South African Medical Journal - Volume 27, Issue 18, May 1953

1. A case of pure bovis bilharziasis occurring in the urinary tract of a European schoolboy is reported. 2. The appearance of a single case of fuis infection in an area where snails are known to be heavily infected with bovis confirms the rarity of its incidence in humans. 3. Treatment with Miracil D was successful as evidenced by cystoscopic criteria, negative urine examinations and eosinophil reduction.

1. Four cases of idiopathic dilatation of the pulmonary artery are descriptionbed. 2. The differential diagnosis is discussed with special reference to congenital cardiac anomalies amenable to surgical treatment. 3. Previously reported cases are quoted. 4. The importance of cardiac catheterization and angiocardiography in the diagnosis of these cases is stressed. 5. The difficulty or impossibility of differentiating mild pulmonary valve stenosis from idiopathic pulmonary dilatation even with the aid of these special investigations is emphasized.

The patent ductus can be diagnosed with great accuracy entirely on clinical grounds. The clinical diagnosis can readily be confirmed by radiology and phonocardiography. Cardiac catheterization is used only in complicated cases and angiocardiography on very rare occasions. The long-term prognosis even of uncomplicated cases is poor, most having severe symptoms and incapacity in adult life when their responsibilities to their family are greatest. The pathology is remediable by fairly simple measures ca rrying a low mortality. Surgery should be employed in these cases whilst the patients' are young, at a time when intervention is safe and before irreversible pathological changes have occurred in the pulmonary arterial tree.