[Giant diverticulum of the colon]. / Divertículo gigante de colon.

The giant diverticulum of the colon is a rare entity first diagnosed by Bouvin and Bonte in 1946. Few cases have been reported in the literature. It is normally located in the antimesenteric border of the sigmoid colon. In most cases it is considered to be an uncommon complication of a common disease: colonic diverticulosis. We present a case of giant diverticulum of the sigma diagnosed in an 80-year-old man and we describe the plain-film and CT findings.

[Heterotopia as the cause of seizures. A case report of familial periependymal heterotopia]. / Heterotopía como causa de crisis. A propósito de un caso de heterotopía periependimaria familiar.

INTRODUCTION: Cortical development disorders constitute a group of entities resulting from an interruption in the development of the central nervous system. Most of them derive from the stoppage of migration, but proliferation and organisation can also be affected. Heterotopia is the most frequent of all migration disorders. CASE REPORTS: We describe three cases of familial periependymal heterotopia consisting in three sisters who, after having seizures in infancy, were submitted to a magnetic resonance (MR) scan that revealed isointense nodules in the cortical grey matter in all the MR sequences. They were diagnosed as having periependymal heterotopia. The existence of a history of early onset seizures in the family of the mother supported the diagnosis of familial heterotopia. CONCLUSIONS: Heterotopia is the most frequently occurring anomaly affecting cortical development and, of these, the periependymal form is the most common. Periependymal heterotopia may be determined by sex-linked inheritance (X chromosome). It is considered to be one of the most common congenital disorders in familial and early onset epilepsy. MR is the preferred diagnostic technique, since its high resolution allows it to identify and characterise heterotopias.

[Diagnosis of Anisakis infestation: experience in our environment]. / Diagnóstico de la infestación por Anisakis. Experiencia en nuestro medio.

OBJECTIVES: To characterize the most frequently found radiological findings in intestinal anisakiasis. MATERIAL AND METHODS: The medical records of 14 patients diagnosed with intestinal anisakiasis between 2000 and 2003 in the Hospital Clinico Universitario Lozano Blesa in Zaragoza (Spain) were retrospectively reviewed. The imaging tests and immunological laboratory tests performed in these patients were evaluated. RESULTS: The most frequent reason for seeking medical assistance was right iliac fossa pain. Radiological findings of an inflammatory intestinal process were observed in 60 % of the patients. Seventy-five percent of the patients had eaten raw or insufficiently cooked fish and had eosinophilia; of these 80 % had elevated specific IgE levels. CONCLUSIONS: The incidence of anisakiasis is increasing and consequently knowledge of its most characteristic clinical, radiological and laboratory manifestations is important. The most frequently affected segment of the digestive tract is the ileum. Many patients have symptoms of acute abdomen, mimicking appendicitis or peritonitis. Anisakiasis is a self-limiting process that usually resolves in 1-2 weeks. Consequently, a conservative attitude is advisable to avoid unnecessary surgery.