Parallel import regulations in Georgia

The report is devoted to the peculiarities of regulation of paralle

Advanced oesophageal cancer treated with endoscopic stent insertion: A case report

The majority of oesophageal cancers are squamous cell carcinomas. They have a poor prognosis. Dysphagia is regarded as the most distressing symptom of oesophageal cancer, with a profound impact on quality of life. Insertion of a self-expanding metal stent (SEMS) is one of the most effective ways to relieve dysphagia. We present a case of advanced oesophageal cancer in which a SEMS was inserted using a modified endoscopic technique

A rare case of follicular thyroid carcinoma with metastasis to the scalp

Follicular thyroid carcinoma accounts for 10% of thyroid carcinomas. Cutaneous metastases are rare and usually indicate an advanced tumour stage. We present a case of follicular thyroid carcinoma with scalp metastases

An unusual case of pyogenic liver abscess during pregnancy

Pyogenic liver abscess (PLA) is a condition involving bacterial abscess formation within the liver parenchyma. Despite significant changes in medicine involving improved diagnostic techniques and management strategies, the incidence of PLA has remained largely unchanged.  We present an unusual case of PLA during pregnancy

An audit on the preliminary results of endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography performed in the Limpopo Academic Complex, Polokwane, South Africa

Background. Endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) is an endoscopic procedure that is an important treatment modality for the management of hepatic, pancreatic and biliary diseases. The ERCP unit in the Limpopo Academic Complex in Polokwane, South Africa, was established at the end of 2021. Objectives. To identify areas for improvement in the new ERCP unit. Methods. All ERCP procedures were audited in five components: (i) room set-up; (ii) endoscope, guidewires and consumable accessories; (iii) fluoroscopy; (iv) sedation and analgesia; and (v) ERCP endoscopist and staff. These were considered the essential pillars of an ERCP unit. The quality of each component was graded in every ERCP procedure as grade 1 (very poor), grade 2 (below average), grade 3 (average), grade 4 (above average), and grade 5 (highly satisfactory). Results. Nine therapeutic ERCP procedures were performed during the period 10 January - 31 May 2022. Eighteen theatre slots were allocated for ERCP procedures during the study period, but only seven of them were utilised. The quality of ERCP unit components was highest for the sedation and analgesia component (mean grade of 4) and lowest for fluoroscopy (mean 1.8). Conclusion. Establishing a new ERCP service is a task with many challenges. We present the preliminary results of the Limpopo Academic Complex ERCP unit with a view to adding our experience to the current knowledge

Retrosternal goitre at Pietersburg Hospital, Limpopo Province, South Africa: A case report

Retrosternal goitre presents in 2 - 19% of all thyroidectomies. Surgical removal is the treatment of choice. We report a case of an anterior retrosternal goitre, which was removed by a combined cervical/sternotomy approach

Maturation of sleep homeostasis in developing rats: a role for preoptic area neurons

The present study evaluated the hypothesis that developmental changes in hypothalamic sleep-regulatory neuronal circuits contribute to the maturation of sleep homeostasis in rats during the fourth postnatal week. In a longitudinal study, we quantified electrographic measures of sleep during baseline and in response to sleep deprivation (SD) on postnatal days 21/29 (P21/29) and P22/30 (experiment 1). During 24-h baseline recordings on P21, total sleep time (TST) during the light and dark phases did not differ significantly. On P29, TST during the light phase was significantly higher than during the dark phase. Mean duration of non-rapid-eye-movement (NREM) sleep bouts was significantly longer on P29 vs. P21, indicating improved sleep consolidation. On both P22 and P30, rats exhibited increased NREM sleep amounts and NREM electroencephalogram delta power during recovery sleep (RS) compared with baseline. Increased NREM sleep bout length during RS was observed only on P30. In experiment 2, we quantified activity of GABAergic neurons in median preoptic nucleus (MnPN) and ventrolateral preoptic area (VLPO) during SD and RS in separate groups of P22 and P30 rats using c-Fos and glutamic acid decarboxylase (GAD) immunohistochemistry. In P22 rats, numbers of Fos+GAD+ neurons in VLPO did not differ among experimental conditions. In P30 rats, Fos+GAD+ counts in VLPO were elevated during RS. MnPN neuronal activity was state-dependent in P22 rats, but Fos+GAD+ cell counts were higher in P30 rats. These findings support the hypothesis that functional emergence of preoptic sleep-regulatory neurons contributes to the maturation of sleep homeostasis in the developing rat brain