IFOMPT's Educational Standards and International Monitoring: A member survey and review.

Background: The International Federation of Manual and Musculoskeletal Physical Therapists (IFOMPT) membership requires accreditation of countries postgraduate musculoskeletal physiotherapy programmes to meet IFOMPT's Educational Standards through International Monitoring. The Educational Standards and International Monitoring are both being reviewed.

Objectives: To seek insight and feedback from IFOMPT's membership on the Educational Standards and International Monitoring to inform the current review.

Wernicke's encephalopathy after vertical banded gastroplasty for morbid obesity.

Thiamine deficiency is known to lead to certain neurological sequelae including Wernicke- Korsakoff encephalopathy. Signs attributable to this condition include ataxia, ophthalmoplegia, nystagmus, and mental confusion. Recognised predisposing conditions include alcoholism gastric carcinoma, pyloric obstruction, hyperemesis gravidarum, and prolonged intravenous feeding.

Ventilatory failure in myasthenia gravis.

This retrospective study over the decade 1969-1978 examines the precipitating factors and outcome in thirty-one patients with myasthenia gravis who developed ventilatory failure. An unusual example of chronic alveolar hypoventilation is discussed in detail. The most favourable outcome occurred in younger patients with a hyperplastic thymus, in contrast to a poorer outlook for older patients with an atrophic gland.

Association between polyneuritis and multiple sclerosis.

We report two cases in which multiple sclerosis and inflammatory polyneuritis occurred separately, and suggest that this association supports the idea that the two conditions may have an aetiological link.

The thoracic outlet syndrome.

Thirty-one patients with thoracic outlet syndrome have been studied in detail in the neurological and vascular clinics at this hospital. The patients were classified on the basis of their presenting symptoms into four groups--predominantly vascular, neurological, combined vascular and neurological, and pain and paraesthesiae alone. The majority of patients had radiological abnormalities and all had structural lesions in the superior thoracic aperture seen at operation.

Abetalipoproteinaemia. A case report with pathological studies.

The clinical and pathological features of a case of abetalipoproteinaemia in a 38-year-old patient are described in detail. A feature not previously recorded was a marked reduction in the velocity of ocular horizontal saccadic movements. Pathological studies revealed an active chronic demyelinating process.

Unilateral cataplexy associated with systemic lupus erythematosus.

A patient with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) developed attacks of unilateral cataplexy precipitated by laughter. Unilateral cataplexy has not been described previously in detail and its association with SLE is unique. The clinical details, investigations, and diagnostic criteria are discussed and a causal relationship between cataplexy and SLE is suggested.

Eosinophilic leukaemia terminating with an encephalopathy.

A 52-year-old man developed an illness which lasted for 2 years until its fatal termination. It comprised in chronological order: mild asthma, skin irritation, mature eosinophilia in the peripheral blood, and finally an encephalopathy. The diagnostic problem of distinguishing between eosinophilic leukaemia and an eosinophilic leukaemoid reaction is discussed.

Meningitis as the presenting symptom of pituitary adenomata.

We have recently seen two patients, both men in their forties, who presented with a clinical picture of meningitis which was later found to be secondary to infarction of an underlying chromophobe adenoma of the pituitary.

Spinal cord compression following vertebral osteomyelitis due to Alkalescens-Dispar.

A case of osteomyelitis of the spine is described. A member of the Alkalescens-Dispar group was isolated from the lesion.