The rapid growth of new medical knowledge, and the drive toward increasing specialisation and sub-specialisation, are closely related aspects of modern medicine. Specialisation and sub-specialisation allow the individual doctor to have depth of understanding in a specific condition or organ system, and to concentrate the patient volume that favours...

Chronic myeloid leukaemia (CML) is a clonal myeloproliferative disorder of the haematopoietic stem cells. About 90% to 95% are characterised cytogenetically by the presence of the Philadelphia (Ph) chromosome, due to a translocation between chromosomes 9 and 22. This rearrangement results in the formation of a chimeric BCR/ ABL...

There is growing awareness of the need for efficient, real-time identification of infectious disease outbreaks. The bioterrorism attacks involving anthrax bacilli, 1 and the sudden emergence of the Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS), 2 a previously unknown infectious disease, have emphasised the reality of both intentional and naturally occurring...

Quantitative ultrasound (QUS) systems measuring the calcaneus are currently approved for the assessment of osteoporotic risks in Europe, Canada and the USA. A QUS bone sonometer basically measures, in ms–1 , how quickly sound travels through the bone, i.e., the velocity of sound (VOS) and, in dB MHz-1, how...

There has been a resurgence of tuberculosis (TB) in many countries, including developed nations, especially with the HIV pandemic and the increase in immigration.1,2 In underdeveloped and developing nations, this infectious disease is still very common. TB peritonitis (TBP) is rarely encountered and is estimated to occur in 0.1%...