Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

Ewing's Sarcoma/Pnet Of Kidney In 13-Year-Old Girl, Quratulain Badar, Nasir Ali, Nadeem Abbasi, Shamvil Ashraf, Farrok Karsan, Raheel Hashmi

Department of Radiology

Ewing's sarcoma is the second most common primary tumour of bone in childhood. Less frequently it occurs in soft tissues. Ewing's sarcoma/primitive neuroectodermal tumour (ES/PNET) is an extra ordinarily rare primary tumour in the kidney. Only very few cases of primary renal Ewing's sarcoma have been reported in the literature to date. We present a case of primary right renal Ewing's sarcoma in a 13-year-old girl who was diagnosed as a case of stage IV ES/PNET of kidney with metastases to lung and liver. Right nephrectomy was done followed by adjuvant radiotherapy and chemotherapy with complete response to local and …

Prosthesis-Patient Mismatch After Transcatheter Aortic Valve Implantation With The Medtronic-Corevalve Bioprosthesis, Hasan Jilaihawi, Derek Chin, Tomasz Spyt, Jeilan Mohamed, Mariuca Vasa-Nicotera, Johan Bence, Elaine Logtens, Jan Kovac

Internal Medicine, East Africa

Aims: Prosthesis-patient mismatch (P-PM) is an important determinant of morbidity and mortality following open aortic valve replacement. The aims of this study were to report its incidence and determinants following transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI) with the Corevalve bioprosthesis, which have—thus far—not been described.

Methods and results: Patients with severe calcific aortic stenosis received TAVI with the Corevalve bioprosthesis via transfemoral route. Following TAVI, moderate P-PM was defined as indexed aortic valve effective orifice area (AVAi) ≤0.85 cm2/m2 and severe P-PM as AVAi ≤0.65 cm2/m2. Clinical, echocardiographic, and procedural factors relating to P-PM were studied. Optimal device position was defined …

Non-Invasive Prenatal Determination Of Fetal Rhd Genotyping From Maternal Plasma: A Preliminary Study In Pakistan, Nuruddin Badruddin Mohammed, Fatima Kakal, Mehreen Somani, Wajiha Zafar

Department of Obstetrics & Gynaecology

Objectives: To determine the accuracy of the non-invasive pre-natal real-time polymerase chain reaction based fetal RhD genotyping from maternal plasma.

Study Design: Cross-sectional study.

Place And Duration Of Study: Juma Health Sciences Research Laboratory, The Aga Khan University Hospital, Karachi, from July to December 2008.

Methodology: Cell-free plasma DNA from 21 D-negative women with D-positive spouse between 20-39 weeks of gestation was tested for the presence of exon 5 region of RhD gene using real-time polymerase chain reaction. b-globin was employed as the house-keeping gene. Sensitivity and specificity of the real-time PCR-based non-invasive fetal RhD genotyping was obtained by calculating …

Presenting Signs And Symptoms Of Ovarian Cancer At A Tertiary Care Hospital, Ambareen Khan, Khusro Sultana

Department of Obstetrics & Gynaecology

Objective: To identify early warning signs and symptoms of ovarian cancer to create awareness for early diagnosis and management of the disease.
Methods: This study was conducted at the department of Gynaecology and Obstetrics, Liaquat National Hospital, Karachi from 2003 to 2007, having 75 patients. The information collected included age, education, and self perceived state of socio-economic class, presenting clinical signs and symptoms, basic and specific laboratory investigations. The disease was staged from I to IV upon surgical staging and the type of cancer was determined by histopathological examination.
Results: Mean age of the patients was 51 +/- 12.3 years. …

Is Early Correction Of Congenital Ventricular Septal Defect A Better Option In A Developing Country, Awais Ashfaq, Hassaan Ashraf Zia, Muhammad Muneer Amanullah

Section of Cardiothoracic Surgery

OBJECTIVE: To assess and evaluate the effectiveness of early ventricular septal defect (VSD) repair in a developing country by comparing the outcomes in two age groups.

