Diagnostic accuracy of organ electrodermal diagnostics

Objective. To estimate the diagnostic accuracy as well as the scope of utilisation of a new bio-electronic method of organ diagnostics.Design. Double-blind comparative study of the diagnostic results obtained by means of organ electrodermal diagnostics (OED) and clinical diagnoses, as a criterion standard.Setting. Department of Surgery, Helen Joseph Hospital, Johannesburg.Patients. 70 pre-selected inpatients of mean age 36 (SD =7) years with suspected pathology of one (or more) of the following organs: oesophagus, stomach, duodenum, biliary tract, pancreas, colon, kidneys and urinary tract. In total, 276 of the above mentioned internal organs were selected for statistical consideration. Main outcome measures. The difference between the so-called basic electrical impedance of the skin and the impedance value established for a particular organ projection area (the skin zone corresponding to a particular internal organ).Results. In total 250 true OED results were obtained from the 276 subjects considered: detection rate 90.6% (95% Cl 87.1 - 94.1 %). Established OED sensitivity was 91.8% (95% Cl 88.6 - 95.0%) and OED specificity equalled 89.9% (95% Cl 86.4 - 93.4%). The predictive value for positive OED results was 83.3% (95% Cl 78.9 - 87.7%) and for negative OED results 95.2% (95% Cl 92.0 - 98.4%). The OED results were affected neither by the type nor the aetiology of disease, i.e. OED estimates the actual extent of the pathological process within particular organs but does not explain the cause of pathology directly. No sideeffects of the OED examinations were observed.Conclusions. So-called organ projection areas do exist on the skin surface. The electrical impedance of the projection areas corresponding to diseased organs is increased, relative to that of healthy organ-related skin zones. The difference in impedance is proportional to the intensity of the pathological process. OED, which utilises these electrical phenomena of the skin, may detect diseased organs and estimate the extent of pathological process activity within these organs

Bowing fracture of the inferior angle of the scapula, a difficult diagnosis

A 4-year-old boy presented with swelling over the inferior tip of the scapula and an unclear history. Initial radiographic findings were concerning for an aggressive lesion. This case highlights how a multimodality imaging approach was used to relieve uncertainty by diagnosing a paediatric bowing type fracture of the scapular tip

Obesity and renal cancer incidence and mortality - a systematic review of prospective cohort studies

Introduction and objective. There have been many studies published recently on obesity and the risk of renal cancer; however, the epidemiological evidence for such an association has not been consistent. Therefore, a systematic review was conducted of the prospective cohort studies to assess the association between obesity and the risk of renal cancer incidence and death.Materials and methods. A search was conducted of the PubMed database and references to published studies from inception until May 2013. Guidelines for Assessing Quality in Prognostic Studies on the Basis of Framework for Potential Biases were followed for quality assessment of studies included in the systematic review.Results. Twenty eligible studies were identified and included in the systematic review. Among the 20 selected studies, overall study quality was high. Although the evidence from the prospective cohort studies, linking obesity with renal cancer incidence, has not been entirely consistent, there is a convincing body of data for a positive relationship. Moreover, cumulative data is compelling for a strong positive association between obesity and fatal renal cancer.Conclusions. There is a relatively consistent amount of evidence that obesity increases the risk of renal cancer and fatal renal cancer. Further research is needed as better understanding of mechanisms by which obesity may influence renal cancer development and progression will aid the fostering of strategies for prevention and treatment of one of the most lethal human malignancies