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Pediatric Brainstem Gliomas: An Institutional Experience, Altaf Ali Laghari, Mirza Zain Baig, Muhammad Ehsan Bari, Aneela Darbar, Naureen Mushtaq, Umme E Hani Abdullah, Daniya Aziz Khan Nov 2019

Pediatric Brainstem Gliomas: An Institutional Experience, Altaf Ali Laghari, Mirza Zain Baig, Muhammad Ehsan Bari, Aneela Darbar, Naureen Mushtaq, Umme E Hani Abdullah, Daniya Aziz Khan

Section of Neurosurgery

Objective: The aim of this study was to analyze the clinical profiles and outcomes of pediatric brainstem gliomas treated at our institute.
Methodology: We reviewed the files of 18 pediatric age group patients diagnosed with brainstem glioma at our institution. The following variables were recorded: age, sex, duration of symptoms, date of diagnosis, main clinical symptoms, Karnofsky performance status score, magnetic resonance imaging findings, histopathology findings, details of the treatment given, disease progression, and date of mortality/last follow-up. This data were then transferred to SPSS version 23 which was used for further analysis.
Results: The mean age of our cohort …


Current Management Of Glioma In Pakistan, Umme E Hani Abdullah, Altaf Ali Laghari, Muhammad Usman Khalid, Huzaifa Bin Rashid, Fatima Ali, Adnan Jabbar, Asim Hafiz, Muhammad Shahzad Shamim, Ather Enam Sep 2019

Current Management Of Glioma In Pakistan, Umme E Hani Abdullah, Altaf Ali Laghari, Muhammad Usman Khalid, Huzaifa Bin Rashid, Fatima Ali, Adnan Jabbar, Asim Hafiz, Muhammad Shahzad Shamim, Ather Enam

Section of Neurosurgery

To date, information on the management of specific neurosurgical tumors, such as glioma, in Pakistan remains scattered and scarce. Our review synthesizes the predicaments of glioma management routinely presented to the neurosurgery, medical oncology, radiation oncology, and radiology departments in Pakistan. Expert opinions were integrated from each of the relevant fields in the form of personal citations. The data presented in our review were collected from various PubMed and non-PubMed indexed articles, coupled with various health reports from the Government of Pakistan along with the World Health Organization. Through these data, it was postulated that the utilization of innovative and …


Pituitary Adenoma With Calcifications: A Case Report, Yakoot Khan, Noor Malik, Saba Iqbal Awan, Syed Hassan Khalid, Altaf Ali Laghari Aug 2019

Pituitary Adenoma With Calcifications: A Case Report, Yakoot Khan, Noor Malik, Saba Iqbal Awan, Syed Hassan Khalid, Altaf Ali Laghari

Section of Neurosurgery

Pituitary adenomas and Rathke’s cleft cyst with calcification are rarely seen and craniopharyngioma still remains the common sellar suprasellar space occupying lesion with calcification. Presence of calcification is reported in pituitary adenoma in only 0.2% to 8% cases. The pituitary adenoma with calcification is a rare radiological finding and it must be distinguished from other lesions of the pituitary gland as the management and prognosis differs significantly. We report a case of a 29-year-old gentleman presented electively with the complaints of deterioration of vision for four months. CT-scan without contrast examination revealed pituitary adenoma with calcification. The patient underwent transsphenoidal …


Timing Of Postoperative Magnetic Resonance Imaging (Mri) Following Glioma Resection: Shattering The 72 Hour Window, Syed Sarmad Bukhari, Muhammad Shahzad Shamim, Fatima Mubarak Aug 2019

Timing Of Postoperative Magnetic Resonance Imaging (Mri) Following Glioma Resection: Shattering The 72 Hour Window, Syed Sarmad Bukhari, Muhammad Shahzad Shamim, Fatima Mubarak

Section of Neurosurgery

Extent of enhancing tumour resection is correlated with progression free survival following glioma surgery. Historically, a contrast enhanced MRI has been recommended within 72 hours following surgery to evaluate for residual disease. This theoretical window was established amidst conflicting evidence to avoid reactive enhancement. Recent studies with better designs and better imaging quality have sought to challenge this window with a more pragmatic method of evaluating residual disease.