METHODS: A total of 39 patients underwent VSD repair at a tertiary care hospital in Karachi over a period of 2.5 years. Patients were divided into Group 1 (years) and Group 2 (2-18 yrs). Perioperative and postoperative variables were reviewed retrospectively for each patient and compared with the development of complications and the effect on postoperative recovery times. The data was analyzed using Mann Whitney test for continuous variables and Fischer's exact test for …

Potential Benefits And Perceived Need For Health Promoting Hospitals In Pakistan: A Healthcare Stakeholder's Perspective, Asif Raza Khowaja, Rozina Mistry, Ajmal Agha, Rozina Karmaliani

Community Health Sciences

OBJECTIVES: To explore perceptions of healthcare stakeholders' about health promoting hospitals, potential benefits and need in Pakistan.METHODOLOGY: A qualitative exploratory study was conducted between July-August 2007. The data was collected through key-informant (KI) interviews and focus group discussions (FGD) with purposively selected hospital administrators, healthcare providers, health policy makers, and UN-donor agency representatives. The thematic analysis was done using QSR NVivo 2.0; and nodes representing themes were generated.RESULTS: The study participants perceived health promotion, a concept synonymous to health education. Those participants with public health background were better able to relate their perceptions to a more holistic view of health …

Band Heterotopia, M. S. Alam, N Naila

Section of Internal Medicine

Band heterotopias are one of the rarest groups of congenital disorder that result in variable degree of structural abnormality of brain parenchyma. Band of heterotopic neurons result from a congenital or acquired deficiency of the neuronal migration. MRI is the examination of choice for demonstrating these abnormalities because of the superb gray vs. white matter differentiation, detail of cortical anatomy and ease of multiplanar imaging. We report a case of band heterotopia that showed a bilateral band of gray matter in deep white matter best demonstrated on T2 Wt. and FLAIR images.

Dental Maturity Amongst Various Vertical And Sagittal Facial Patterns, Rashna H. Sukhia, Mubassar Fida

Section of Dental-Oral Maxillofacial Surgery

OBJECTIVE: To compare the mean dental maturity amongst three vertical facial patterns (short, average and long anterior facial heights) and also amongst two sagittal facial patterns (skeletal class I and II) in orthodontic patients.

STUDY DESIGN: Cross-sectional analytical study.

PLACE AND DURATION OF STUDY: The Aga Khan University Hospital, Karachi, from August to October 2008.

METHODOLOGY: Data was retrospectively retrieved from pretreatment orthodontic records of patients who visited the orthodontic clinic. The sample was divided into three vertical groups, namely short, average and long anterior facial types, and two sagittal groups, namely skeletal class I and II. Dental development was …

Lower-Limb Alignment And Posterior Tibial Slope In Pakistanis: A Radiographic Study, Mujahid Jamil Khattak, Masood Umer, Edward T Davis, Munira Habib, Mehmood Ahmed

Department of Surgery Docs

Abstract

PURPOSE:

To assess the lower-limb alignment and posterior tibial slope in Pakistanis.

METHODS:

40 male and 19 female healthy Pakistanis aged 20 to 45 years were recruited. A full weight-bearing anteroposterior radiograph of the entire lower limb of each subject was obtained. The axial alignment was measured based on the centres of the femoral head, knee, and ankle. The tibiofemoral (TF) angle, knee joint line obliquity angle (angle J), and posterior tibial slope were determined.

RESULTS:

The mean TF angle was more varus in men than women (178.4 degrees vs. 180.0 degrees, p<0.001). The mean angle J was more medially inclined in men than women (93.4 degrees vs. 91.4 degrees, p=0.007). The mean medial tibial slope was greater in women than men (16.0 degrees vs. 12.5 degrees, p<0.001). The posterior tibial slope was greater in women than men (14.1 degrees vs. 12.5 degrees, p=0.02), and was greater than the 5 degrees to 10 degrees commonly reported.

