Working here in Northern Ghana, I have seen conditions and tumors that I have never seen elsewhere. Sometimes, I have to refer patients to the larger teaching institutions for further investigations. Other times, I just have to approach a problem in a stepwise fashion until a conclusion is found. This case is a good example […]
The Boy Who Loved Jackalberries So Much That They Almost Killed Him
A kid has a major bowel obstruction caused by dozens of seeds from the swamp ebony tree fruit or diospyros mespiliformis.
Abdominal Tuberculosis
Heidi extracts a large ovarian cyst that appears to be cancerous. The actual diagnosis is a bit of a surprise.
Hand Tendon Injuries and Repair
From time to time I have patients come to me with deep lacerations to the hand which on further inspection reveal injuries to the tendons. This causes an inability to move their fingers as they should. Often the injury is caused by a knife or cutlass but it can also due to a moto accident.
Marjolin’s Ulcer
Burns of the hands and feet can lead to severe contractures and deformities. One woman in her late 30s came to BMC with a large wound on her arm. It had developed at the site of a 15 year old burn wound which had “glued” the back of her hand to her wrist. The wound […]
Pyloric Stenosis
A 10 week old baby girl was admitted to the hospital for vomiting, dehydration and failure to thrive. She was still only 3.5 Kg (about 7lb, 11 oz)! From the history given by the mother, there were no problems with the birth. About one week later, however, the baby started to vomit. She would nurse […]