Emergency Care Surveillance And Emergency Care Registries In Low-Income And Middle-Income Countries: Conceptual Challenges And Future Directions For Research, Hani Mowaf, Christine Ngaruiya, Gerard O'Reilly, Olive Kobusingye, Vikas Kapil, Andres Rubiano, Marcus Ong, Juan Carlos Puyana, Akm Fazlur Rahman, Rashid Jooma, Blythe Beecrof, Junaid Razzak Jul 2019

Emergency Care Surveillance And Emergency Care Registries In Low-Income And Middle-Income Countries: Conceptual Challenges And Future Directions For Research, Hani Mowaf, Christine Ngaruiya, Gerard O'Reilly, Olive Kobusingye, Vikas Kapil, Andres Rubiano, Marcus Ong, Juan Carlos Puyana, Akm Fazlur Rahman, Rashid Jooma, Blythe Beecrof, Junaid Razzak

Section of Neurosurgery

Despite the fact that the 15 leading causes of global deaths and disability-adjusted life years are from conditions amenable to emergency care, and that this burden is highest in low-income and middle-income countries (LMICs), there is a paucity of research on LMIC emergency care to guide policy making, resource allocation and service provision. A literature review of the 550 articles on LMIC emergency care published in the 10-year period from 2007 to 2016 yielded 106 articles for LMIC emergency care surveillance and registry research. Few articles were from established longitudinal surveillance or registries and primarily composed of short-term data collection. …


Endoscopic Transsphenoidal Surgery For Cushing's Disease: A Review, Mirza Zain Baig, Altaf Ali Laghari, Aneela Darbar, Umme E Hani Abdullah, Sumiya Abbasi Jul 2019

Endoscopic Transsphenoidal Surgery For Cushing's Disease: A Review, Mirza Zain Baig, Altaf Ali Laghari, Aneela Darbar, Umme E Hani Abdullah, Sumiya Abbasi

Section of Neurosurgery

Ever since the 1960s, transsphenoidal surgery has been the modality of choice for treating Cushing's disease. Subsequent visualization of the pituitary fossa and sphenoid sinus may be done either with the operating microscope or with the relatively new endoscope. The endoscope due to its panoramic view allows greater visualization as compared to the operating microscope. It confers greater access to the cavernous sinus, sella, suprasellar, and parasellar regions and accommodates higher magnifications. It is bi-dimensional, however as opposed to the operating microscope that provides a three-dimensional view and allows greater depth perception. This article provides a comprehensive review of the …


Perianal Necrotizing Fasciitis With Retroperitoneal Extension: A Case Report From Pakistan, Mirza Zain Baig, Abeer Aziz, Umme E Hani Abdullah, Muhammad Salman Khalil, Sumiya Abbasi Jul 2019

Perianal Necrotizing Fasciitis With Retroperitoneal Extension: A Case Report From Pakistan, Mirza Zain Baig, Abeer Aziz, Umme E Hani Abdullah, Muhammad Salman Khalil, Sumiya Abbasi

Section of Neurosurgery

Necrotizing fasciitis is a rare but potentially fatal condition. It is defined as a rapidly spreading infection of the subcutaneous soft tissue. Extension into the retroperitoneum may further complicate this deadly condition. We report a case of a 45-year-old gentleman who presented to our institute with perianal necrotizing fasciitis with extension into the retroperitoneum. He was managed with antibiotics and prompt surgical debridement. Our patient had a positive outcome which may be due to the fact that we had a high clinical suspicion, on the basis of which we opted for early operative management rather than delaying definitive treatment by …


Ossification Of The Cruciform Ligament Of Atlas; A Rare Cause Of Cervical Myelopathy: Case Report And Review Of Literature, Muhammad Waqas Saeed Baqai, Gohar Javed, Mirza Zain Baig Jul 2019

Ossification Of The Cruciform Ligament Of Atlas; A Rare Cause Of Cervical Myelopathy: Case Report And Review Of Literature, Muhammad Waqas Saeed Baqai, Gohar Javed, Mirza Zain Baig

Section of Neurosurgery

We present a case of cervical myelopathy secondary to ossification of the cruciform ligament (also known as cruciate ligament). This is a rare phenomenon that, to the best of our knowledge, has only been reported 16 times previously in literature. We have added a review of literature after our case presentation. We hope that by doing so, we may aid clinicians reach early diagnosis so as to be able to better manage this rare disease.


