Cherubism and its charlatans.

Cherubism is a rare hereditary condition characterised by progressive cystic proliferation of the mandible and maxilla in childhood, followed by post-pubertal involution of the process and jaw remodelling in adulthood. Its name is derived from the cherubic appearance that results from the jaw hypertrophy. Here, we present the case of a young boy with cherubism, in the context of his pedigree, to illustrate the clinical characteristics and their variable expression.

Titanium mesh and bone dust calvarial patch during cranioplasty.

A technique of filling calvarial defects using bone dust reinforced with titanium Micro Mesh (Leibinger) was investigated using plain x-ray films and computed tomography (CT) in seven consecutive patients (age range, 7-21 years). The aim of our study was to assess whether, in the presence of the titanium, bone dust harvested with a power burr promotes persistent ossification that is comparable with adjacent bone. The mesh was localized by standard skull plain x-ray films, and orthogonal CT scans were obtained at between 9 and 18 months post-operatively.

Ultrasonography in the evaluation of neck abscesses in children.

A prospective study evaluating the benefits of preoperative ultrasonography of paediatric neck abscesses is presented. Twenty-three consecutive children who presented with suspected neck abscesses to the Accident and Emergency Department at the Temple Street Children's Hospital between 1990 and 1992 have been evaluated prospectively. On admission, ultrasonography showed a collection of pus in 11 children and these underwent incision and drainage.

Bismuth subgallate--its role in tonsillectomy.

There have been many attempts at identifying substances and describing methods that would assist the surgeon and be of benefit to the patient undergoing a tonsillectomy. The use of bismuth subgallate as a haemostatic adjunct during tonsillectomy has only been described previously in retrospective studies. A controlled prospective randomized trial of 100 paediatric patients, in which 50 patients had a tonsillectomy performed using bismuth subgallate as a haemostatic agent and in which the remainder did not have any associated haemostatic substance, is presented here.

Distal forearm fractures in children: the role of hand dominance.

A survey of 426 children with unilateral distal forearm fractures was performed to examine the role of hand dominance. Results showed a significant preponderance of fractures occurring in the non-dominant arm (p < .01).

Unusually placed oesophageal foreign body.

Oesophageal foreign bodies are common occurrences. A variety of cases have been reported in the past. We present here a unique case of an unusually placed foreign body.