Corneal tattoos provide an interesting solution for disfiguring corneal scars. Varying shades of drawing ink can be put into the anterior corneal stroma by using punctures made by a conventional spatula needle. For a week after the operation patients notice a moderate sensation of having a foreign body sensation and have conjunctival redness, but they seem happy with the results (British Journal of Ophthalmology 2002;86:397-9).

Oxidative stress increases significantly in people undergoing dialysis and is a risk factor for accelerated atherosclerosis. Korean doctors devised a randomised controlled study to see if hormone replacement therapy had any impact on oxidative stress and antioxidant capacity in 70 postmenopausal women undergoing dialysis. They found that hormone replacement therapy had a favourable effect, concurring with its effects in the general population (Renal Failure 2002;24:49-57).

Minerva recalls the days when some junior doctors ill advisedly used skateboards to navigate the long corridors of hospitals. Now it's scooters. A randomised crossover experiment to see if dashing with scooters to in-hospital emergencies offers any benefits over conventional running found that riders' pulse rates were significantly lower on arrival. Manual dexterity …