OBJECTIVE: To report an unusual case of inferior vena cava obstruction secondary to urinary retention. METHODS/RESULTS: A 72-year-old male patient with a history of bilateral inguinal hernia and a recent hip surgery, presented with deep venous thrombosis in the left leg. A CT scan disclosed significant thickening of the bladder wall and grade III-IV hypertrophy of the prostate. Abdominal ultrasound disclosed a cystic mass compressing the vena cava and moderate ureterohydronephrosis. Edema spontaneously resolved following insertion of a urethral catheter and renal function returned to normal. CONCLUSION: Obstruction of the inferior vena cava secondary to an enlarged bladder is rare. To our knowledge only two such cases have been reported in the literature. In the case described herein, urinary retention may have been exacerbated by prostatic hypertrophy, anesthesia and bed confinement due to hip surgery.

Aged↗

PubMedDate not supplied

[Olfactory cortical evoked potentials].

The objective evaluation of smell is the least used functional ear, nose and throat exploration. Evoked potentials can be recorded after chemical olfactory stimulation using a method similar to recording cortical auditory evoked potentials. Our results with this technique and peppermint oil as the stimulant were fully satisfactory. In 10 patients with normal smell, a characteristic wave with a long latency was recorded in the absence of auditory and visual stimuli. In contrast, in 10 anosmic patients this characteristic recording was absent. The easy recording technique proposed here can be useful for olfactory assessment of objective disorders, detection of malingers, and medical-legal reports.

Adult↗

PubMedDate not supplied

[Micrographic recordings in the caloric test].

We report 97 cases of micrographic nystagmus recordings elicited by the caloric test. This response was found in 27% of patients examined for dizziness. The main feature of these tracings was low amplitude. Patients had a mean age of 55 years, frequent episodes of instability related with head movements, and perception of imbalance during walking which was described as being like drunkenness. No noteworthy audiological findings were observed, but there were signs of cervical bone lesions on radiography, scanning, vertebral Doppler, and MRI. The special organization of the arterial system of the inner ear as a terminal system make it sensitive to hemodynamic effects of ischemic and hypoxic episodes, which explains the frequency and nature of the dizziness described. Although not pathognomonic, micrographic recordings or a low-amplitude nystagmus response to the caloric test suggest the existence of the hemodynamic phenomenon of vertebrobasilar insufficiency.

Adult↗

PubMedDate not supplied

[Update oN pediatric lymphomas of the head and neck].

A descriptive study was made of 5 malignant lymphomas of the head and neck in children seen in 1986-1995. Male sex and age over 5 years predominated, and the mortality was high, particularly in cases of non Hodgkin's lymphoma. Diagnostic procedure, classification, and the current therapeutic protocol combining irradiation and multiple chemotherapy are reviewed.

Child↗