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Nasal gliomata are rare and experience in management is therefore not widespread. Clinical details of 5 children with nasal gliomata are presented. In each case the glioma was excised by an external approach without the need for craniotomy. These cases demonstrate the variability of presenting features and problems in management. They illustrate a relatively conservative surgical approach to treatment which we consider to be safe and effective. The characteristics of these unusual neural malformations are reviewed, and the management is discussed.

A total 17 cases of carcinoma oesophagus were studied in a period of 2 years. Ten patients (58.82%) were males and rest were females. Maximum cases (64.70%) were seen in 5th and 6th decades. Majority of the patients belonged to low socio-economic group (47.05%) followed by middle socio-economic group (41.17%). Dysphagia was present in all cases, followed by weight loss 52.94% and other symptoms. Cancer was equally distributed in middle third and lower third of the oesophagus (41.18% in each group) only in 3 cases it was in upper third of the oesophagus. Histologically 70.5% tumours were squamous cell carcinoma, 17.64% were adenocarcinoma and 11.76% were undifferentiated carcinoma. Surrounding epithelium in 17.64 per cent cases showed chronic oesophagitis, 4 cases (23.52%) showed acanthosis and dysplasia, and two cases revealed carcinoma in situ. Hence findings of oesophagitis, acanthosis, dysplasia, carcinoma in situ suggest that oesophagitis and acanthosis may be considered as precancerous lesions.

A case of nasal bone hypoplasia is presented. It resulted in mild respiratory obstruction due to collapse of overlying soft tissue on inspiration. A brief note on the growth of the nasal bones is made. All previously reported cases, which could be found in the literature, on absence or hypoplasia of nasal bones have been reviewed. A number of possible conditions which could result in loss of the nasal bone is discussed.

Results of 362 patients with squamous carcinoma of the hypopharynx are presented. The hospital mortality was 25 per cent for patients treated surgically. The mortality was increased by previous radiotherapy and poor general condition, and also depended on the method of pharyngeal repair: the mortality for visceral (stomach or colon) transposition was higher than that for repair by skin flaps. The chance of long term survival decreased with increasing N stage, and was also reduced for patients undergoing visceral repair compared with skin flap repair of the pharynx.

Examination of blood groups, plasma proteins and red cell enzyme types (23 loci), in a sample of 145 Bhils, a tribal group of Madhya Pradesh, Central India, demonstrates their genetic uniqueness. They differ in a number of systems from the nearby nontribal groups both of Hindus and Muslims. The results suggest that the Bhil frequencies include vestiges of the ancestral genepool of a more widespread aboriginal population whose influence is detectable in the gene frequencies of some other populations in India.

Varicose veins are a common venous anomaly, but rarer varieties also occur including phlebectasia, which is an abnormal dilatation of an isolated vein. Phlebectasia may affect any vein and is usually asymptomatic. When the internal jugular vein is involved, it presents as a cervical swelling that closely mimics the signs of either a pharyngocoele or a laryngocoele and, due to its rarity, is frequently misdiagnosed. A review of the English literature demonstrates that the diagnosis has generally been confirmed either by invasive contrast radiographic techniques, or surgical exploration, though many authors had made a tentative clinical diagnosis prior to surgical confirmation. No treatment is indicated for this benign self-limiting condition, except for the few patients who complain of symptoms and require surgical removal of the affected vein, and therefore, if a diagnosis cannot be made with certainty from the clinical features, investigations should be as non-invasive as possible, employing either a CAT scan or Digital Subtraction Angiography, though the latter is not yet universally available.

The erythrocytic stages of Plasmdoium gallinaceum in chicken embryos injected with parasited blood either from a syringe-passaged infection in chickens or from a chicken infected with sporozoites were characterized by abnormal structure. Particularly evident were large, unstained vacuoles within the cytoplasm; these occurred with greatest frequency in schizonts. The presence of myelin bodies within these vacuoles was revealed by transmission electron microscopy; abnormal cytokinesis and aberrant merozoites provided additional evidence of the parasite's inability to develop naturally within the milieu of the embryonic erythrocytes. Fifty-five passages were necessary to restore normal structure of the parasites in embryos, while only 5 passages were required for such restoration in neonate chicks. The probable adaptation of the parasite to the proportions of hemoglobin of the adult chicken may be responsible for the abnormal growth in the immature host.