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What appears to be an image of a merry village fair is actually a warning against the practices of the travelling quack doctor. An iconological description reveals the hidden meaning of the imagery portrayed in a 17th-century genre painting.

The auction of Brueghel's 'Fight between Carnival and Lent' is the reason for a survey of a group of cripples painted by Brueghel. In the late middle ages and early modern times, cripples and the handicapped who could only move with the aid of crutches were virtually excluded from society. Begging and making music were often the only way they could make a living. Their injuries were not always genuine, often they were feigned to gain sympathy and obtain money more easily.

In response to the confirmed transmission of hepatitis B virus (HBV) from a surgeon to several patients in the Netherlands, a 'Committee for Prevention of Iatrogenic Hepatitis B' was established in 2000. During the years 2000-2008, the committee reviewed 99 cases of HBV-infected health care workers. Fifty of them were found to perform exposure prone procedures (EPPs). Because of high levels of HBV DNA (>100,000 copies/ml), a ban on performing EPPs was applied in 11/50 cases; 25/50 low-viremic health care workers were allowed to continue EPPs while their HBV load was being monitored; and 14/50 cases had stopped working or changed profession. In five restricted workers who started oral antiviral treatment, HBV replication was persistently suppressed, enabling the ban on EPPs to be lifted. Throughout the European Union different levels of HBV viremia have been chosen, above which health care workers are not allowed to perform EPPs. It remains unknown how this affects the safety of patients. Application in the Netherlands of a European or a British guideline would have, respectively, doubled or tripled the number of restricted health care workers.

In the past while the diagnosis was primarily made by the physician, the treatment of thoracic empyema was a surgeon's job. Carrying out this treatment was something of a hit and miss affair. With the change from belief in the Hippocratic principles ofhumours towards organs and tissues being the cause of disease, the way diagnoses were made also changed. The technique of percussing the thorax developed by Auenbrugger two centuries ago, was the beginning of diagnosing based on meticulous physical examination. Chirurgeons were expected to treat thoracic empyema adequately and by employing this technique, were able to make a more exact diagnosis and consequently provide better treatment. Modern imaging techniques have rendered manual thoracic percussion less often necessary. Percussion is now carried out much more often by pulmonologists than by surgeons. Nevertheless, Auenbrugger's 'inventum novum' will continue to be a gratefully employed technique.

Late into the 19th century, treatment for inguinal hernias consisted of repositioning the hernia with trusses or using 'softening agents' such as warm herbal baths and moist bandages. Surgical resection or cauterisation, often combined with hemicastration, was only considered for cases ofstrangulated hernia that could not be repositioned. Bassini (1844-1924) is credited with developing the precursor to the modern inguinal hernia operation at the end of the 19th century. Bassini's essential discovery was that the transverse fascia plays a key role in the pathophysiology of inguinal hernias. Bassini's operation, consisting of complete incision of the transverse fascia and reconstruction of the inguinal floor, was considered the gold standard for nearly a century. One problem with the conventional Bassini operation was the tension applied to tissues, which led to a high rate of recurrence. Although Bassini's operation has now become obsolete, current surgical approaches still centre on fortification of the inguinal floor. This tension-free repair now uses synthetic mesh that is positioned using an open anterior approach, laparoscopic surgery, or a preperitoneal technique.

Bloodletting, based on the humoural pathology of Hippocrates and Galen, was done in various ways for thousands of years: phlebotomy, cupping and the use of leeches. There were broad indications for applying this form of treatment. In the 19th century, P.C.A. Louis demonstrated that bloodletting was not an optimal form of treatment for pneumonia. His study was designed in accordance with the first principles of epidemiology. Epidemiology, together with the rise of Virchow's cellular pathology, contributed to the disappearance of bloodletting. The use of leeches still has a place in the medicine of the 21st century in the form of enzymes from the saliva of the leech.