CONCLUSIONS:

Knee alignment and geometry vary …

Anxiolytic Effect Of Midazolam Premedication Assessed By Clinical And Platelet Aggregation Profiles, Ehtesham I Khan, Rehana S Kamal, Hameed Ullah

Department of Anaesthesia

BACKGROUND: It is well documented that surgery is associated with increased anxiety, which has an adverse impact on patient's outcome. This study was designed to assess the anxiolytic effect of midazolam in pre-anaesthetic medication by using clinical and platelet aggregation profiles.METHODS: Sixty ASA I and II female patients aged between 35 and 60 years undergoing elective abdominal hysterectomy were randomly divided into two equal groups. Group I received placebo as pre-medication while group II received 0.15 mg/kg midazolam as pre-medication 1 hour preoperatively. They were monitored for visual analogue scale (VAS) for anxiety, observer's anxiety criteria, sedation score, blood pressure, …

Parotidectomy: A Review Of 112 Patients Treated At A Teaching Hospital In Pakistan, Naeem Sultan Ali, Ahmad Nawaz, Shaheryar Rajput, Mubasher Ikram

Section of Otolaryngology, Head & Neck Surgery

Objective:The Purpose of this study was to analyze the clinical presentation, histopathology and complications following parotid surgery.

Methods:

We retrospectively reviewed the charts of 112 Patients who underwent parotidectomy from January 2000 to February 2010. Data including age, sex, clinical signs and symptoms, histology and complication were collected from medical records.

Results:

Of the total, 82 (74%) had benign lesions, 30 (36%) had malignant tumors. The most common benign tumor was pleomorphic adenoma (57%), and the most common malignant tumor was mucoepidermoid carcinoma (16%). Analysis of the correlation between fine-needle aspiration cytology and final histology revealed that fine-needle aspiration …

Increase In Organization Index Predicts Atrial Fibrillation Termination With Flecainide Post-Ablation: Spectral Analysis Of Intracardiac Electrograms, Jiun Tuan, Faizel Osman, Jeilan Mohamed, Suman Kundu, Rajkumar Mantravadi, Peter J. Stafford, G. André Ng

Internal Medicine, East Africa

Aims: The mechanism of the action of flecainide in the termination of human atrial fibrillation (AF) is not fully understood. We studied the acute effects of flecainide on AF electrograms in the time and frequency domain to identify factors associated with AF termination.

Methods and results: Patients who were still in AF at the end of catheter ablation for AF were given intravenous flecainide. Dominant frequency (DF) and organization index (OI) were obtained by fast Fourier transform of electrograms from the coronary sinus catheter over 10 s in AF, before and after flecainide infusion. Mean AF cycle length (CL) was …

Hydatid Disease Of The Breast, Imrana Masroor, M. Azeemuddin, S. Khan, A. Barakzai

Department of Radiology

Cystic hydatid disease is caused by the parasite Echinococcus granulosus. Humans are the accidental intermediate hosts of this organism. Hydatid disease is endemic in countries in which raising sheep and cattle constitutes an important means of livelihood. The most commonly affected organs are the liver and lungs. Involvement of the kidney, bone, brain and other organs is rare. Breast involvement in this disease is also very rare. A case of isolated hydatid cyst of the breast is presented, along with a review of the literature and a discussion on the pertinent clinical and radiological aspects of the disease.

Headache In Cerebral Venous Thrombosis: Incidence, Pattern And Location In 200 Consecutive Patients., Mohammad Wasay, Suleman Kojan, Alper I Dai, George Bobustuc, Zubair Sheikh

Section of Neurology

We analyzed the incidence, pattern and location of headache in consecutive 200 Patients with proven diagnosis of CVT to identify an association between localization of headache and site of sinus involvement. Headache was present in 136 (68%) Patients. The duration of headache (reported in 128 Patients) was reported as acute (1-3 days), 81 Patients (60%), sub-acute (4-14 days), 33 Patients (24%), and chronic (more than 14 days), 14 Patients (10%). The quality of headache (reported in 72 Patients) was reported as throbbing 12 (9%), band like 27 (20%), thunderclap 7 (5%), and other (pounding, exploding, stabbing, etc.) 26 (20%). The …

The International Surgical Trial In Intracerebral Haemorrhage (Stich)--What Are Its Implications In A Resource Limited Health System Like Pakistan, Maria Khan, Ayeesha Kamran Kamal

Section of Neurology

No abstract provided.

