Incorporating hearing screening to an otolaryngology surgical mission in the rural Dominican Republic.

Introduction: Hearing loss disproportionately affects low- and middle-income countries. Children with undiagnosed hearing loss may have difficulty with learning, language development, and behavior. The aim of this study was to understand the extent of hearing loss and common otologic disorders among school-age children in the rural western region of the Dominican Republic and to chronical the early stages of a limited-resource, locally-sustained hearing screening program in tandem with a bi-annual surgical mission.

The role of and in the evolution of novel fin morphologies in a representative batoid ().

Background: Batoids exhibit unique body plans with derived fin morphologies, such as the anteriorly expanded pectoral fins that fuse to the head, or distally extended anterior pelvic fin lobes used for a modified swimming technique utilized by skates (Rajidae). The little skate (), exhibits both of these unique fin morphologies. These fin modifications are not present in a typical shark body plan, and little is known regarding the mechanisms underlying their development.

Dracunculiasis of the breast: radiological manifestations of a rare disease.

Dracunculiasis of the breast is a rare manifestation of prior infection with the parasite dracunculus medinensis (guinea worm). We describe a case of a 60- year-old woman, who had recently emigrated from Cameroon. She presented for an annual screening mammogram and was found to have coarse linear or coiled serpiginous calcifications.

Carcinoma of the breast in men.

Male breast cancer is an uncommon disease of uncertain etiology. We describe a 66-year-old man who presented with a palpable mass in the left breast with associated nipple inversion. Mammographic images demonstrated a spiculated mass within the subareolar left breast at the palpable area of concern.