Effect Of Pregnancy On Growth Of Intracranial Meningiomas, Ayesha Quddusi, Muhammad Shahzad Shamim, Quratulain Virani Jul 2019

Effect Of Pregnancy On Growth Of Intracranial Meningiomas, Ayesha Quddusi, Muhammad Shahzad Shamim, Quratulain Virani

Section of Neurosurgery

Meningiomas are the most common benign primary intracranial tumours in adults. Their rapid growth during pregnancy has been well reported. Moreover, the relationship of increased progesterone expression during pregnancy and extensive tumour growth has been debated. In this review, we discuss not only the effect of progesterone on meningiomal growth but also other mechanisms involved in gestational meningiomas.


Early Versus Delayed Flow Diversion For Ruptured Intracranial Aneurysms: A Meta-Analysis, Rimal Hanif Dossani, Devi P. Patra, Jennifer Kosty, Fareed Jumah, Okkes Kuybu, Nasser Mohammed, Muhammad Waqas, Muhammad Riaz, Hugo Cuellar Jun 2019

Early Versus Delayed Flow Diversion For Ruptured Intracranial Aneurysms: A Meta-Analysis, Rimal Hanif Dossani, Devi P. Patra, Jennifer Kosty, Fareed Jumah, Okkes Kuybu, Nasser Mohammed, Muhammad Waqas, Muhammad Riaz, Hugo Cuellar

Section of Neurosurgery

Objective: The use and timing of flow diversion for aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage is controversial. The objective of this study is to perform a meta-analysis and systematic review to compare overall complication rate between early versus delayed flow diversion for ruptured aneurysms.
Methods: A literature search for all eligible articles was performed using PubMed, Cochrane, and Web of Science databases. The primary outcome was the overall complication rate (any complication in the perioperative period), and secondary outcomes were 1) hemorrhage and 2) stroke/death (all hemorrhagic/ischemic strokes and/or death).
Results: Thirteen articles including 142 patients met inclusion criteria. Eighty-nine (62.7%) patients underwent …


Serum Biomarkers For Glioblastoma Multiforme, Ayesha Quddusi, Muhammad Shahzad Shamim Jun 2019

Serum Biomarkers For Glioblastoma Multiforme, Ayesha Quddusi, Muhammad Shahzad Shamim

Section of Neurosurgery

A number of different serum biomarkers are currently being evaluated for their potential use as diagnostic and prognostic biomarkers in Glioblastoma Multiforme. Amongst these, a vast number of different microRNAs have been studied, that are up-regulated or downregulated in relation to Glioblastoma Multiforme. Different studies have found numerous associations of these different microRNAs with recurrence, Karnofsky Performance Score, Progression Free Survival and Overall Survival. Other than microRNAs, serum Glial Fibrillary Acid Protein, cytokines and YLK-40, as well as a number of other candidate serum biomarkers are being studied.More studies, with larger sample sizes are required before these serum biomarkers can …


Enhanced Recovery After Elective Craniotomy For Brain Tumours, Ummey Hani, Saqib Kamran Bakhshi, Muhammad Shahzad Shamim May 2019

Enhanced Recovery After Elective Craniotomy For Brain Tumours, Ummey Hani, Saqib Kamran Bakhshi, Muhammad Shahzad Shamim

Section of Neurosurgery

Enhanced recovery after surgery (ERAS) is aimed at accelerated rehabilitation after surgery, and involves a multidisciplinary approach. Significant work has been published on this concept with regards to abdominal surgeries, however, the idea is relatively new for those undergoing neurosurgical procedures. We have reviewed literature on ERAS in patients undergoing craniotomy for brain tumours.


Freehand Pedicle Screw Fixation: A Safe Recipe For Dorsal, Lumbar And Sacral Spine, Muhammad Junaid, Ali Afzal, Anisa Kalsoom, Syed Sarmad Bukhari May 2019

Freehand Pedicle Screw Fixation: A Safe Recipe For Dorsal, Lumbar And Sacral Spine, Muhammad Junaid, Ali Afzal, Anisa Kalsoom, Syed Sarmad Bukhari

Section of Neurosurgery

Objective: To determine outcome of freehand pedicle screw fixation for dorsal, lumbar and sacral fractures at a tertiary care centre in the developing world.
Methods: A retrospective review was performed of 150 consecutive patients who underwent pedicle screw fixation from January 1, 2012 to 31st December 2017. A total of 751 pedicle screws were placed. Incidence and extent of cortical breach by misplaced pedicle screw was determined by review of intra-operative and post-operative radiographs and/or computed tomography.
Results: Among the total 751 free hand placed pedicle screws, four screws (0.53%) were repositioned due to a misdirected trajectory towards the …


