The paper describes the clinical, diagnostic and pathological features of oesophageal strictures that developed after various surgical procedures performed under general anaesthesia in five dogs and two cats. Consideration of possible predisposing causes suggests that the complication is due to gastro–oesophageal reflux during anaesthesia.

Tumour cells from a squamous carcinoma (approximately 2.5 X 10(5)) were injected intraportally into a syngeneic strain of rats to produce liver metastases 14 days later. Kupffer cells were stimulated by Corynebacterium parvum (7 mg or 1 mg i.v.) and zymosan (10 mg intraportally). Kupffer cell activity was depressed by the administration of silica, gadolinium chloride or human red cells. The animals in each group were sacrificed at 14 days, the livers removed and the number of visible surface metastases counted and compared. (Mann-Whitney U-test). Kupffer cell stimulation significantly reduced the number of surface liver metastases in all animals (P 0.0048). In contrast depression of Kupffer cell activity significantly increased the number of metastases in all animals (P 0.0045), suggesting that the activity of these cells has an important effect on the development of liver metastases.

Ingrowing of the nail of the hallux has been ascribed to an abnormality of the shape of the nail; our prospective study was planned to test this association. Twenty-three consecutive patients and 23 age-matched controls were assessed by caliper measurement and standard photographs, before a first operation for ingrowing toenail. We found no differences in shape between the toenails of the patients and those of the controls, both groups showing great variation. Our results suggest that the ingrowth is not commonly associated with an abnormal shape of the nail.

Nicorandil is a vasodilator used to control severe angina. It has been associated with oral and anal ulceration that resolves upon withdrawal of the drug. We report a series of four patients, all of whom were receiving nicorandil therapy and developed nonspecific para-stomal ulcerations of similar clinical and histological appearance. All ulcers healed on withdrawal of nicorandil with no relapse. To the best of our knowledge, nicorandil-associated para-stomal ulcers have not been reported before. It is imperative to be aware of this association to prevent the persistence of these extremely painful ulcerations, and to avoid unnecessary and inappropriate interventions with substantial morbidity in a group of high-risk patients.

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