We studied seven patients with brainstem infarction and large fusiform vertebrobasilar (VB) aneurysms to clarify the clinical, radiologic, and pathologic features. All presented with pontine infarcts; one also had a cerebellar infarct. VB TIAs preceded brainstem infarction in four patients. Angiography and CT documented VB fusiform aneurysmal dilatation. Four had intraluminal thrombi and one had severe basilar artery stenosis. Two distinct clinical pictures emerged: unilateral pontine infarcts with favorable outcome, presumably related to obstruction of a pontine penetrating artery at its origin from the posterior wall of the aneurysmal basilar artery, and major fatal bilateral pontine infarcts from basilar artery occlusion. Two patients came to autopsy. One had thrombus in the dilated basilar artery and a posterior cerebral artery branch embolus with hemorrhagic occipital infarction; the other had basilar artery thrombus with aneurysmal rupture and subarachnoid hemorrhage. Fusiform VB aneurysms caused brainstem stroke by intraluminal thrombus, local embolism, atherostenosis, and obstruction of paramedian penetrating arteries. Subarachnoid hemorrhage is an uncommon complication.

Peripheral blood CD34/45+ cell (CD34/45) enumeration is an expensive and labour-intensive investigation but remains the standard assay for optimizing yield and timing of peripheral blood stem cell harvesting (PBSCH). The present study examined the value of the Sysmex SE9000 parameters (WBC, neutrophil count, and immature myeloid index (IMI)) and Sysmex R2000 reticulocyte parameters (absolute, high and medium fluorescence reticulocytes) in predicting the optimum timing of PBSCH in comparison to peripheral blood CD34/45. Sixty-four PBSCH from 23 patients with haematological malignancies were assessed with a variety of mobilization regimes used. Reticulocyte parameters showed high interpatient variability and did not prove clinically useful. IMI did not consistently predict satisfactory PBSCH yield except when > 1000 x 10(6)/l. Peripheral blood CD34/45 was the most useful predictor of yield. IMI > 20 x 10(6)/l was, however, a useful surrogate for predicting a rise in peripheral blood CD34/45 from nadir and proved to be superior to WBC or neutrophil count. A rising IMI is a marker of early regeneration and has a role in determining when to initiate enumeration of peripheral blood CD34/45.

Summary: A synchronous presentation of an adenocarcinoma and a primary low grade B cell lymphoma of the stomach is reported in a 79 year old man. Both diagnoses were made on endoscopic biopsies and immunocytochemistry was essential in confirming the lymphoma. The true incidence, aetiology and spatial relations of these tumours are unknown since only few cases of such synchronous gastric tumours have been reported in the literature.

SUMMARY Although endometriosis is a common disease, small bowel involvement is unusual. We recently treated a patient in whom the diagnosis of endometriosis was made only after histological examination of a solitary lesion, which was obstructing the distal ileum and had the clinical appearance of a malignant tumour.

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