A standardised pathway for the surveillance of stable vestibular schwannoma.

Introduction Conservative management of patients with a stable vestibular schwannoma (VS) places a significant burden on National Health Service (NHS) resources and yet patients' surveillance management is often inconsistent. Our unit has developed a standardised pathway to guide surveillance imaging of patients with stable VS. In this article, we provide the basis for our imaging protocol by reviewing the measurement, natural history and growth patterns of VS, and we present a cost analysis of implementing the pathway both regionally and nationally.

Treatment of Trombicula autumnalis infestation in dogs and cats with a 0.25 per cent fipronil pump spray.

To evaluate the efficacy of fipronil in controlling trombiculid infestations, 18 dogs and three cats infested with Trombicula autumnalis larvae were treated monthly from examination to the end of the Trombicula season (range one to four months) with a 0.25 per cent fipronil spray applied to the whole body, with particular emphasis on the feet, face, ears, perineum and tail. No other antiparasite measures were used.

5-Hydroxyindole-secreting rectal carcinoid tumour.

A patient with a 5-hydroxyindole-secreting rectal carcinoid tumour is described, the second on record. There was no clinical evidence of carcinoid syndrome. Prostaglandin-like substances were isolated from hepatic metastases.

SUBCUTANEOUS INFECTION DUE TO ASPERGILLUS TERREUS.

A case of subcutaneous infection by Aspergillus terreus is reported. Pus from the lesion contained spherules which did not appear to be related to the aspergillus. The nature of the spherules is discussed.