A case of compound intussusceptions in a Nigerian child – a rare finding in a common disease

Intussusception is the most common, non-congenital, cause of intestinal obstruction in infants. There are various patterns of intussusception seen in children with the most common being ileo-colic variety. Compound intussusception in which intussusception involves more than one non-adjacent segment is a rare finding in the literature and it can be associated with worse morbidity than typically occurs, especially in a region where delayed presentation is a major contributor to morbidity and mortality in the treatment of intestinal obstruction.We report the first documented case of double compound intussusception in an African child and reviewed relevant literature.Keywords: Antegrade and retrograde; Children; Compound; Intussusceptio

Effects of core strengthening exercises on dynamic balance and gait speed in stroke survivors

Independent ambulation is the ultimate goal of post-stroke rehabilitation, of which dynamic balance is a primary requirement. Core stability is said to be essential to balance and independent ambulation, however, core strengthening exercises have often been omitted in stroke rehabilitation. The study sought to determine the effects of core strengthening exercises on dynamic balance and gait speed in stroke survivors. A total of 48 stroke survivors participated in this study. A simple random sampling in which participants were consecutively allocated into experimental and control groups was employed. The experimental group received core strengthening exercise in addition to conventional exercise while the control group had conventional exercise only. Dynamic balance was measured by maximum reach distances and gait speed was evaluated using 10-mteres walk test. Assessment of dynamic balance and gait speed was performed before treatment and six weeks after. There was no significant difference in dynamic balance and gait speed between both groups (P>0.05 in each).Significant differences in dynamic balance measures and gait speed were found between pre-test and post-test values of each of experimental and control groups (p<0.05). A holistic approach targeting all the core muscle groups and their corresponding motions should be adopted when executing core strengthening exercise.Keywords: Stroke, Core strengthening, Exercise, Dynamic balance, Gai

Variation in adiposity indices, fitness index and Q-angle with types of contact sports

Common to every sport is the quest for high performance and desire to avoid injury. Low body adiposity has been connected to performance in sports, while increasing Q-angle is associated with increased lateral patella-femoral contact pressure and risk of knee injury. This non-experimental comparative study compared adiposity indices and Q-angle among football, volleyball and basketball players. A total of 68 male students comprising of 30 amateur footballers players, 19 amateur basketball players and 19 amateur volleyball players participated in the study. Selected and measured adiposity indices were body mass index, waist-hip ratio, percentage body fat, lean body mass and conicity index were measured among the participants. Results showed significant differences in body mass index (P=0.001), body fat (P<0.001), fat mass (P=0.002), fat free mass (P=0.04) and body adiposity index (P=0.001) among the participants groups, with volleyball players possessing significantly higher mean values for all adiposity indices. There was no significant difference in Q-angle among the three groups of players. It appears high body adiposity is common with volleyball players compared to basketball players. Volleyball players possess higher risk of obesity and poor physical fitness while risk of knee injury is not associated with any of sports at amateur level.Keywords: Adiposity, Fitness, Q-angle, Football, Volleyball, Basketbal

Cauda equina paraganglioma in pregnancy. Case presentation and review of literature

Extra-adrenal Paragangliomas (EAP) are a subset of neuroendocrine tumours. They may arise in a variety of locations in the body. Paragangliomas in the cauda equina region are uncommon, more so is their occurrence during pregnancy. We present a cauda equina paraganglioma arising in a young pregnant female who presented with back pain, constipation and paraparesis. The MRI showed a lumbosacral intradural extramedullary mass. She underwent surgery - a laminectomy, and the mass was removed. Histology with Immunohistochemistry confirmed the diagnosis of Paraganglioma. This article highlights multidisciplinary management of low back pain coexisting with neurological deficits in pregnancy. It is emphasized that early diagnosis and appropriate management significantly reduce maternal and fetal mortalit

Incidental post-mortem finding of a vein of Galen aneurysm following a road traffic accident death with review of literature

Background: Vein of Galen aneurysmal malformations are rare childhood intracranial vascular anomalies. They account for less than 1% of cerebralvascular malformations.Case Report: A 7-year-old male presented with post traumatic altered sensorium and quadriparesis. Head and neck examinations showed macrocephaly, occipital scalp abrasions. Glasgow Coma Score was 9/15. Both pupils were 3mm bilaterally and reacted briskly to light. Cranial computed tomography (CT) scan was suggestive of obstructive hydrocephalus with a round spherical mass lesion in the pineal region. Clinical diagnosis of traumatic brain injury with incidental vascular malformation was made. He succumbed to his condition twelve hours into admission.Autopsy findings: At autopsy, the brain was enlarged with bilaterally symmetrical cerebral hemispheres. There was a fusiform aneurysmal dilatation of the left vein of Galen measuring 3.5cm in length, causing a depression in the inferior surface of the temporal region of the left cerebral hemisphere. Both cerebellar tonsils were prominent. Coronal sections through the left cerebral hemisphere showed expansion of white matter with a markedly dilated lateral ventricle. Focal areas of contusional hemorrhages within grey and white mater of the cerebral hemispheres were seen.Conclusion: Vein of Galen aneurysms may appear relatively asymptomatic with diagnosis dependent on imaging or a post-mortem examination