Urinary bladder stones have played a role in medicine for ages. Many examples of this disease can be found in Dutch history. The need to cure this ailment led to the development of extremely painful interventions, for which self-appointed specialists very soon came forward and were then employed in this capacity in the cities. The various interventions were: perineal lithotomy using either the 'apparatus minor' or the 'apparatus major', lateral lithotomy, cutting for stone 'in two trips', suprapubic cystotomy, and ultimately lithotripsy. Bladder stones have largely disappeared from contemporary medicine and now represent only 5% of all urinary-tract stones, the main groups at risk being men with prostate hypertrophy, whether or not surgically treated, and women previously operated on for incontinence. Bladder stones are now seen mainly in developing countries. The dangerous operations via an extravesicular route have now been replaced by transurethral procedures in which the stone is disintegrated with the aid of an electric charge, shock waves or ultrasound. In an early stage, this ailment was the incentive for the development of a separate medical specialty: urology.

On 22 April 1676, Admiral De Ruyter suffered a fatal open fracture of the right lower leg during the naval battle near the Etna. The fleet doctor, Jan Mannart, and the two ship's surgeons treated the wound with brandy and prescribed rest, but fatal gangrene developed a few days later. Before Lister first reported his technique of antiseptic treatment in 1876, the possibilities for the treatment of open wounds were limited to cauterisation and application of hot oil. Until the middle of the 19th century, amputation of the wounded limb was the most obvious solution. Why amputation was not performed in the case of De Ruyter is unknown. Actually, however, amputation would probably have increased his chances of survival only to a limited extent.

The legend of the head-baker of Eeclo, an imaginary cosmetic surgeon, clearly illustrates that the improvement of the human physionomy was of great interest to people as long ago as the mid-16th century. In order to display their credentials the surgeons of that time and in the succeeding centuries would display certificates that testified in glowing terms to their knowledge and expertise. One only has to open a modern newspaper to see that this phenomenon has not died out.

Study Objective: We validate the Ottawa Ankle Rules and 2 Dutch ankle rules in distinguishing clinically significant fractures from insignificant fractures and other injuries in patients with a painful ankle presenting to the emergency department., Methods: This prospective comparison of 3 ankle rules was conducted in the ED of a 580-bed community teaching hospital in Amsterdam from January 1998 to April 1999. Participants included 647 consecutive patients aged 18 years or older presenting with a painful ankle after trauma. All physicians received extensive and pictorial training on how to correctly score the respective items of the rules. The physician on call recorded these items derived from history and physical examination on a standardized data sheet. All patients subsequently underwent standard radiographic assessment. A radiologist and a trauma surgeon evaluated the radiographs blinded from the results of the data sheet form and the treatment given. The diagnostic performance of the 3 rules was measured in terms of sensitivity, specificity, and the reduction of radiographs. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves were constructed, and the area under the ROC curves was calculated and compared., Results: Seventy-four fractures were seen, of which 41 were clinically significant. The Ottawa Ankle Rules had a sensitivity of 98% for identifying clinically significant fractures; the local rules scored 88% and 59%, respectively. The potential savings in radiographs for the 3 decision rules were 24%, 54%, and 82%, respectively. The area under the ROC curve was better for both the local rules (0.84 and 0.83) compared with the Ottawa Ankle Rules (0.76)., Conclusion: Because the identification of all relevant fractures is more important than a reduction in radiographs, the higher sensitivity of the Ottawa Ankle Rules makes these most suitable for implementation in The Netherlands.

The Association of Surgeons in the Netherlands was founded 100 years ago with the objective to further surgery in general; from 1948 onward a separate objective was to further the interests of surgeons. The Association has developed into an active scientific society that ensures that quality of Dutch surgical practice, that stimulates the development of surgery and that organizes the training of surgeons. The number of operations has more than doubled in the past 25 years, despite the limited increase in the number of surgeons owing to a great leap in efficiency. This has led to a differentiation in the surgical discipline, with a number of sub-associations. The currents quality policy emphasizes certification of clinics, the development of guidelines, mandatory attendance to ongoing training programmes, a registry of complications, adequate patient information, visitation of clinics and a compulsory specialization course for all surgical residents.

On 9 February 1902, the Association of Surgeons in the Netherlands was founded--a remarkable fact. The surgeons, who formerly worked in guilds, were by no means the first to found such a society. Some specialist disciplines had already preceded them by forming an association. During the course of these 100 years, surgery has undergone vast development and progress. This has consequences for the deployment of the surgical profession. Subspecialties have arisen, increasing the quality of surgical care. Technical possibilities enhance small access surgery. This means a very different approach in the training of young surgeons in their profession, for instance through the use of virtual reality techniques.