Crimean-Congo Hemorrhagic Fever In A Dengue-Endemic Region: Lessons For The Future., Farheen Ali, Taimur Saleem, Umair Khalid, Syed Faisal Mahmood, Bushra Jamil

Department of Medicine

Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever and dengue hemorrhagic fever are endemic in Pakistan. However, the overlap of geographic distribution and early clinical features between the two conditions make a reliable diagnosis difficult in the initial stage of illness. A 16-year-old boy presented with a history of hematemesis and high-grade fever. A preliminary diagnosis of dengue hemorrhagic fever was made and supportive treatment was instituted; however, the patient continued to deteriorate clinically. Dengue IgM antibody testing was negative on the third day of admission. Qualitative polymerase chain reaction test for Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever viral RNA was sent but the patient expired shortly after …

Growing Burden Of Neurological Diseases In Pakistan � Need For A National Health Survey, Mohammad Wasay, Shaukat Ali

Department of Medicine

No abstract provided.

Dyssegemental Dyspalsia; Rolland-Desbuquois Type--A Case Report From Pakistan, Bushra Afroze

Department of Paediatrics and Child Health

Two different forms of dyssegmental dysplasia can be distinguished; the lethal Silverman-Handmaker type and less severe Rolland-Desbuquois type. Patients with Rolland-Desbuquois type often survive beyond neonatal period. The purpose of this paper is to report a rare case of Dyssegmental dysplasia, Rolland-Desbuquois type from Pakistan.

Teaching Paediatric Critical Care Medicine To Paediatric Residents, Anwarul Haque, Rizwan Haider, Muhammad Sohail Salat

Department of Paediatrics and Child Health

Critical care training during paediatric residency provides an ideal opportunity to learn and refine the skills needed in the early recognition and prompt treatment of the acutely ill paediatric patients. Paediatric critical care medicine is a relatively young sub-specialty in Pakistan. The aim of this study is to describe our experience of teaching paediatric residents in paediatric critical care medicine during paediatric intensive care unit rotation. Our paediatric critical care teaching curriculum for residents is based on the spectrum of our common critical care problems along with basic principal of critical care. The clinical rotation in our paediatric intensive care …

Diagnosis Of Enteric Fever In The Emergency Department: A Retrospective Study From Pakistan., Uzma R. Khan, J. Razzak, Ali Faisal Saleem Dr, Adnan Ahmed, Sabeena Jalal

Department of Emergency Medicine

Background:Enteric fever is one of the top differential diagnoses of fever in many parts of the world. Generally, the diagnosis is suspected and treatment is initiated based on clinical and basic laboratory parameters.
Aims: The present study identifies the clinical and laboratory parameters predicting enteric fever in Patients visiting the emergency department of a tertiary care hospital in Pakistan.
Methods:This is a retrospective chart review of all adult Patients with clinically suspected enteric fever admitted to the hospital through the emergency department during a 5-year period (2000-2005).
Results:A total of 421 emergency department Patients were admitted to …

Comparison Of A New Opposed Phase Imaging Protocol To The Standard Conventional Mri Protocol In Demonstration Of Lumbar Degenerative Disc Disease At 1.5t., Peter C. Magabe

Master of Medicine in Imaging and Diagnostic Radiology

Purpose: The purpose of the study was to compare diagnostic yield of a new Opposed Phase Imaging protocol [OPI] to the standard conventional MRI protocol [CONV] in demonstration of lumbar degenerative disc disease at 1.5T. Materials and Methods: A total of 102 patients suspected of lumbar disc disease were examined using the two protocols. Images from both protocols were then analyzed independently by two radiologists. Category of disc disease[normal, bulge ,protrusion, extrusion] and anatomic clarity of spinal structures related to disc disease[nerve roots, osteophytes, modic changes and hemangiomas ] were assessed using a standard 4 point scoring scale [1=inadequate,2 =adequate,3=normal …

