Childhood cerebral hemiatrophy is an uncommon clinical entity. Its aetiologies are diverse but can generally be grouped into congenital and acquired. The congenital type is intrauterine in origin while the acquired type occurs early in life, usually before two year of life.When childhood cerebral hemiatrophy occurs, it evokes a spectrum of compensatory calvarial sequlae. These include ipsilateral calvarial thickening, diploe widening, hyper-pneumatization of paranasal sinues/mastoids, elevation of petrous bone and small middle cranial fossa. MRI is very effective in high lightening brain atrophy, associated parenchymal changes and even the above enumerated skull changes.Our two case reports of left hemi-cerebral atrophy in male Cameroonian children seen in our MRI practice aptly demonstrated some of the aforementioned radiological features of childhood cerebral hemiatrophy noted in literature review.

Background: Gastrointestinal tract (GIT) surgical emergencies represent a significant amount within surgical pathologies, in Africa and throughout the world. Our study was aimed to assess the etiological, therapeutic and prognostic aspects of GIT surgical emergencies in patients from two hospitals in Douala, Cameroon. Patients and Method: A longitudinal prospective study was conducted from December 2018 to May 2019, including 203 patients of all ages and both sexes who presented with a GIT surgical emergency in any clinical form, and who underwent surgery within one of our hospitals. We collected patients' parameters through a survey, from complete history to clinical examination, then followed them up from surgery to post-operative time. Gathered information was analyzed by IBM Statistical Package for Social Science (SPSS) 23.0 software version. Results: GIT surgical emergencies accounted for 27.5% of all surgical emergencies. Our target population included 55.2% (n = 112) of men, and 44.8% (n = 91) of women, observing a sex-ratio of 1.23. The mean age of the patients was 36.3 ± 17.1 years, with extreme values of 6 months and 86 years. Abdominal pain was the most common symptom, vomiting and lack of bowel movement or gas pass, were the main associated symptoms in 27.6% and 16.7% of cases, respectively. Etiologically, leading pathologies were intestinal obstruction (32.0%, 64 cases), acute appendicitis (24.6%, 50 cases), then came peritononitis and abdominal trauma with respectively 22.7% (46 cases) and 21.7% (43 cases). Most patients underwent surgery within 24 hour.

Thoracic spinal cord stab injuries are rare lesions. A 17-year-old boy was stabbed on his back by his classmate when he bent forward to pick up his cloth from the ground. On admission, he presented with: complete paraplegia with muscle strength of zero on all muscle groups, complete anesthesia from dermatome 10 and below, acute urinary retention, and a four-centimeter wound on the thoracolumbar region from which cerebrospinal fluid mixed with blood was oozing out. A high-dose methylprednisolone protocol was started (30 mg/kg in one hour and then 5.4 mg/kg over 23 hours) an indwelling urinary catheter placed and sterile dressing of the wound done. Antibiotics and analgesics were also administered. The computed tomography scanning revealed a spinal cord transection at T10-T11 level with incarceration of the broken knife blade. An emergency thoracic laminectomy was performed. Removal of the broken knife blade revealed complete spinal cord transection with a compressive hematoma within the spinal cord which was removed by smooth suction. The spinal dura was sutured and the wound closed in many layers. On day 14 after surgery, sensitivity was recovered with 3 on 5 muscle strength in both lower limbs except for both feet where motor function remained null. Urinary retention and fecal incontinence persisted. The patient was discharged from our service for a rehabilitation center. At 32-month follow-up, neurological examination was unchanged although patient noticed a slight improvement of sphincter disturbances.

All dermoid cysts arising at the cranial vault had been reported as being located subgaleally, i.e. under the galea aponeurotica or epicranium. We are presenting a case that we believe to be the first case of an intragaleal dermoid cyst ever reported. An eighteen years old girl presented at our consultation for a midline frontal swelling evolving since 2 years. Neurological examination was normal. The Computed Tomography (CT) scan showed a round shaped heterogeneous mass at the vertex with no intracranial extension. The lesion was excised surgically. It appeared to be located intragaleally (within the epicranium) and composed of hairs and liquefied fat evocative of a dermoid cyst. The diagnosis of dermoid cyst was confirmed on histology. Postoperative outcome was excellent and the patient is symptom-free 16 months after surgery.

Background: Abdominal trauma remains quite common in the general world and in developing countries in particular. The accidents in the public roads are the main cause and also the assumption of responsibility which remains questionable.Methods: It was a descriptive longitudinal study, carried out from 31 December 2018 to 19 April 2019, in Laquintinie and General hospital in Douala, Cameroon. Patients admitted for abdominal trauma and treatment in the emergency department, operating theater and visceral surgery were included in the study.Results: We found 21.2% (43 cases) of abdominal trauma in our series. Abdominal trauma mainly affected adults between 20 and 39 years old (27 cases, 63%) in our series. The male sex was most affected, with sex ration of 3.3. Road accidents occupy the first place with 34.9% (15 cases). Wounds in our series represented 27.9% (12 cases) and contusions 72.1% (31 cases). In fact, Abdomen without preparation was performed in 7.0% (3 cases) of cases, abdominal ultrasound in 48.8% (21 cases) and abdominal CT scan in 25.6% of patients (11 cases). The organs affected in order were the spleen, small intestine, colon, stomach and liver. We recorded postoperative complications with a morbidity of 11.6% with a single case of parietal suppuration and no death.Conclusions: In our context abdominal trauma remains quite frequent and concern particularly young people. The prevention of accidents on the public highway and the improvement of diagnostic and surveillance methods are the key for reducing this phenomenon leading to good management.