Interventions included bronchoscopy, lymph node biopsy and mediastinoscopy.

RESULTS: Patient age ranged from 1 to 75 years; the majority were females and from minority ethnic groups. Contact history was positive in 76% of cases. Coughwas the most common symptom (50%); however, asymptomatic patients were also common (45%). Heaf test was positive in 99%. Right paratracheal

lymphadenopathy was common on chest X-ray and chest CT scan. Mediastinoscopy was performed in only 37 patients with definitive diagnosis.

CONCLUSION: MT should be suspected in adult asymptomatic immigrants presenting with mediastinal adenopathy and a strongly positive Raf inhibitor Heaf test. Trial of anti-tuberculosis treatment should be initiated and response should guide further management. Mediastinoscopy is required in only a minority of patients.”
“The three major techniques for a gastrostomy in children are open gastrostomy (OG), Pinometostat concentration percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy (PEG) and laparoscopic-assisted gastrostomy. Here, we have evaluated the outcome after OG and PEG in 69 children operated in Kuopio University Hospital.

The medical records of 69 consecutive

children who had either PEG (n = 56) or OG (n = 13) over an 18-year period (1990-2008) were reviewed.

There was no difference between the PEG- and OG-groups in the patients’ characteristics, indications for tube placement and hospital stay. Geneticin The mean procedure time was 43 min shorter in the PEG-group (28 +/- 38 min) than in the OG-group (71 +/- 58 min) (P = 0.003).

Four children (8%) in the PEG-group and one (8%) in the OG-group required later surgical interventions related to gastrostomy. Severe gastro-oesophageal reflux (GER) necessitating fundoplication was detected in 15 children (27%) in the PEG-group and in 7 children (54%) in the OG-group (P = 0.06).

The results of this study indicated a higher incidence for severe GER leading to fundoplication in children with OG, while no difference with complications and clinical outcome between the two techniques, OG and PEG, were observed.”
“OBJECTIVE: To characterise the prognosis and identify factors contributing to mortality in patients with tuberculous destroyed lung (TDL).

DESIGN: Following a retrospective review of clinical data and radiographic findings, 169 patients with TDL were enrolled in this study. All patients were graded on a 4-point scale (field score 1-4) based on the extent of destroyed lung parenchyma on chest radiography.

RESULTS: The mean patient age was 64 years (range 33 90); 103 (61%) were male. The median number of hospitalisations was 1 (range 0-11) during follow-up, with a mean duration of 31 months (range 0-172).