Dysthyroid eye disease masquerading as glaucoma.

Intraocular pressure (IOP) screening by optometrists is increasingly prevalent. Although a raised IOP usually signifies glaucoma there can be other causes, notably dysthyroid eye disease, which those screening should be aware of. The patients in the four cases presented were presumed to have glaucoma on the basis of raised IOPs, and three of them actually received medication.

Family screening for duplex kidneys.

Family screening was offered to the relatives of 57 patients with duplex renal systems and this resulted in the detection of another 37 cases. A further 5 first degree relatives had abnormal intravenous urography, so that 25% of the screened relatives had significant renal abnormalities. It is suggested that there may be a place for screening the whole family if renal tract duplex is detected.

Ocular involvement in giant cell arteritis.

Giant cell arteritis (GCA) is a systemic disease with a wide spectrum of clinical manifestations. Severe visual loss is the most frequent serious complication. This article reviews current ideas about GCA and in particular its ocular manifestations.

Preparing for the future.

Nursing is undergoing radical and fundamental changes. The impact of Project 2000 and the recruitment and retention of professional staff have profound implications for the delivery of patient care. All this is taking place in a service under threat from the demographic 'black hole' - the dearth of young people who will work in the health service due to the low birth rate in the early 1970s.

Pulmonary embolism--incidence and prognosis in hospitalized elderly.

In a retrospective study of 210 patients with pulmonary embolism diagnosed by ventilation perfusion lung scan or at post-mortem, the incidence of pulmonary embolism was greater in patients over 50 years old (1.4%; P less than 0.05).

An experimental investigation of the construct validity of the McGill Pain Questionnaire.

In order to circumvent problems with self-report measures of pain we conducted an experimental analysis of MPQ pain descriptors using a Stroop task. In this task subjects are asked to name the colours in which stimulus words are written. Previous research has demonstrated that words with emotional significance interfere (indexed by increased latencies to respond) with a person's ability to name the colour.

Domiciliary consultations: some facts and questions.

The domiciliary consultation scheme introduced at the start of the NHS enables joint consultation between a consultant and general practitioner in a patient's home when the patient cannot attend hospital on medical grounds. Consultants claim a fee from the NHS, general practitioners do not. Data from the Department of Health and Social Security on domiciliary consultations in England and Wales during 1981-6 were analysed.