[Contrast-enhanced cardiac magnetic resonance in patients with acute myocarditis].

Background: Acute myocarditis is a serious condition that is challenging to diagnose. Recent developments in contrast-enhanced cardiac magnetic resonance imaging (ce-MRI) enable visualization of myocardial damage in patients with myocarditis. The objective of this study was to identify patients in whom ce-MRI could be useful to reach such a diagnosis.

[Patch testing and nickel allergy].

Background: The prevalence of contact allergy varies between populations.

Material And Methods: 857 patients were tested for contact allergy (epicutantest; patch test) at the Department of Dermatology, Stavanger University Hospital in 2001 and 2002. Finn Chambers were placed on the upper part of the back, removed after 48 hrs and read after an additional 24 hrs.

[Surgical treatment of liver metastases from colorectal cancer].

Background: The liver is the most common location for metastases from colorectal cancer. Current treatment options (i.e.

[Hand function after surgery for flexor tendon injuries].

Background: Flexor tendon injuries are difficult to treat and the postoperative results have traditionally been poor.

Material And Methods: The article presents postoperative results (11-22 months) after surgical treatment of injured flexor tendons at Stavanger University Hospital. 32 injuries in 30 patients met the inclusion criteria; 23 of these patients responded to letters and telephone contacts.

[Surveillance after curative resection for colorectal cancer].

Background: Colorectal cancer is one of the most frequent cancers in the Western world. Systematic surveillance after curative resection is common practice in Norway. The article presents the scientific grounds for surveillance in general, and for the Norwegian guidelines in particular.

[Sentinel lymph nodes in colorectal cancer].

Background: Metastasis in regional lymph nodes is one of the most important prognostic factors in colorectal cancer. Nevertheless, recurrence may be expected in about 20% of lymph-node-negative patients. Detection of the lymph node(s) most likely to contain potential metastases, denoted the sentinel node(s), would be expected to contribute to the identification of patients with poor prognosis even if they have no lymph node metastases detected by routine analysis.

[Genetics and molecular classification of colorectal cancer].

Background: Colorectal cancer is a genetic disease for which the adenoma-carcinoma-sequence has served as a teaching model. This article presents an update on carcinogenesis and classification, according to the increased understanding of precursors and the improved insight into molecular biological mechanisms.

Material And Methods: Literature from 1.

[Insulin infusion for critically ill patients].

Background: Stress, acute illness and surgery are known to increase blood sugar. Hyperglycaemia in critically ill patients is associated with increased mortality irrespective of diabetes status. The effect of treating critically ill patients with insulin infusions has been assessed in many randomised trials in recent years.

[Recurrent fever episodes in a small boy].

Background: Controlled studies of tonsillectomy in children with periodic fever syndrome (PFAPA) have not been reported, but some retrospective studies suggest that a substantial number of fever episodes have ceased after tonsillectomy. A boy diagnosed with PFAPA is presented.

Case Presentation: The boy had a history of recurrent fever every third week from one year of age.

[Periodic fever syndrome in children].

Background: In children with recurrent episodes of fever, the cause may be the periodic fever syndrome (PFAPA-syndrome). The condition is not uncommon, and awareness of the syndrome is important for avoiding unnecessary investigations and treatment. The article presents an overview of the PFAPA-syndrome.

[Allergy vaccination in Norway].

Background: Allergen-specific immunotherapy is an important treatment option for severe allergy to air-borne allergens and insects, but is less used in Norway than in other Scandinavian countries.

Material And Methods: A questionnaire was sent to hospitals and private centres that offered immunotherapy in 2005. The number of patients treated, treatment regimes, the allergens used for immunotherapy and the occurrence of systemic side effects during treatment were recorded.

[Precursors to pancreatic cancer].

Background: Pancreatic adenocarcinoma is a relatively frequent cancer with an extremely poor prognosis. Until recently, the natural history of pancreatic adenocarcinoma has not been possible to study, but the identification of precursor lesions (pancreatic intraepithelial neoplasia, PanIN) has lead to a better understanding of the stepwise morphological and genetic alterations involved in the development of invasive adenocarcinoma.

Material And Methods: Relevant literature from the period of 1996-2005 was found by searching the Medline database, combining the terms "pancreas", "cancer", "PanIN" and "neoplasia".

[Lars Hertervig and Carl Fredrik Hill--creativeness and mental illness].

It seems to be a correlation between creativity and mental illnesses like manic-depressive illness and schizophrenia. The reason for this is partly unknown, but neuropsychological investigations have proposed mechanisms which could help to explain this association. Lars Hertervig (1830-1902) and Carl Fredrik Hill (1849-1911) are two famous Scandinavian landscape painters from the end of the 19th century, both of whom suffered from mental illness.

[A 90-year-old woman with acute abdomen].

Bowel strangulation is defined as mechanical obstruction associated with compromised blood circulation of the bowel wall. Delayed diagnosis and treatment are the main causes of the high mortality. A 90-year-old woman was admitted to our hospital with acute abdominal pain.

[Appendiceal mucinous cystadenoma].

Background: Appendiceal neoplasms are rare. Patients may present with clinical symptoms suggestive of "acute appendicitis" or other unspecific abdominal complaints. An appendiceal mucinous neoplasia is sometimes diagnosed during a laparotomy performed on another indication.