Association Of Depression With Newly Diagnosed Type 2 Diabetes Among Adults Aged Between 25 To 60 Years In Karachi, Pakistan., Shazia Perveen, Muhammad S Otho, Muhammad N Siddiqi, Juanita Hatcher, Ghazala Rafique

Section of Cardiothoracic Surgery

Background:The combination of depression with type 2 diabetes is a public health problem. If diabetes is managed in its initial phase, the morbidity and mortality due to this combination may be prevented at an early stage. Therefore, we aimed to determine the association of depression with newly diagnosed type 2 diabetes among adults aged between 25 to 60 years in Karachi, Pakistan.

Methods:

From July 2006 to September 2007, a matched case control study (n = 592) was conducted in Civil Hospital, Karachi. Incident cases of type 2 diabetes (n = 296) diagnosed within one month were recruited from …

Trends In Salmonella Enteric Serovar Typhi In Nairobi, Kenya From 2004 To 2006, Doris M. Mengo1, Sam Kariuki, Ann W. T. Muigai, Gunturu Revathi

Pathology, East Africa

Background: Typhoid fever is a global health problem. The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that the current annual global burden of typhoid is approximately 22 million new cases, 5% of which are fatal.

Methodology: To assess the trends in antibiotic resistance in 100 Salmonella enterica serovar Typhi strains were isolated from the blood of patients in Nairobi, Kenya, from 2004 to 2006. All isolates were tested against ampicilin, chloramphenic, nalidixic acid, ciprofloxacin, cotrimoxazole, cefuroxime, cefriaxone, amoxycillin/clavulanic acid, tetracycline and gentamycin. Susceptibility and resistance were determined using MIC and disk diffusion tests.

Results: From 2004 to 2006 a total of 100 …

New Approaches To Preventing, Diagnosing, And Treating Neonatal Sepsis, Karen Edmond, Anita K. M. Zaidi

Department of Paediatrics and Child Health

No abstract provided.

Latent Tuberculosis Among Pregnant Mothers In A Resource Poor Setting In Northern Tanzania: A Cross-Sectional Study, Faheem G. Sheriff, Karim P. Manji, Mohamed P. Manji, Mohamedsuhel M. Chagani, Rose M. Mpembeni, Ahmed Jusabani, Zaheerabbas A. Alwani

Faculty of Health Sciences, East Africa

Background:

Untreated latent TB infection (LTBI) is a significant risk factor for active pulmonary tuberculosis, hence predisposing to adverse pregnancy outcomes and mother to child transmission. The prevalence of latent tuberculosis in pregnancy and its association, if any, with various socio-demographic, obstetric and clinical characteristics was evaluated.

Methods:

Northern Tanzania was chosen as the study site. In a cross-sectional study, a total of 286 pregnant women from 12 weeks gestational age to term were assessed. Screening was undertaken using an algorithm involving tuberculin skin testing, symptom screening in the form of a questionnaire, sputum testing for acid fast bacilli followed …

The Utility Of Modified Butler-Leggett Criteria For Right Ventricular Hypertrophy In Detection Of Clinically Significant Shunt Ratio In Ostium Secundum-Type Atrial Septal Defect In Adults, Adeel M. Siddiqui, Zainab Samad, Nina Hakacova, James Kinsella, Cary Ward, Michael White, Anna Lisa C. Crowley, Galen S. Wagner, J. Kevin Harrison

Section of Cardiology

Background: This study was performed to test the hypothesis that there exists a correlation between the Butler-Leggett (BL) criterion for right ventricular hypertrophy on the electrocardiogram and the Qp/Qs shunt ratio in adults with ostium secundum atrial septal defects (ASDs).

Methods: Demographic, cardiac catheterization, ASD closure, and electrocardiographic data were acquired on 70 patients with secundum ASDs closed percutaneously. Simple linear regression and logistic regression models were created to test the hypothesis.

