Whipple's disease. A classic case report and review of the literature.

We report the case of a 43-year-old carpenter with abdominal complaints and progressive weight loss. The HLA-B27 positive male had been suffering migratory arthropathy for five years, only partially under control with corticosteroids and methotrexate therapy. Endoscopic investigation showed dark staining of the duodenal mucosa and the ileal mucosa had an erythematous aspect with multiple white spots.

[Evaluation of a decade of neonatal screening for congenital hypothyroidism in The Netherlands].

Objective: Evaluation of the Dutch screening programme for congenital hypothyroidism (CH).

Design: Descriptive.

Setting: Nationwide.

Patterns of use of obstetrical interventions in 12 countries.

Recent obstetrical practice trends in 12 countries were surveyed. There was a 3-fold difference in caesarean section rates and a 10-fold difference in instrumental vaginal delivery rates among countries. There was a net increase in the caesarean section rate of all countries over the study period and a net decrease in the instrumental vaginal delivery rate of some countries.

Children with special needs in The Netherlands: impaired hearing, adolescent pregnancy, and myelomeningocele.

In the Netherlands, treatment and management of children with special needs is characterized by the absence of financial barriers to care and the existence of a number of specialized services. For hearing-impaired children, there are special audiologic centers and special schools. Adolescents at risk of unintended pregnancy are protected through education and a dedicated system of family planning clinics.