Diffuse Low-Grade Glioma - Changing Concepts In Diagnosis And Management: A Review, Rashid Jooma, Muhammad Waqas, Inamullah Khan Apr 2019

Diffuse Low-Grade Glioma - Changing Concepts In Diagnosis And Management: A Review, Rashid Jooma, Muhammad Waqas, Inamullah Khan

Section of Neurosurgery

Though diffuse low-grade gliomas (dLGGs) represent only 15% of gliomas, they have been receiving increasing attention in the past decade. Significant advances in knowledge of the natural history and clinical diversity have been documented, and an improved pathological classification of gliomas that integrates histological features with molecular markers has been issued by the WHO. Advances in the radiological assessment of dLGG, particularly new magnetic resonance imaging scanning sequences, allow improved diagnostic and prognostic information. The management paradigms are evolving from "wait and watch" of the past to more active interventional therapy to obviate the risk of malignant transformation. New surgical …


Endovascular Coiling Versus Neurosurgical Clipping For Aneurysmal Subarachnoid Hemorrhage: A Systematic Review And Meta-Analysis, Syed Ijlal Ahmed, Gohar Javed, Syeda Beenish Bareeqa, Syeda Sana Samar, Ali Shah, Arwa Giani, Zainab Azam, Abeer Tasleem, Syed Hasham Humayun Mar 2019

Endovascular Coiling Versus Neurosurgical Clipping For Aneurysmal Subarachnoid Hemorrhage: A Systematic Review And Meta-Analysis, Syed Ijlal Ahmed, Gohar Javed, Syeda Beenish Bareeqa, Syeda Sana Samar, Ali Shah, Arwa Giani, Zainab Azam, Abeer Tasleem, Syed Hasham Humayun

Section of Neurosurgery

Background: Aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage is a frequently devastating condition with a reported incidence of between 10 and 15 people per 100,000 in the United States. Currently, according to the best of our knowledge, there are not enough meta-analyses available in the medical literature of the last five years which compare the risks and benefits of endovascular coiling with neurosurgical clipping.
Methods: Twenty-two studies were selected out of the short-listed studies. The studies were selected on the basis of relevance to the topic, sample size, sampling technique, and randomization. Data were analyzed on Revman software.
Results: Mortality was found to be …


Choice Of Therapeutic Anti-Seizure Medication In Patients With Brain Tumour, Altaf Ali Laghari, Syed Ijlal Ahmed, Namra Qadeer, Muhammad Shahzad Shamim Mar 2019

Choice Of Therapeutic Anti-Seizure Medication In Patients With Brain Tumour, Altaf Ali Laghari, Syed Ijlal Ahmed, Namra Qadeer, Muhammad Shahzad Shamim

Section of Neurosurgery

Seizures are common in patients with brain tumours, even though prophylactic anti-seizure treatment for all patients with brain tumours is not recommended. Newer anti-epileptic drugs have shown benefits that outweigh the side effects of treatment and can also be given in combination with traditional anti-epileptic drugs. The authors have reviewed the literature on the various combinations of anti-epileptics in patients with seizures and brain tumours.


Dermoid Cyst With No Intracranial Extension: A Case Report And Literature Review, Asra Tanwir, Noor Malik, Gohar Javed, Romana Idress Feb 2019

Dermoid Cyst With No Intracranial Extension: A Case Report And Literature Review, Asra Tanwir, Noor Malik, Gohar Javed, Romana Idress

Section of Neurosurgery

Background: Dermoid cysts are cystic inclusion tumors. They comprise hair follicles, sweat glands, and sebaceous glands. They have lining of stratified squamous epithelium. The most common areas involved are face, lower back, and ovaries. Congenital cystic dermoid involving the anterior fontanelle with no intracranial extension is a rare scalp swelling. We present a case of dermoid cyst with no intracranial extension.
Case description: We report a case of 4-month-old child presented with a history of a scalp swelling since birth. The swelling increased in size progressively. Magnetic resonance imaging of the brain revealed extracranial cystic lesion over anterior fontanelle with …


Surgical Care For All - Much Work To Be Done, Ather Enam, Sadaf Khan Feb 2019

Surgical Care For All - Much Work To Be Done, Ather Enam, Sadaf Khan

Section of Neurosurgery

No abstract provided.


