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Biomedical subjects

K K Kalangu

Publications and source records attributed to K K Kalangu.

17 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed2000

Pediatric neurosurgery in Africa--present and future.

There is no doubt that the development of neurosurgery in general and paediatric neurosurgery in particular has lagged behind in many African countries, and in some unfortunate areas there is not even one single neurosurgeon. In contrast to this alarming situation, there are some excellent neurosurgical centres in northern and southern Africa, which developed fairly rapidly in the 1960s. To date, there are still striking contrasts in Africa where, of the neurosurgeons who are present there at all, some work in extremely difficult conditions while others have better facilities comparable to those in some of the best centres in the world. There is a general strong desire for neurosurgery in Africa to be developed using first what is available locally, then what is available in Africa and only then to turn to the world at large, and there is also consensus that this is the way to proceed. This paper will analyse the current status of paediatric neurosurgery in Africa and the problems that are hampering its development, and suggestions will be made about its future development. It is obvious that Africa is a huge continent and it might sound rather presumptuous to pretend to speak for it in detail. Taking account of this limitation, I will speak mostly about what is accepted nowadays as fact and reality common to most African countries, and for illustrative purposes some details will be given from Zimbabwe, which is where I practice.

Africa↗
PubMed2000

Neuropathic pain--from mice to men.

The past decade has seen great progress in understanding the syndrome of neuropathic pain, its causes and in finding new drugs that promise great benefit. For example, an early outcome of the research has been the observation that the new drugs do not blunt normal pain sensation--a pattern beginning to find explanation through the realisation that neural pain circuits rewire themselves, both anatomically and biochemically, after nerve injury. In this article, we discuss a case of a known diabetic patient with intractable pain and the course of management provided by the use of novel tools and devices coming to the fore in this rapidly expanding specialty.

Adult↗
PubMed1999

Pain: friend or foe.

Pain, the most urgent of symptoms usually signals the presence of potential or on-going injury to tissue which requires attention. The warning that pain provides is, therefore, a good thing and in a way friendly. When pain continues or resumes after the healing process of injury is complete, it is no longer signalling on-going tissue damage but becomes a disease in its own right. That, in essence, is the presentation of most chronic pain syndromes referred to Pain Clinics for investigation and treatment.

Ambulatory Care↗
PubMed1999

Management of migraine--no longer a headache.

There have been important advances in the management of migraine headache. Revised diagnostic criteria, which were introduced in 1988 1 have led to more reliable assessment of the prevalence of migraine and the way it affects attendance and efficiency at work. In addition, the use of the 5HTI agonists has become established. The correct diagnosis of migraine and other headaches is of greatest importance as unless the right diagnosis is made, the right treatment cannot be given. In this article, we discuss how these changes have altered the management of migraine in adults.

Analgesics, Opioid↗
PubMed1996

Radical resection of intramedullary spinal cord tumors without cavitron ultrasonic aspirator or CO2 laser: a "two stage" technique.

A simple and efficient procedure called the "two stage" technique for total removal of intramedullary tumors is described. MRI, CUSA, and CO2 laser have revolutionized the diagnosis and treatment of spinal cord tumors, allowing precise demonstration of the lesions and safe removal without exacerbating neurosurgical deficit. These useful and efficient apparatus are not only expensive, they are still not yet available in many neurosurgical centers throughout the world. Neurosurgeons deprived of these important tools can, however, approach or even equate the current clinical results. The "two stage" technique is not meant to substitute for CUSA, CO2 laser, and MRI.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1995

The sensate deep inferior epigastric musculocutaneous flap and the twelfth thoracic nerve.

A detailed anatomical study of the terminal branches of the twelfth thoracic nerve (subcostal nerve) based on observations made during dissections of 23 embalmed cadavers is presented. In all 23 cadavers, the twelfth thoracic nerve had an ascending branch which joined the deep inferior epigastric vascular pedicle about half way between the lower border of the umbilicus and the symphysis pubis. This observation, we believe, explains how it is possible to preserve sensation in the deep inferior epigastric musculocutaneous flap.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1995

Meralgia paresthetica: a report on two cases treated surgically.

Meralgia paresthetica (Bernhart-Roth Syndrome) is characterised by pain, burning, or tingling paresthesias, and decreased touch and pain sensation on the anterolateral aspect of the thigh. It is due to neuropathy of the lateral femoral cutaneous nerve (LFCN). Conservative treatment is usually successful in relieving the symptoms in most of the patients. We describe two patients who required surgical treatment for intractable symptoms. Although neurolysis with transposition is the most common procedure, we preferred neurectomy with excision of a portion of the LFCN for its very low recurrence rate as opposed to neurolysis. The area of anesthesia generated by this procedure in the distribution of the LFCN tends to shrink with time. Moreover, this pathology, to our knowledge, has not been reported much in the African literature.

Diagnosis, Differential↗
PubMed1995

A further case of Bardet-Biedl syndrome.

Bardet-Biedl syndrome in a 10 year old boy from Botswana is described. The patient presented with retinitis pigmentosa, polydactyly, mental retardation, obesity and hypogenitalism. The patient has a twin brother who has the same clinical signs. This is the second time this condition has been described in the African literature and the first time reported in Black twins.

Child↗
PubMed1995

Cavernous sinus thrombosis: a report of eight consecutive comatose patients.

Septic thrombosis of the cavernous sinus is a severe and lethal condition if left untreated. The mortality is particularly high in those patients admitted in a comatose state. Eight patients treated successfully in Bulawayo, Zimbabwe in Mpilo Central Hospital over a period of three years are reported. In the discussion, emphasis is placed on the treatment of raised intracranial pressure in this particular group of patients and early treatment with appropriate antibiotics. Clinicians must be aware of this serious complication of infections around the face and must treat them early and aggressively.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1994

Ano-cutaneous fistula associated with Bardet-Biedl syndrome in an African child.

An ano-cutaneous fistula associated with a Bardet-Biedl syndrome in a 12-year old African boy is described. The patient presented with mental retardation, obesity, syndactyly, polydactyly, retinitis pigmentosa and hypogenitalism. Past history revealed that he had an imperforated anus with anocutaneous fistula at birth, which was repaired successfully. The the best of our knowledge, it is the first case described in the African literature.

Africa↗