Congenital syphilis, the great imitator-case report and review.

Syphilis is caused by a spirochaete bacterium called Treponema pallidum. Vertical transmission of spirochaetes can lead to congenital infection of the fetus in pregnant women who are inadequately treated or not treated at all, causing various clinical manifestations including stillbirth and neonatal death, cutaneous and visceral manifestations, or asymptomatic infection. We present a severe case of syphilis in a 3-month-old boy with skin lesions, portal hypertension, and anaemia.

In vitro evaluation of a new autologous valve-stent for deep venous incompetence.

Purpose: To report the results of in vitro hydrostatic bench testing of a new vein-stent combination to correct deep venous incompetence.

Methods: Twelve valves were constructed from a modified Palmaz stent encased in a segment of great saphenous vein harvested from patients during routine varicose vein surgery. An in vitro flow circuit was set up to evaluate opening and closing pressures (in cm H(2)O), and the valve was subsequently subjected to repetitive cycles of increasing prograde flow and reflux pressures.