A multicentre analysis was carried out on bone tumours in Cameroon during a 10-year period. Registers and patient records of five pathology laboratories were consulted, and all patients with a histological report of a bone tumour were included in the study. A total of 268 bone tumours were studied and the average incidence was 27 tumours a year, or two per one million inhabitants. Of these tumours 48% were benign, 45% were primary bone cancers and only 6% were metastatic disease. Among the primary malignant bone tumours, osteosarcoma was the most frequent (39%), followed by non-Hodgkin's primary bone lymphoma, fibrosarcoma, chondrosarcoma, and Ewing's sarcoma. Primary site of the metastatic bone tumours was prostatic adenocarcinoma, breast cancer, hepatocarcinoma and thyroid cancer. In Cameroon many bone tumours are not diagnosed due to lack of medical facilities and little awareness among our medical staff. It is likely that the real incidence is at least ten times higher than that shown in our report.

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Chewing gum ameliorates recovery after open appendectomy by reducing postoperative ileus. It is a cheap and helpful treatment to be recommended in developing countries in Africa.

At 3 months, sciatica relief (VAS <4) was recorded in 66.6% of HIV positive patients and in 70.6% of HIV negative patients. Relief of pain in the low back (VAS <4) was respectively 50.0% and 55.1% in both groups. The pattern of pain regression during the follow-up period was similar in both groups.

We present a case of intestinal infarctus through the vagina. This was a consequence of induced abortion done clandestinely. The main objective was to point out the surgical complications of uterine dilatation and curettage by means of this rare case.