Background: Ankle decision rules help to determine which patients with ankle injuries should undergo radiography. However, these rules are limited by imperfect generalizability and sensitivity. The judgement of physicians, aided by structured data collection, is a potential alternative. We compared the diagnostic performance of 2 decision rules with the performance of physicians, aided by structured data collection, in ruling out fracture in patients with acute ankle injury., Methods: Consecutive patients with acute ankle injury who visited the emergency department of a teaching community hospital in Amsterdam were included in the study. After taking the patient's history and performing a physical examination, the surgical resident in each case completed a specially developed structured data form incorporating all of the variables in the Ottawa and Leiden ankle rules, as well as some additional variables. The form then asked whether the resident thought radiography was necessary. Each patient then underwent ankle and midfoot radiography. The films were independently interpreted by a radiologist and a trauma surgeon, who were both blinded to the information on the data form. Sensitivity, specificity and the percentage of patients for whom radiography was recommended were the main outcome measures., Results: Of 690 consecutive patients, 647 met the inclusion criteria. Fractures were observed in 74 (11%) of these patients. Sensitivity was 89% (95% confidence interval [CI] 80% to 95%) for the Ottawa ankle rules, 80% (95% CI 69% to 88%) for the Leiden ankle rule and 82% (95% CI 72% to 90%) for physicians' judgement. Specificity was 26% (95% CI 23% to 30%), 59% (95% CI 55% to 63%) and 68% (95% CI 64% to 71%) respectively. Radiography was recommended in 76% (95% CI 72% to 79%), 46% (95% CI 42% to 50%) and 38% (95% CI 34% to 42%) of cases respectively. The Ottawa rules missed 8 fractures, of which 1 was clinically significant, the Leiden rule missed 15 fractures, of which 5 were clinically significant, and the residents missed 13 fractures, of which 1 was clinically significant., Interpretation: Physicians' judgement, aided by structured data collection, was similar to existing international and local decision rules in terms of sensitivity in identifying cases requiring radiography and may outperform these prediction rules in terms of minimizing radiographic examinations for patients with ankle trauma.

The retained surgical sponge seems to be an ongoing problem. Despite the fact that reports of retained surgical sponges are comparatively rare, this problem seems to be more prevalent than is generally appreciated. Even though counting sponges is a tedious task, it should nonetheless be performed with the utmost attention. Although the presence of radiopaque wires in the sponges is helpful in locating these, it does not prevent surgical sponges from being forgotten. These retained sponges can result in serious conditions such as septic complications or pseudo-tumour formation, which in turn might lead to extensive diagnostic and secondary surgical procedures.

With the advent of non-invasive duplex scanning, the imaging of the lower limb venous system has been greatly improved. Some authors routinely use duplex on their patients with varicose veins. However, this policy is associated with increased costs and demands a lot of logistics as well as the radiologists' time in clinics treating many of these patients. In view of the small difference in diagnostic accuracy compared to venography, duplex scanning is the gold standard for diagnosing patients with varicose veins in current practice. Recently the cheaper and simpler Doppler testing was compared with duplex scanning. In patients with primary varicose veins who have not previously been operated on, physical examination combined with Doppler can indicate more than 90% of V. saphena magna insufficiencies. However, Doppler misses approximately one-third of insufficient V. saphena parva (VSPs) and it is unable to localize the variable saphenopopliteal junction accurately. Since the incidence of VSP insufficiency in patients with primary varicose veins is only 15-33%, physical examination combined with Doppler investigation is sufficient to establish the correct diagnosis in the majority of patients. For recurrent varices, the sensitivity, specificity and negative predictive value of a Doppler investigation is marginal. In practice, duplex scanning is only indicated as follows; when VSP insufficiency is suspected, for recurrent varices, when signs of chronic venous insufficiency are present and when the findings from a physical examination combined with Doppler tests are inconclusive, e.g. in patients with adipose legs.

A 79-year-old man had a tumor at the left wrist, caused by posttraumatic arthrosis of the carpalia.

