Objective: To investigate etiological role of Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) DNA in breast cancer. Materials and Methods: The presence of EBV DNA in 57 breast cancer tissues was investigated with a sensitive PCR assay. The breast cancer tissues were from invasive ductular (n = 28), lobular (n = 20) and other miscellaneous carcinomas (n = 9). Tissues from normal breasts and patients with various benign breast diseases (n = 55): fibrocystic disease (n = 34), fibroadenoma (n = 16), hyperplasia, and granulomatous mastitis (n = 5), were used as control samples. Results: EBV DNA was detected in 13 (23%) cancerous tissues (7 ductular, 4 lobular, 2 other carcinoma) and 19 (35%) in the control tissues. The difference between EBV presence in malignant and benign tissues was not statistically significant (p > 0.05). Conclusion: The presence of EBV DNA was detected almost equally in both breast cancer and normal tissues, which indicates no etiological role for EBV in breast cancer. We suggest further etiological studies.

Objective To describe a late complication of circumcision and to elucidate the role of surgical materials or any foreign body in the development of a subcutaneous mass in circumcised boys. Patients and methods From May 1998 to March 2001, 646 boys were circumcised and 523 (mean age 6.5 years, range 0–13) re‐examined for the possible development of a subcutaneous mass. Twenty‐six (5%) of the re‐examined patients had such a mass under the penile skin; it was removed in all patients under local anaesthesia and examined histopathologically. Results The mean (sd, range) delay after circumcision before developing or detecting the mass was 3.2 (0.7, 1–7) months. All patients were asymptomatic but there was purulent discharge in four. On removing the mass, histopathology showed the development of granulation tissue with foreign‐body giant cells. Conclusion There may be minor complications after circumcision which cannot be avoided even when the procedure is undertaken by surgeons. Awareness of such complications occurring long after circumcision may aid in the early detection of this asymptomatic mass and prevent a more severe outcome.

A 17-year-old male presented with a wound on the right temporal region, oozing hemorrhagic necrotic brain tissue and cerebrospinal fluid, following a fall. Computed tomography showed temporoparietal and petrous apex fractures on the right. Neurological examination revealed abducens nerve paresis, ptosis, and myosis on the right side. The patient was treated surgically for the removal of the free bony fragments at the fracture site and to close the dural tear. The abducens nerve paresis, ptosis, and myosis persisted at the 3rd monthly postoperative follow-up examination. The anatomy of the abducens nerve at the petroclival region was studied in four cadaveric heads. Two silicone-injected heads were used for microsurgical dissections and two for histological sections. The abducens nerve has three different angulations in the petroclival region, located at the dural entrance porus, the petrous apex, and the lateral wall of the cavernous segment of the internal carotid artery. The abducens nerve had fine anastomoses with the trigeminal nerve and the periarterial sympathetic plexus. There were fibrous connections extending inside the venous space of the petroclival area. The abducens nerve seems to be vulnerable to damage in the petroclival region, either directly by trauma to its dural porus and petrous apex or indirectly by stretching of the nerve through the nervous and/or fibrous connections. Concurrent functional loss of the abducens nerve and the periarterial sympathetic plexus clinically manifested as incomplete Horner's syndrome in our patient.

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