Huge Primary Parasitic Leiomyoma in a Postmenopausal Lady: A Rare Presentation.

Although uterine myomas are the most common benign tumours of the female pelvis in the reproductive age group, they rarely grow in menopausal women. Parasitic fibroids without prior history of laparoscopic myomectomy are even a rarer presentation particularly in menopausal women. The case presented is a 58-year-old grand-multiparous, menopausal lady with progressive abdominal swelling of three-year duration. She had excision of a huge parasitic fibroid attached to omentum. She had partial omentectomy, total abdominal hysterectomy, and bilateral salpingo-oophorectomy. The parasitic fibroid mass weighed 5.2kg and histopathology confirmed leiomyoma uteri with cystic degeneration and lymph nodes with reactive lymphoid hyperplasia. She had uneventful postoperative recovery and follow-up has so far been uneventful.

Gastroprotective effect of the aqueous leaf extract of Guiera senegalensis in Albino rats.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the effect of aqueous leaf extract of Guiera senegalensis (G. senegalensis) on gastric mucosal damage using different ulcer models. METHODS: Considering the above claims, the present study was undertaken to validate the gastroprotective potential of the aqueous leaf extract of this plant against ethanol, water immersion and Aspirin induced ulcer models. RESULTS: The leaf extract (50, 100 and 200 mg/kg, p.o.) significantly (P<0.05) decreased the ulcer index in all assays used. CONCLUSIONS: The results obtained, provide strong evidence of antiulcer activity of the leaf extract of G. senegalensis and support the traditional uses of the plant for the treatment of ulcer.

Species composition of grasshoppers (Orthoptera) in open plots and farmlands in calabar metropolis, southern Nigeria.

The grasshoppers are strategic in the welfare of man and may constitute a major threat when its population is not checked. A study on the distribution of grasshoppers in open plots and farmlands was carried out within Calabar Metropolis between August to November, 2010. A total of 295 grasshoppers belonging to 11 species grouped under 3 families (Tettigoniidae, Acrididae and Pyrgomorphidae) were collected from 8 study locations. Grasshoppers were collected weekly from all study sites using sweep nets between 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. The collection was done using sweep nets between 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. when grasshoppers baked themselves under the sun. The percentage abundance of these species were Spathosterrium pygmaeum (16.27%), Tettigonia viridissima (11.86%), Catantops spissus (11.19%) Acridaturita sp. (10.17%), Gastrimargus acrididae (9.83%), Schistocerca nitens (9.49%), Tylopsis sp. (7.46%), Zonocerus variegatus (6.78%), Omocestus viridulus (6.10%), Scudderia mexicana (5.76%) and Zonocerus elegans (5.08%). Tettigonia viridissima and Acridaturita sp. were largely distributed as it occurred in 7 of 8 study sites while Scudderia mexicana was the least distributed, as it was reported in 3 sites only. The dominant grasshopper species in open plot was Spathosterrium pygmaeum (19%) in relative abundance and the least was Zonocerus variegatus (0.64%). Zonocerus variegatus was the dominant species in farmland (14%) in relative abundance and the least was Schistocerca nitens (4%). Chi-square test showed a high significant difference between the distribution of grasshoppers in open plots and farmlands (p < 0.05). Variations in grasshopper species composition were attributed to lizard predation and management practices such as grass cutting, fertilizer and pesticide applications. It was therefore concluded that species abundance and population of grasshoppers could be enhanced by minimizing human activities that interfere with land use.

Demonstration of reversed flow in segmental branches of the portal vein with hand-held color Doppler ultrasonography after hematopoietic stem cell transplantation.

Hepatic veno-occlusive disease (VOD) is a severe complication of hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (SCT). When monitored with hand-held color Doppler ultrasonography during day -7 to +35 around SCT, reversed blood flow in the segmental branches of the portal vein was detected in nine of 56 patients who had undergone SCT. Three of nine patients had clinical evidence of VOD, but six patients did not fulfill the criteria for diagnosis of VOD initially. Two patients progressed to clinical VOD at a later date and the reversed portal flow disappeared with or without treatment for VOD in the other four patients. Monitoring for reversed portal flow with color Doppler ultrasonography may be a useful tool for the early diagnosis of VOD, and may improve prognosis by allowing early initiation of treatment.