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BMJ No 7123 Volume 315 Photofinish Saturday 20/27 December Christmas 1997 issue Photofinish Predating the furore over Formula One smoking advertisements - these signs of the times were spotted in April in the grounds of Queen Elizabeth Hospital, Birmingham, by Douglas Salmon. Temporary paint on "tattoos" drawn by street artists are fashionable in European holiday resorts. This 7 year old girl had such a tattoo drawn on her arm, and it was redrawn after two weeks. Twenty four hours later she developed blistering over the area and also at skin sites in contact with the tattoo. Patch testing showed a strong sensitivity to p-phenylenediamine, a recognised contact allergen. The lesions settled with topically applied 0.025% betamethasone ointment, but the results of exposure to this particular chemical imply that she may react to hair dyes and other topical substances in the future. Anthony M R Downs, specialist registrar in dermatology, Margaret Kirkup, specialist registrar in dermatology, Bristol Royal Infirmary, Bristol BS2 8HW A 60 year old man was treated for recurrent conjunctivitis for six years. Eversion of his lower lid revealed extensive basal cell carcinoma. Chronic eye infections require a thorough external eye examination. Andrew Feyi-Waboso, specialist registrar, C Lane, consultant ophthalmologist, R F Walters, consultant ophthalmologist, R McPherson, specialist registrar, Department of Ophthalmology, University Hospital of Wales, Cardiff CF4 4XW. An 86 year old woman was admitted after a fall. Her moustached appearance was the clue to idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura. She was treated with intravenous immunoglobulin, and her platelet count rose from 12|m~109/l to 130|m~109/l. A fracture of the femoral neck was treated by dynamic hip screw fixation, and she was discharged without complication 10 days later. Amanda Hawkins, senior house officer, Lois McGrath, senior house officer, David Limb, senior lecturer, St James's University Hospital, Leeds LS9 7TF. Patients with stroke often have a family history of the disease. An 83 year old woman with a history of hypertension was admitted to hospital after collapsing and was found to have atrial fibrillation and weakness on her right side. Her hypertensive 52 year old son was admitted to the same hospital on the same day with weakness on the right side. The figure shows their cranial computed tomograms (mother on the left), with virtually identical intracranial haemorrhages. The mother's lesion proved fatal after a few days, but her son made a reasonable recovery. George McInnes, consultant radiologist, Karen Davidson, superintendent radiographer, Tim Reilly, senior registrar, Victoria Infirmary, Glasgow G42 9TY A 23 year old left handed electrician was struck by a football on the tip of his right little finger. He presented with swelling, deformity, and inability to flex the distal and proximal interphalangeal joints of his right little finger. An x ray film showed dorsal dislocations of both interphalangeal joints. This rare injury was successfully treated under digital nerve block by applying longitudinal traction to reduce the dislocations followed by strapping to the neighbouring finger. At review he had good functional recovery. Shekhar Chillala, surgeon, Department of Orthopaedics and Trauma, Coventry and Warwickshire Hospital, Coventry CV1 4FH Home | Current issue | Past issues | Classified ads | Career Focus | Feedback Collections | About this site | About the BMJ | BMA | Medline