic pain, the appearance of appendicitis. Because of her symptoms urgent operation was performed. Appendicetomy was performed, during the operation multiple cystic lesions were discovered on the right ovary and the peritoneal surface of the mesentery.

The problem of comparative analysis of birth prevalence of congenital cardiovascular malformations.

A number of published papers have dealt with the comparison of birth prevalences of congenital cardiovascular malformation (CCVMs). The feasibility of meaningful intercountry comparison was explored during the visiting fellowships to Dr Andrew Czeizel of Charlotte Ferencz and Dr Francine Lys. Data from three Hungarian studies, one USA and one Belgian study are presented here for selected CCVMs.

Subclassification of acute lymphoblastic leukaemia in children: analysis of the reproducibility of morphological criteria and prognostic implications.

Stained smears of aspirated bone marrow obtained at time of diagnosis from 223 children with acute leukaemia were reviewed independently by three observers in a double-blind fashion in order to assess the reproducibility and clinical significance of the French-American-British Cooperative Group Classification. In 170 cases of acute lymphoblastic leukaemia (ALL), triple agreement of 69.4% was reached in the subclassification into L1, L2, and L3 types.

Sickle cell syndromes. I. Hemoglobin SC-alpha-thalassemia.

Hematologic and globin synthesis studies were performed in a black American family in which the genes for alpha-thalassemia and hemoglobins (Hb) S and C were segregating. The following distribution of these abnormalities was found: father, sickle cell trait + alpha-thalassemia; mother, HbC trait + alpha-thalassemia, propositus, HbSC + alpha-thalassemia; older sibling, alpha-thalassemia trait; and younger sibling, hemoglobin H disease. The child with HbSC-alpha-thalassemia demonstrated more severe anemia and a more hemolytic picture than is typical of HbSC disease.

Evaluation of Fagara zanthoxyloides root extract in sickle cell anemia blood in vitro.

An aqueous extract was prepared from roots of Fagara zanthoxyloides and examined for evidence of an antisickling effect in vitro. Addition of 25 mg/ml of the extract to fresh blood samples from sickle anemia subjects produced no change in the blood oxygen dissociation curves, and approximately equal percentages of sickled cells were observed at comparable oxygen saturation levels in the presence or absence of the extract. These observations fail to confirm previous reports describing an antisickling effect of root extracts of Fagara zanthoxyloides.