Results: The mean Qp/Qs ratio and BL criterion value were 1.61 +/- 0.46 and 0.11 +/- 0.41, respectively. The BL criterion values correlated with shunt ratios (r(2) = …

Clinical Outcome Of Iridotomy With Argon-Yag Laser At A Tertiary Care Center In Karachi, Pakistan, Rashid Baig, Aziz Khan

Section of Ophthalmology

Objective: To assess the the efficacy and early and late complications of Argon-YAG combined laser iridotomy in the outpatient department of a tertiary care hospital.
Methods: This was a prospective observational study conducted at Aga Khan University Hospital Karachi, Pakistan. After detailed history taking and clinical examination, patients who had goniscopically evident closed angles and a positive provocative test were selected for laser iridotomy. They underwent iridotomy using Argon laser followed by YAG laser. The main outcome measures were patency of iridotomy at 6 months, angle grading at 6 months and early and late complications.
Results: Overall 40 eyes of …

Pregnancy Outcome In Women With Antiphospholipid Syndrome On Low-Dose Aspirin And Heparin: A Retrospective Study., T. Naru, Rozilla Sadia Khan, R. Ali

Department of Obstetrics & Gynaecology

This retrospective review of hospital records analysed pregnancy outcome with 2 different treatments for women with recurrent miscarriage diagnosed with antiphospholipid syndrome in the index pregnancy. Of 64 women, 29 had received aspirin and 35 aspirin plus heparin. Pregnancy-induced hypertension, prematurity, intrauterine growth restriction and neonatal death were considered as maternal and fetal complications. There were no significant differences in antenatal and maternal complications between the groups. However, there were significant differences in mean anticardiolipin IgG antibody levels. Aspirin alone or in combination with parin was equally efficacious in women with antiphospholipid syndrome and recurrent miscarriage.

Qrs Duration And Echocardiographic Evidence Of Left Ventricular Dyssynchrony In Patients With Left Ventricular Systolic Dysfunction, Hafeez Ahmed, Javed Tai, Sohail Abrar Khan, Muniza Yousuf

Section of Cardiology

Objective: To determine the association between left ventricular (LV) dyssynchrony assessed by tissue Doppler imaging (TDI) in patients with left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) < 35% and prolonged ventricular depolarization on electrocardiography.
Study design: A cross-sectional study.
Place and duration of study: The Aga Khan University, Karachi, from June to September 2007.
Methodology: All patients with LVEF < 35% were included. Apical 2-D images were obtained in 4 chamber and 2 chamber views. TDI pulse wave Doppler parameters were measured from these 2 color-coded images. Time interval between the onset of QRS complex and the peak systolic velocity per region was derived. Patients with valvular heart disease, mitral annular calcification, atrial fibrillation and paced rhythm were excluded. Fischer's exact test was used to determine the association between QRS duration and left ventricular dyssynchrony.
Results: A total of 60 patients were included. Twenty one patients had QRS duration of > 120 msec. Out of those 21 patients, a total of 6 patients (28.6%) had evidence of dyssynchrony on TDI. Five patients (23.8%) had dyssynchrony on the basis of basal septal and basal lateral velocity difference (p=0.045) …

Neovascularity Patterns In Breast Carcinoma: Correlation Of Doppler Ultrasound Features With Sonographic Tumour Morphology, Riffat Shaheen, Saba Sohail, Kauser Jahan Siddiqui

Department of Radiology

Objective: To determine the association and correlation between morphologic features of breast cancer on gray scale ultrasound, and vascularity patterns and indices on color and spectral Doppler ultrasound.
Study design: Cross-sectional, analytical study.
Place and duration of study: Department of Radiology, Dow University of Health Sciences and Civil Hospital, Karachi, from August 2006 to June 2007.
Methodology: Fifty adult female patients with histopathological proven breast cancer underwent ultrasound for evaluation of morphologic features on gray scale mode; vascularity patterns on color Doppler scan and flow indices measurement on spectral Doppler ultrasound. Regression analysis was conducted to determine correlation between the …