Physical examination of patients with varicose veins is time-consuming and subjective. Nowadays, it is frequently replaced by hand-held Doppler examination and duplex scanning. Adequate studies investigating the value of physical examination for varicose veins are lacking. It is unclear whether the tourniquet tests of Trendelenburg and Perthes are more accurate than other physical tests, such as the cough test or tap test. In selected patients, who are not obese, have clearly visible varicose veins and have not been treated before, physical examination seems accurate, especially for assessment of the long saphenous vein. When physical examination is inconclusive, as often is the case with recurrent varicose veins, suspected short saphenous vein or perforator incompetence, or adipose legs, additional Doppler or duplex testing is required for an accurate diagnosis.

Imaging techniques may lead to better insight in the diagnosis of the acute abdomen, and in specific cases to a more rapid diagnosis, especially in the upper abdomen. However, frequently the only result of the accessory diagnostic methods is delay of the necessary treatment. The yield of CT scanning in acute abdomen is too small to justify routine use. Ultrasonography is useful in selected cases, but not for routine application. Laparoscopic examination in acute abdomen in certain conditions facilitates making the correct diagnosis, but it constitutes an aggressive method for patients found free of abnormalities. Skillful history-taking and adequate performance of physical examination still constitute the basis of correct diagnosing. Technical aids may be of value. Good systematical studies of the clinical results and the cost effectiveness of physical examination and of the technological aids are still largely lacking.

This prospective study describes the experience with a new dynamic external fixator which provides three degrees of freedom, while the centre of rotation of all these movements is located in the wrist. 44 patients with unstable fractures of the distal radius were included. During the period of dynamisation, with a median flexion of 30 degrees, extension of 18 degrees, radial deviation of 0 degree and ulnar deviation of 20 degrees the range of motion needed to perform activities of daily living was approached. In spite of early mobilisation reduction was maintained. The radiological result was excellent or good in 82% of the patients and the functional result was excellent or good in 92% of the cases. Pin track infections were noted rather frequently, possibly related to the interaction between the soft tissues and the fixator pins. Based on the experiences of the study the device needs further improvement.

Mortality due to trauma in pregnancy is not very common in the Netherlands. More often a pregnant woman presents herself for examination after trauma. Blunt trauma is more common in the third trimester. Minor trauma also needs good care, with special attention for solutio placentae. Maternal mortality after penetrating trauma is low because of the protection of vital organs by the uterus. With good treatment the mortality in pregnant trauma patients will not be higher than in nonpregnant patients. A rapid and effective resuscitation of the mother will give the foetus the best chance of survival.

A previously healthy male aged 32 years with noticeably long extremities went into shock whilst straining to defaecate. He did not lose consciousness and reported pain high in the back and in the abdomen. Transoesophageal echocardiography revealed no abnormalities. Ultrasonography of the abdomen showed blood in the abdominal cavity, following which laparotomy was performed. An aneurysm of the splenic artery was found to have ruptured. The aneurysm and the spleen were removed. Morbid-anatomical examination showed no vascular abnormalities. The postoperative course was uneventful.

In 1986, 23 patients with renal angiomyolipomas as part of tuberous sclerosis were assessed by ultrasonography. In 1991, 20 patients in this group were reexamined with special attention paid to the renal pathological condition. Ultrasonography was performed by the same radiologist who performed the examination in 1986. Of 20 patients 7 had severe hemorrhage necessitating hospital admission (5 had a renal lesion larger than 3.5 cm. in diameter). In 2 patients the exact diameter of the renal angiomyolipomas could not be determined and they underwent nephrectomy. Three patients underwent successful selective embolization of the bleeding angiomyolipoma. One patient died. The hemorrhage resolved spontaneously in 1 patient and treatment was not feasible. In 4 patients the lesions increased in size between 1986 and 1991. Based on these results there is a relationship between the size of the angiomyolipomas and the risk of bleeding. Renal angiomyolipomas larger than 3.5 cm. in diameter have a substantial risk for severe hemorrhage. Some angiomyolipomas show progression. Periodic followup is mandatory every 6 months. For angiomyolipomas larger than 3.5 cm. in diameter an aggressive approach is advised. Selective embolization is the initial method of choice.

