1. Pyogenic infection of the intervertebral disc in fifteen patients is described. 2. The importance of certain radiological signs in establishing the diagnosis is discussed. 3. Delayed diagnosis is believed to be responsible for the high incidence of paraplegia in this condition. 4. The place of operation in the management of this lesion is considered

A case is reported of a young girl who presented with macrodactyly of the right middle finger and tumour masses on the palmar side of both interphalangeal joints. The lesions were fibrocartilaginous and appeared to be hyperplastic palmar plates. The macrodactyly and the hyperplasia of the palmar plates were attributed to trauma

1. Four cases of sural nerve entrapment lesions in the ankle and foot are reported. 2. All the patients gained complete relief of symptoms following neurolysis. 3. The presence of a ganglion in relation to the sural nerve in the ankle and foot is a helpful sign in the diagnosis of this condition

A case of bilateral congenital pseudarthrosis of the olecranon is described. The clinical features, radiological appearance and prognosis are distinct from the type of congenital pseudarthrosis of the forearm reported previously. The lesion appeared to be a localised failure of ossification within the proximal ulnar metaphysis. Excision, stabilisation and bone grafting led to rapid fusion

Glomus tumours are rare and benign, arising from a neuromyoarterial glomus body, most commonly in the hand. We report a patient with such a tumour in an atypical site, the right vastus lateralis. Pain was aggravated by muscle contraction, and ultrasonography and MRI were required to locate the lesion accurately. Surgical excision gave immediate pain relief

1. An ancillary diagnostic technique using Fluorine-l8 or Strontium-87m is described, and has assisted in the correct diagnosis of fifty-two patients admitted with the provisional diagnosis of infective spondylitis. 2. The technique is of particular value in the assessment of reactivation of chronic spinal infections and in the differential diagnosis of atypical lesions

1. Tarsal bone disintegration is a progressive disorder that affects a high proportion of leprosy patients. 2. Early detection and treatment by immobilisation permit healing with minimal deformity or disability. 3. Feet with advanced lesions can be similarly treated with a satisfactory outcome and amputation is not needed

1. Eight cases of solitary eosinophilic granuloma of bone are described, along with two possible complications. 2. The main pathological, clinical, and radiographic features of the condition, and its treatment, are discussed. 3. The essentially benign course of the solitary lesion, even in the presence of complications, is confirmed

1. The clinical, radiographic and pathological features of aneurysmal bone cyst are described and illustrated by case reports. 2. Reasons are given for accepting the lesion as a clinical and pathological entity. 3. The cyst has a tendency to spontaneous regression and healing may occur after partial excision

1. An attempt has been made to correlate the radiographic appearances and the morbid anatomy of the cystic changes that occur in the head of the femur in advanced osteoarthritis. 2. The suggestion is made that these lesions are foci of traumatic bone necrosis. Repair may be complicated by the subsequent entrance of synovial fluid through defects in the surface

A case of Dupuytren's contracture is described, in which, both clinically and histologically, knuckle pad lesions involved the extensor tendons. Surgical excision of the Dupuytren's tissue from the dorsal aspect of the proximal interphalangeal joints, freeing of the lateral extensor slips and posterior capsulotomy resulted in marked functional improvement

1. An example of haematogenous tuberculous lesion of striated muscle is described. 2. Its rarity is stressed and pathological details described. 3. Some of the theories for the refractory reaction of muscle tissue to tuberculous infection are discussed, and experimental work is reviewed. 4. The prognosis, treatment, and the relationship of the disease to trauma are considered

While it is not denied that immobilisation of a diseased joint may be essential, there is a growing mass of evidence that immobilisation in recumbency of the whole patient has severe effects both in the neighbourhood of the actual lesion and upon the skeleton as a whole. Further search for measures to counteract the undesirable skeletal effects of recumbency is much needed

It is suggested that there is a group of cases of congenital angulation of tubular bones in which the lesion is a defect of ossification of the primary cartilaginous anlage and in which neurofibromatosis is not implicated. It appears that in this group the prognosis with regard to the resolution of deformity and the prevention of pseudarthrosis with conservative treatment or relatively simple surgical procedures is better than that in the neurofibromatous type

We have treated seven patients with cryptococcal spondylitis. Five presented with a neurological deficit and one was HIV-positive. Amphotericin-B and 5-flucytosine were used in five patients and ketoconazole was given orally in the remaining two. Three patients made a complete neurological recovery. Since these lesions mimic spinal tuberculosis, which is commonly seen in our environment, we draw attention to the importance of obtaining a tissue diagnosis

We present a case of subperiosteal giant-cell reparative granuloma followed over six years showing the complete evolution from the early phase of subperiosteal haematoma to the end stage of an ossified haematoma. Such lesions, although they are histologically similar to true giant-cell tumours, can be distinguished by the patients' age, their location on the diaphysis, and by their radiological and histological features

1. The case of a girl aged sixteen years who avulsed the iliacus muscle from the ilium during a gymnastic exercise is reported. 2. The lesion was complicated by paralysis of the femoral nerve from pressure by the haematoma. Recovery occurred after decompression. 3. Reports of similar cases from the literature are reviewed

We present three children with primary subacute epiphyseal and metaepiphyseal osteomyelitis. The diagnosis was delayed because of subtle radiological findings and mild general symptoms. Primary epiphyseal osteomyelitis is extremely rare. We believe that this is the first time that the MRI findings have been presented. In the first case they revealed a perforation into the knee and therefore an intra-articular epiphyseal approach was used for debridement. In the second and third cases the metaepiphyseal lesions showed considerable physical involvement and a metaphyseal approach was chosen. We believe that in this condition MRI is essential both for diagnosis and in the planning of surgical treatment

A case of paraplegia presumed on clinical grounds to be due to bilharziasis is reported. The patient was treated with antibilharzial drugs and steroids. She has been followed up for eight years and has recovered almost completely. The literature is reviewed, and the incidence and types of spinal lesion, the possible routes of infection and the diagnosis and treatment are discussed

1. Two cases of lateral dislocation of the radio-humeral joint with greenstick fracture of the upper end of the ulna are described. 2. One case was complicated by a radial nerve lesion. 3. Treatment was by reduction under general anaesthesia and resting the elbow in a collar and cuff sling. Full recovery was present in six weeks