The production of particulate wear debris is a recognised complication of joint arthroplasty, but interest has concentrated on local tissue reactions and a possible association with implant loosening. The fate of wear products in the body remains unknown, although some of the metals used in the construction of orthopaedic implants are known to have toxic and oncogenic properties. We report histological and electron-microscopic evidence from two cases which shows that metallic debris can be identified in the lymphoreticular tissues of the body distant from the hip some years after joint replacement. The increase in the use of total arthroplasty in younger patients, the development of new alloys and the use of porous coatings must raise concern for the long-term effects of the accumulation of wear debris in the body.

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In this review of 179 patients in whom colostomy closure was performed the mortality from the operation was 2·2 per cent and the morbidity from faecal fistula was 23 per cent. This operation, there fore, should not be regarded as a minor procedure. Complications in patients with diverticular disease following colostomy closure are lowest when the operation is carried out 3 months or more after resection. After resection of a carcinoma, complications are lowest if the colostomy closure is carried out after 2 months.

There is limited experience and published literature on the use of topical 5% Imiquimod in the treatment of periocular tumours. In our experience, it is a safe and effective treatment for periocular lesions, including actinic keratosis, intraepidermal squamous cell carcinoma, basal cell carcinoma and squamous cell carcinoma. To our knowledge, this is the first published description of the successful use of 5% Imiquimod in treating moderately differentiated squamous cell carcinoma of the eyelid.

OBJECTIVE: This prospective study assesses the introduction of a fast-track referral system for patients with suspected colorectal cancer. PATIENTS AND METHODS: The referral system was initiated in Yeovil District Hospital and Taunton and Somerset Hospital using six screening criteria to select high-risk patients. Data on all high-risk patients from 1 November 1999 to 30 April 2000 was recorded prospectively. Patients with proven colorectal cancer diagnosed between 1 November 1998 and 30 April 1999 have been identified for comparison. RESULTS: There were 158 new cases of colorectal cancer in total (111 elective, 47 emergency). 59 cases of colorectal cancer were diagnosed from 433 fast-track referrals (53% of total elective cases). Median time from referral to diagnosis in the fast-track group was 11 days vs. 32.5 days for nonfast-track elective patients (P < 0.001). Median time from referral to diagnosis for all elective cases was 17 days vs. 38.5 days for patients presenting one year earlier (P < 0.001). 75% of fast-track patients were diagnosed with colorectal cancer within two weeks, compared with 17% of nonfast-track elective patients (P < 0.001). The proportion of emergency admissions was reduced from 40% to 30% (P=0.07) following the introduction of this system. CONCLUSION: Data from the first six months reveal that over half of the elective cases of colorectal cancer were diagnosed within the fast-track system. The median time from referral to diagnosis in these patients was within two weeks and there has been a significant reduction in the time to diagnosis associated with the introduction of this service.