Infrainguinal arterial reconstruction can be performed safely with comparable results in women and men. Although women may present older and more often for limb salvage, outcomes do not appear to be adversely affected.

Rectus muscle haematoma is a well documented clinical entity, but its diagnosis remains elusive. A haematoma within the rectus sheath produces a painful, tender swelling that can mimic an intraperitoneal mass with features of an acute abdomen. Two patients with rectus haematomas presenting after bouts of prolonged coughing are reported. In both cases, clinical features and ultrasound findings suggested the presence of intraperitoneal pathology. However, in both cases consistent findings in the history and examination pointed towards the diagnosis of a rectus haematoma. It is proposed that these simple clinical criteria are diagnostic of a rectus sheath haematoma, and can thereby avert an unnecessary laparotomy.

-of-Spain, University of the West IndiesFracture of the penis is a well-recognized clinical entity. The ideal management has evolved and repair remains largely surgical. We present the etiology and pathophysiology of this condition and outline the therapeutic options.

ABsmcr.-Erythpodium c u r i b m m obtained off the coast of Tobago has yielded the known diterpenes erythrolide A 111, erythrolide B 121, and erythrolide E 137 as well as a new diterpene designated erythrolide J [4]. T h e structure of compound 4 was determined by high resolution nmr studies.Well over one hundred diterpenes possessing the briarane skeleton have been isolated from marine coelenterates mainly from the sub-class Octocorallia (1). Recent reports of seven new compounds of this type from Erytbropodium caribaemm Duchassaing & Michelotti (Gorgonidae) and nine from a Briareum sp. as well as twenty-five from the encrusting gorgonian Solenopodium stecbei collected on the Great Barrier Reef off Australia have added significantly to this group of diterpenes (2,3). E. caribaeorum is an encrusting gorgonian that is not readily distinguished from Briareum asbartinum. Previous investigations of this organism have yielded erythrolidesA-I (2,4). Erythrolides A E11 and B E27 have not been reported thus far from any other organism and may well be chemotaxonomic markers for E. caribaeorum. We report here our investigation of E. caribaeorum collected off the coast of Tobago. In addition to compounds 1 and 2, we also isolated erythrolide E 131 (2) and a new diterpene which we have named erythrolide J {47. Erythrolides A 117, B 127, and E 137 were identified by comparison oftheir respective H-nmr spectral data with those reported in the literature (2,4). The complete 'H and 1 I5 0 1 1 '0 1 2 O b c I 0 3 0 4

No abstract

The photostability of selected drug molecules, including furosemide, prochlorperazine, diclofenac, piroxicam, midazolam and nifedipine was studied, the kinetics of photodegradation, identification of the photodegradants investigated and mechanisms of photodegradation proposed. Selected cyclodextrins altered the photodegradation profiles of diclofenac, piroxicam, midazolam and nifedipine by either accelerating or retarding the rate of photodegradation and generating novel photodegradants.

Treatment in patients with renal failure with upper extremity occlusive disease may be facilitated with brachiodistal bypass grafting. Pain control and reversal of progression of hand necrosis can be achieved.

An investigation of the gorgonian octocoral Erythropodium caribaeorum collected off the north coast of Jamaica has yielded three new briarane diterpenes. In addition, the six known diterpenes, erythrolides A, B, D, E, F, and I were isolated. The structures of these diterpenes were established by 1H and 13C NMR spectroscopy utilizing DEPT, COSY, and HETCOR experiments.