Colour flow imaging was used to assess the functional anatomy of the short saphenous vein (SSV) system in 104 limbs of 52 healthy volunteers. Previous studies have shown that the majority of pathological SSVs join the popliteal vein (PV) at the level of the knee. This was not the case in nearly half of the healthy limbs in this study. In these limbs the SSV retained its early embryonic function of providing venous return from the superficial system of the lower leg into veins of the upper leg and buttock. Is this a developmental safety valve?

A stress fracture of the proximal fibula in a young long-distance runner is reported. Such fractures are rare. The literature is reviewed and diagnosis and treatment are discussed.

During the festivities at the turn of the year 1990, 58 patients with firework-related injuries were seen. A 200% increase in relation to previous years was observed. Minor blast injuries of the hand were the most frequent. Many children of Turkish and Moroccan nationality were involved. It was surmised that illegal and unsafe fireworks in combination with careless behaviour were causative factors. Prevention should be achieved through amending the law on use and distribution of fireworks and through intensifying and fine-tuning the annual information campaigns.

Complete rupture of the tendon of the M. biceps femoris proximal to its insertion is a rare occurrence. Relatively few patients have been recorded. We describe a patient with a complete rupture sustained as a result of a water skiing accident, viz. a fall over the stern wave. The case history was in accordance with a theory about the cause of this lesion--sudden overstretching of the hamstrings. The diagnosis was made by physical examination in the acute phase. With the patient in supine, 90 degrees flexed knees position and with isometric contraction of his hamstrings it is easy to mark and palpate a defect of the tendon just proximal to the caput fibulae. After operative reconstruction, a plaster cylinder was used for five weeks' postoperative immobilization. Five weeks after surgery, physical therapy was started, first to regain knee motion, and later to regain strength. Twelve weeks after surgery, the patient resumed working and recreational sports.

The anatomy of the saphenopopliteal junction shows considerable variation, and clinical localisation of this junction is inaccurate. Duplex scanning in preoperative mapping of the saphenous vein system in bypass surgery has been shown to be highly effective. In 62 patients with clinical evidence of insufficiency of the saphenopopliteal junction, preoperative localisation with duplex scanning was performed in 66 extremities. In 62 extremities duplex localisation matched the operative findings and in four extremities a difference of 2 cm or more was found. There was 1 false negative surgical exploration. In 93% of the cases exact localisation of the junction enabled us to perform flush ligation of a small saphenous vein through minimal exposure. Preoperative duplex scanning of the saphenopopliteal junction is highly accurate.

The only effective treatment of an aortocaval fistula is the surgical closure of the fistula opening with insertion of an aortic prosthesis to restore the arterial continuity. The diagnosis of this distinct but infrequent clinical entity is often missed because of lack of suspicion. Proper preoperative evaluation facilitates the choice of surgical approach and reduces the morbidity. Three patients are presented with an aortocaval fistula: two with spontaneous rupture of an atherosclerotic abdominal aneurysm into the inferior vena cava and one with a traumatic fistula following intervertebral disk surgery 33 years before. All three patients suffered from pain in the abdomen and back, a palpable pulsatile abdominal mass and an audible continuous harsh bruit. Cardiac failure was present in two of them. Successful surgical closure could be accomplished in two patients although the perioperative course was complicated by ventricular arrhythmia, profuse blood loss and an inferior vena cava syndrome. One patient with a spontaneous aortocaval fistula passed away due to intraoperative exsanguination.

The results of conservative treatment of a perilunate fracture dislocation were retrospectively studied. In six patients, the treatment consisted of closed reduction and immobilization in a below the elbow cast for 12 to 16 weeks. Five patients had a compromised healing of the scaphoid fracture. The frail vascularization of the scaphoid, extensive ligamentous injury and possible mid-carpal instability in case of perilunate fracture dislocation as well as a non-anatomical reduction of a scaphoid fracture are causative factors in ensuing scaphoid pseudarthrosis. If anatomical reduction of a perilunate fracture dislocation cannot be obtained, open reduction and internal fixation should be considered. This will offer the scaphoid the best chance at fracture healing and will restore the stabilizing function on the mid carpus.