Primary Trauma Care: A Training Course For Healthcare Providers In Developing Countries, Saqib Kamran Bakhshi, Rashid Jooma Feb 2019

Primary Trauma Care: A Training Course For Healthcare Providers In Developing Countries, Saqib Kamran Bakhshi, Rashid Jooma

Section of Neurosurgery

Outcomes of injury in low and middle income countries may be compromised by skill deficiencies of healthcare providers. Short subspecialty training courses can be a useful solution to skill-deficits. We report on the Primary Trauma Care programme, a 2-day course designed to train frontline health workers in resuscitation and early management of the injured with limited resources and equipment. Developed for use in weak health systems and now conducted in over 70 countries, the programme is cost-efficient with built-in design sustainability by way of early transfer of ownership to local partners to effect a cascade of trauma courses in their …


Diffusion-Weighted Magnetic Resonance Imaging May Be Useful In Differentiating Fungal Abscess From Malignant Intracranial Lesion: Case Report, Syeda Maheen Batool, Fatima Mubarak, Ather Enam Jan 2019

Diffusion-Weighted Magnetic Resonance Imaging May Be Useful In Differentiating Fungal Abscess From Malignant Intracranial Lesion: Case Report, Syeda Maheen Batool, Fatima Mubarak, Ather Enam

Section of Neurosurgery

Background: Diffusion-weighted magnetic resonance has a well-defined role in differentiating between important intracranial lesions. Sometimes, the surgeon is faced with a dilemma of how to diagnose an infectious versus malignant lesion.
Case Description: A 28-year-old male presented to the neurosurgery clinic with complaints of headache and left-sided weakness for 2 weeks. Neurological examination was intact. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scan showed a large infiltrating heterogeneous mass involving the right parietal lobe. On further reviewing, there was homogenous diffusion restriction in the center of lesion. In addition, its aggressive behavior confirmed it to be a fungal abscess.
Conclusions: Correctly identifying an …


Pre-Operative Voriconazole In Patients Undergoing Surgery For Central Nervous System Fungal Infections: Special Report, Ghani Haider, Muhammad Shahzad Shamim, Muhammad Faheem Khan, Muhammad Ehsan Bari, Ather Enam Jan 2019

Pre-Operative Voriconazole In Patients Undergoing Surgery For Central Nervous System Fungal Infections: Special Report, Ghani Haider, Muhammad Shahzad Shamim, Muhammad Faheem Khan, Muhammad Ehsan Bari, Ather Enam

Section of Neurosurgery

Fungal infections of the central nervous system (CNS) are uncommon. Despite several advancements in diagnosis and treatment of these infections, the mortality rates remain high. The current retrospective study was planned to define the demographic and clinical features of patients with CNS fungal infections. Conducted at Aga Khan University Hospital, Karachi, and comprising CNS fungal infections operated between January 2000 and December 2015. The study analysed whether a short course of pre-operative anti-fungal therapy may improve outcomes in these patients. There were 47 cases confirmed on histopathology and/or microbiology. Outcome measures used were Glasgow coma score (GCS), Glasgow outcome score …


Follow-Up Bibliometric Analysis Of Neurosurgical Publications From Pakistan And Institutional Comparison With Other Countries Using H-Index And I-10 Index, Muhammad Waqas Saeed Baqai, Usman Tariq Siddique, Muhammad Shahzad Shamim Jan 2019

Follow-Up Bibliometric Analysis Of Neurosurgical Publications From Pakistan And Institutional Comparison With Other Countries Using H-Index And I-10 Index, Muhammad Waqas Saeed Baqai, Usman Tariq Siddique, Muhammad Shahzad Shamim

Section of Neurosurgery

Aim: The aim of the study was to analyze the neurosurgical research output of Pakistan and compare it with that of developed countries.
Methodology: We conducted a bibliometric analysis of publically available databases for all neurosurgical publications from Pakistan. All indexed peer-reviewed publications from January 2009 to December 2014 where at least one author was affiliated with any neurosurgical departments in Pakistan and research was conducted in Pakistan were selected. Manual and electronic search was done using MeSH terms to search for articles from Pakistan. Articles were then categorized according to design, subspecialty, region, and year.
Results: Our search identified …