Objective. Assaults by burning occur infrequently and are related to the social circumstances and demographics of each population. We aimed to explore the mechanisms, complications, morbidity and mortality associated with assault burn injuries admitted to the Burns Intensive Care Unit of Merheim University Hospital in Cologne.

The International Society for Burns Injuries (ISBI) has published guidelines for the management of multiple or mass burns casualties, and recommends that 'each country has or should have a disaster planning system that addresses its own particular needs.' The need for a national burns disaster plan integrated with national and ...

Aim. The purpose of this prospective study was to highlight some new findings about anatomical and morphological variations of the thyroid pyramidal lobe and to emphasise the necessity and importance of exploration of the visceral compartment of the neck and resection of this structure in primary thyroid operations.

We report the rare case of a lithopedion in an asymptomatic 69-yearold woman. Diagnosis was confirmed by plain abdominal X-ray. In view ofthe patient's age and symptomatology, we opted for conservative management with regular abdominal examination and imaging.

Sigmoid volvulus is common in some developing countries. We describe a new method of decompression using a Urograffin and saline enema with additional extra-abdominal manual massage.

The UCT Surgical Society, Africa's first student surgical society, is a student-managed academic society that promotes undergraduate interest in the field of surgery at the University of Cape Town. With over 700 members in 2009, it is one of the largest student surgical societies in the world. This article describes ...

Aim. To analyse the presentation and management of patients with gastro-intestinal stromal tumours (GISTs) at Pretoria hospitals.

Background. Surgery is the treatment of choice for symptomatic primary hyperparathyroidism. The majority of research concerning intra-operative parathyroid hormone (ioPTH) measurements is conducted in university hospitals. Whether ioPTH measurements are feasible and useful in predicting the presence of remaining hyperfunctioning parathyroid tissue in a non-academic hospital remains uncertain.

Background. Thyroglobulin (Tg) is used as a postoperative marker for the follow-up of patients with thyroid carcinoma, but there is no consensus regarding the value that may indicate possible recurrence.