Mesenteric venous thrombosis is a clinical entity, which is rarely recognized on admission. The patients are admitted with vague abdominal complaints and, eventually, abdominal sepsis might occur requiring laparotomy. Nowadays, underlying hypercoagulable states such as antithrombin-III, protein-C and protein-S deficiencies are recognized more frequently as a distinct cause of mesenteric venous thrombosis. In this paper, a case of mesenteric venous thrombosis due to protein-C deficiency is presented. The patients generally have a history of thromboembolism of the deep veins of the legs at young age. The combination of vague abdominal complaints and a history of thrombosis of the deep veins of the legs should arouse the suspicion of mesenteric venous thrombosis. In these cases, contrast-enhanced computerized tomography is a non-invasive diagnostic means which may provide the diagnosis. If infarction of the gut is present, resection is mandatory and a second-look operation should be performed. After surgery, heparinization is essential. This must be followed by administration of oral anticoagulants for an indefinite period in case of an underlying antithrombin III, protein-C or protein-S deficiency.

This study was undertaken to examine the importance of the apposition of the submucosal layers in healing of the intestinal anastomosis. On 18 mongrel dogs, weighing between 8 and 15 kilograms, four anastomoses were performed on the small intestine. Two with a conventional anastomosis and two with rings of polyester-polyethyleneterephtalate, containing small Ticonal magnets. The force between the rings with the magnets varied from 0-3 newton between, respectively, 15 millimeters and zero millimeter distance. After three to four days, the rings cut through and disappeared from the anastomosis. Morphologic and microangiographic studies, undertaken at ten days, revealed that, in instances of good submucosal apposition, direct bridging of the defect in the submucosal layer was seen with rapid restoration of the villous epithelium and an undisturbed vascular pattern in the anastomotic area. This we called primary intestinal healing. In instances of bad submucosal apposition, we saw indirect bridging of the submucosal layer defect by smaller and longer strands of newly synthesized collagen tissue in the outer intestinal layers with a collateral circulation from the submucosal plexus to the arterial plexuses in these layers. In all instances, an epithelial defect still persisted at ten days. This type of wound healing we called secondary intestinal healing. The results showed that, with the magnetic rings, a significantly better apposition of the intestinal layers was achieved.

Excluding the rectum, smooth muscle cell tumors of the large bowel are extremely rare lesions. A unique case is reported of an infiltrating multinodular myomatous growth of semi-constrictive type affecting the ascending and transverse colon along its entire circumference and over a length of 35 cm. In the mesocolon near the colonic wall two tumor foci were present. Contrary to expectations from the growth behavior, histological examination revealed well differentiated smooth muscle cells with distinct myofilaments and absence of nuclear abnormalities and mitotic figures. No clinical evidence of malignancy was found and no recurrence was detected during a 39-month follow-up period which included a second-look operation. The contrasting fidings are discussed and it is concluded that the tumor should be considered a benign multicentric lesion, for which the term "leiomyomatosis of the colon" is suggested.

The possible correlation between a positive culture of samples from the gallbladder wall and/or bile at the time of cholecystectomy and subsequent wound infections was retrospectively studied in a series of 840 patients. Positive cultures were present in 138 patients (16.4) and 19 different bacterial species could be identified. Cultured bile showed Escherichia coli in 36% of cases. The wound infection rate was 9% (72 patients) with Staphylococcus aureus cultured from the infected wounds in 64%. Fifty-eight of these 72 patients (80%) were at high risk. In contrast with the literature, no correlation existed between a positive bile culture and subsequent wound infection. In view of these results there is no need to evaluate a Gram-stain during surgery. Antimicrobial prophylaxis should be restricted to high-risk patients and the antibiotics used must be effective against exogenic wound contaminants.

A prospective clinical trial was conducted to determine the effect of axillary node dissection for breast carcinoma on shoulder function and seroma production. 59 Operations were carried out in 57 patients. The patients were divided into two groups. In group A, shoulder exercises were started, under the guidance of a physiotherapist, immediately following surgery, and in group B the exercises were begun on the seventh postoperative day. A full range of motion within six months was achieved in 25 patients of group A (81%) and in 22 of group B (79%). There was no significant difference in wound drainage between the two groups. Restricted shoulder movement was often seen after local wound complications following axillary radiotherapy or after seriously disturbed wound healing.