Maude Abbott Medical Museum
3640 University Street, Room 2/38E H3A0C7 Montreal, QC, Canada

Today is #McGill24, McGill's annual day of giving, when McGillians all around the world join forces to make a collective impact and pave the way for the next generation. Online donations made through Seeds of Change on McGill24 (March 10th, 2021) between 12:00am and 11:59pm EST are eligible for a maximum of 1:1 matching, up to $1000 per donor. Head to https://www.mcgill.ca//maude-abbott-medical-museum-continu to make your gift! See all the #McGill24 projects at to www.mcgill24.ca

#mcgill24 McGill's Day of Giving is back on March 10. When you give on McGill24, your gift goes to support the next generation of students, researchers and leaders. Every single gift counts, no matter the size. Pave the way for the next generation of leaders and changemakers: www.mcgill24.ca

We want to congratulate everyone who participated in the MAMM's Case of the Block project last year. Unfortunately, as it did with so many other things, COVID took charge and we were able to have specimens and questions for only the first four blocks. We were thrilled with the level of engagement and interest we received, thank you to everyone who participated! The person who had the most correct answers was Alice Shen - well done and congratulations! While we are unable to c...ontinue running our "Case of the Block" with the current facility restrictions, we would love any input you might have for virtual projects you would like to see. In the meantime, keep an eye out for updates on this year's "Immortalizing the Mortal" event (details to come soon) and other MAMM events and news! We would be grateful for any comments about how the quiz could be improved and/or about its usefulness or interest, good or bad: https://forms.gle/PxRgyTxm6DAmbVxr9 On behalf of the Maude Abbott Medical Museum team, thank you!

We had such an amazing turn out this year at our Immortalizing the Mortal art night. With all of the chaos in the beginning of the year, we forgot to share the beautiful artwork that our community members contributed to the event! We hope you can enjoy them as much as we did. Thank you to everyone who participated, we hope you will join us again next year.

This year's Immortalizing the Mortal event was filled with some amazing artwork. Here was this year's specimen and a few pieces from the night!

On March 11th, join alumni, students, parents, friends, faculty, and staff as we to show our pride in McGill through #McGill24. If you value the Maude Abbott Medical Museum and the work that we do, consider making a gift of any size to support our work. Every gift counts! https://bit.ly/2vvZ6VN

Thank you to everyone who participated in this month's "Case of the Block!" Answers for this specimen below. How are you liking the cases? Is there anything you'd like to see changed for future specimens? Send us a message, we'd love to hear from you. : Esophageal stricture. The specimen is narrowed (diameter about 1 cm) for (a distance of about 7 cms in its lower portion). The esophagus just above the narrowing is dilated (about 3 cm), suggesting some degree of obst...ruction. The boy swallowed caustic lye 6 months before death; during this time, he could ingest only liquids. If ingested in sufficient amount, acids and alkalis cause necrosis of the esophageal mucosa. If the injury is severe enough, there may be necrosis of the entire wall, with perforation and mediastinitis. If less severe, the mucosa is replaced by granulation tissue and, eventually, fibrous tissue. The latter results in narrowing of the esophageal lumen which, if severe enough and untreated, can lead to death from starvation as in this unfortunate child. Although less commonly seen in our society today than 1898, the condition is still a significant problem, particularly in developing countries. 2. Which of the following might you expect the patient to have complained of? a. - Yes b. Swelling of the ankles No reason to suspect this c. Yes, from lack of food d. Chest pain No; you would expect this in the weeks immediately following lye ingestion, but not at the stage of fibrosis such as in the specimen e. Nothing (asymptomatic) No; with this degree of stenosis one would expect symptoms 3. Which of the following are risk factors associated with the pathology you see? a. Yes, inquisitive children, especially those who put everything in their mouths! b. Yes, sometimes used in suicide attempts by young adults c. Atherosclerosis of aorta - No d. Alcohol No; although alcohol is a risk factor for esophageal carcinoma (which can also cause esophageal stenosis), it does not cause a benign stricture such as this e. Tobacco smoking - No Lupa M, Magne J, Guarisco JL, Amedee R. Ochsner J 2009; 9: 54 59. Update on the diagnosis and treatment of caustic ingestion. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3096249/

Happy Thursday, pathology enthusiasts! It's time for another "Case of the Block." This GI-themed case features an esophagus and stomach from a 3 1/2 year old boy who died in 1898. Do you think you can figure out what happened? Responses will be accepted until March 1st, answers posted March 2nd. Good luck! Quiz link: https://forms.gle/YTZjDQ3cdr7gEb296