[Upper thoracic sympathectomy by thoracoscopic approach. A method of choice for the treatment of palmar hyperhidrosis].

Palmar hyperhidrosis is excessive sweating beyond physiological needs in the palm without recognized etiology. Although a benign disease, it is annoying to most patients. Currently the best treatment for this condition is upper thoracic sympathectomy via many different approaches.

[Volvulus of the transverse colon. Apropos of three cases].

Volvulus of the transverse colon is a very rare entity, representing 1 to 3.4% of all volvuli of the colon. We report three cases illustrating the problems of this pathology.

[Is enterolithiasis a disease occurring more frequently in desert climate? Apropos of 8 cases].

This work is a report about 8 cases of enterolithiasis treated in our University Hospital between 1980 and 1990. We emphasize the rarity of this condition. We also note its relative frequency (5 of 8 cases) in the Bedouin population of our mostly desertic area, and question the possible impact of a diet rich in goat's milk and/or of tuberculosis, which is still endemic in some tribes.

[Cystadenocarcinoma with peritoneal involvement (pseudomyxoma peritonei). Is surgical resection alone sufficient?].

We present our experience of 10 cases of pseudomyxoma peritonei treated in our regional hospital between 1978 and 1992. We note the rarity of this disease; the catastrophic macroscopic appearance may mislead the in experienced surgeon. Preoperative diagnosis is usually easy when confronted with a mass in an ascitic abdomen, with the help of ultrasonography and CT-scan, and above all after abdominal puncture which produces pathognomonic gelatinous fluid.