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Forty-nine patients undergoing surgery for familial polyposis coli (FPC) over a twenty year period are presented. Forty-three patients underwent total colectomy with ileorectal anastomosis (TC + IRA) and five patients subsequently developed a rectal carcinoma. The incidence of rectal carcinoma following TC + IRA appears to increase with time. There were significant postoperative complications secondary to adhesive obstruction and desmoid tumour recurrence. Upper gastrointestinal pathology has been detected by endoscopy in only one of nine patients, but the importance of upper gastrointestinal pathology is now appreciated. The problem of screening a widely distributed and closely knit community has been considerable. TC + IRA remains the operation of choice for the majority of patients with FPC, but a total colectomy with ileal reservoir and ileo-anal anastomosis is appropriate in some cases.

Two cases of phlegmasia caerulea dolens with peripheral venous gangrene treated with streptokinase are presented. Both patients had excellent results, beyond expectation. The literature is reviewed and the symptomatology, aetiology, pathogenesis and current thoughts on treatment are discussed.

Hirschsprung's disease is a rare condition in the adult. The case reports of 39 patients managed by the Duhamel procedure were reviewed. One-third of the patients underwent at least one abdominal surgical procedure before the correct diagnosis was made. The operative mortality of the Duhamel procedure was zero. In 29 patients no defunctioning procedure was used to protect the anastomosis. The incidence of anastomotic dehiscence was 13 per cent. Thirty-six of the thirty-nine patients have excellent functional results.

A retrospective study was made to compare the results of restorative surgery with those of total rectal excision in the treatment of patients with a poorly differentiated adenocarcinoma of the middle third of the rectum (between 8 and 12 cm from the anal verge). Of 1163 patients presenting between 1963 and 1975, 42 with poorly differentiated tumours at this level were followed up after treatment by a radical (i.e. curative) operation. Twenty-eight underwent total rectal excision and 14 anterior resection. Examination of the preoperative biopsy correctly established the histological grade in 17 (40 per cent) of 42 cases. Pathological examination of the resected specimens showed a slightly higher proportion of Dukes' C2 tumours and those with venous invasion removed by total rectal excision, but the extent of local spread among tumours removed by either operation was similar. There was no operative mortality. Ten out of 28 patients treated by total rectal excision (36 per cent) and 6 out of 14 treated by anterior resection (43 per cent) were alive at 5 years. One patient developed a histologically proved local recurrence after anterior resection; no other proved local recurrence was recorded. It would appear, therefore, that where radical surgery is possible, anterior resection offers as good a prospect of cure as total rectal excision for poorly differentiated tumours of the mid-rectum.

A controlled, prospective study comparing streptokinase and heparin treatment has been completed in 51 patients presenting with acute proximal venous thrombosis of less than 8 days' clinical duration. Patients were studied by means of pre-treatment, post-treatment, 3- and 12-monthly phlebography and pulmonary perfusion scanning and were followed up at 3-monthly intervals. Of the 26 patients randomized to receive streptokinase, therapy was stopped in 3 because of complications. Phlebography 5 days after starting treatment showed 80--100 per cent lysis in 17 of the 23 patients who completed the course of streptokinase. Two patients later developed partial rethrombosis. One patient developed an asymptomatic pulmonary embolus during treatment. During follow-up (mean 19 months) only 1 of the 17 patients with 80--100 per cent lysis developed postphlebitic symptoms, 3 patients died of unrelated causes and 1 patient was lost to follow-up. In patients randomized to heparin therapy no significant lysis was achieved in any of the 25 patients and only 2 of these patients were found to have asymptomatic legs on follow-up. Two patients in this group died and autopsy confirmed massive pulmonary embolus during treatment. These data suggest that streptokinase is superior to heparin in the treatment of acute proximal venous thrombosis of less than 1 week's clinical duration especially if the thrombus is largely non-occlusive. It must be stressed that in order to avoid the bleeding complications of thrombolytic therapy, streptokinase must not be used within 10 days of major surgery, or even longer after vascular, neurosurgical or eye operations.

Colovesical and colovaginal fistulas following irradiation for pelvic malignancy represent a formidable surgical problem. Although complex surgical procedures to close the fistulas and restore continence have been described, often a defunctioning colostomy with an associated urinary conduit is the only feasible option. Three patients who have successfully undergone an original procedure (sigmoid exclusion) are presented. Sigmoid exclusion restores continence but avoids a permanent stoma. The involved sigmoid colon was isolated on its mesentery ensuring that the area incorporating the fistulas was not disrupted. The ends of the isolated sigmoid colon were closed and bowel continuity then restored by a colorectal or colo-anal anastomosis. Following closure of a temporary colostomy the patients were continent with no ill effects or sepsis from the excluded colon. This procedure has the dual advantage of restoring continence yet avoiding both an urinary conduit and a permanent colostomy, and represents a useful advance in the surgical management of radiation induced colonic fistulas.

In a 20-year survey of anal carcinoma at Groote Schuur Hospital 55 cases were studied retrospectively. Patients of mixed race with anal margin carcinoma had a median age 29 years below that of Whites with anal margin carcinoma. Patients in these two groups with anal canal carcinoma had the same median age. Anal margin tumours were smaller than anal canal tumours at presentation and had a substantially better 5-year survival rate. The approach to treatment of these conditions is outlined.

5012 asymptomatic patients over the age of 40 years were asked by their general practitioners to perform a Hemoccult faecal blood test over 3 days. 3422 patients on a normal diet completed the test (a compliance rate of 67 per cent). Ninety-nine patients (3 per cent) had a positive result. Those patients with a positive result then underwent a second Hemoccult test over 6 days on a restricted diet. Thirty-two patients had a positive result on repeat testing (1 per cent). Only those patients who were positive on the second testing were fully investigated (including double contrast barium enema and colonoscopy). Twenty-seven patients on investigation were found to have neoplastic disease (84 per cent). Twelve had invasive carcinomas (nine Dukes' A, two Dukes' B, one Dukes' C) and thirty-seven adenomas were identified and removed at colonoscopy (barium enema missed three carcinomas--all dukes' A and only identified sixteen of the thirty-seven adenomas, 43 per cent). Those patients found to be negative after the second Hemoccult test are being followed up.

In a 10-year survey of large bowel carcinoma at Groote Schuur Hospital 926 cases were studied retrospectively. A marked difference was seen in both the age of presentation and histological differentiation in two different racial groups. All patients who were 29 years of age or less at the time of presentation have been studied in detail. Predisposing factors, symptomatology, treatment, pathology and prognosis are discussed. It is apparent that large bowel carcinoma in the young has a very poor prognosis.