Morphometric Study of the Skull of the Greater Cane Rat (Thryonomys swinderianus, Temmnick)

This study was designed to investigate some morphometric characteristics of the skull of the Greater cane rat (GCR) involving 30 morphometric parameters. A total of 10 adult GCR were used for this study comprising of both sexes (5 males and 5 females). Student t-test was used to analyze the values obtained and to determine differences between the sexes. Morphological features were found in the zygomatic bone which occurred as a large and thick bone on both ends. From 30 parameters analyzed, 12 were statistically significant (p≤ 0.05) between both sexes, confirming the presence of sexual dimorphism in the skull of this rodent. This study provided baseline research data on the typology of the skull of the GCR.KEYWORDS: Greater cane rat, morphometry, skull, sexual dimorphism, craniometry

Childhood acute non-traumatic coma: aetiology and challenges in management in resource-poor countries of Africa and Asia

OBJECTIVE: This review examines the best available evidence on the aetiology of childhood acute non-traumatic coma in resource-poor countries (RPCs), discusses the challenges associated with management, and explores strategies to address them. METHODS: Publications in English and French which reported on studies on the aetiology of childhood non-traumatic coma in RPCs are reviewed. Primarily, the MEDLINE database was searched using the keywords coma, unconsciousness, causality, aetiology, child, malaria cerebral, meningitis, encephalitis, Africa, Asia, and developing countries. RESULTS: 14 records were identified for inclusion in the review. Cerebral malaria (CM) was the commonest cause of childhood coma in most of the studies conducted in Africa. Acute bacterial meningitis (ABM) was the second most common known cause of coma in seven of the African studies. Of the studies in Asia, encephalitides were the commonest cause of coma in two studies in India, and ABM was the commonest cause of coma in Pakistan. Streptococcus pneumoniae was the most commonly isolated organism in ABM. Japanese encephalitis, dengue fever and enteroviruses were the viral agents most commonly isolated. CONCLUSION: Accurate diagnosis of the aetiology of childhood coma in RPCs is complicated by overlap in clinical presentation, limited diagnostic resources, disease endemicity and co-morbidity. For improved outcomes, studies are needed to further elucidate the aetiology of childhood coma in RPCs, explore simple and practical diagnostic tools, and investigate the most appropriate specific and supportive interventions to manage and prevent infectious encephalopathies