Study DesignA cross-sectional study.PurposeTo describe the characteristics of lumbar vertebrae of Pakistani patients reporting at a tertiary care hospital and compare with studies from other populations.Overview of LiteratureSeveral studies have been conducted to determine morphometry of lumbar vertebrae. Most of the studies involve Caucasian populations, still data on other populations still sparse. This is the first study describing lumbar morphometry of a Pakistani population.MethodsAn observational study was conducted based on a review of thin-cut (3 mm) computed topographic images of lumbar vertebrae. Two-hundred and twenty vertebrae from forty-nine patients were studied, and various dimensions were analyzed.ResultsGenerally, the size of the vertebrae, vertebral canals and recesses were found to be greater in male patients. The difference was statistically significant for transverse and anteroposterior diameters of the vertebral bodies and sagittal diameter of pedicles on the left side (p<0.05). Comparison of populations revealed statistically significant differences in pedicle dimensions between Pakistani population and others.ConclusionsThis study provides anatomical knowledge of the lumbar region in a sample population of Pakistan. There were significant differences in various dimensions of lumbar vertebrae between female and male patients. This would prove to be critical for performing a safe operation.
The first line of treatment for lumbar spinal stenosis (with or without lumbar degenerative spondylolisthesis) involves conservative options such as anti-inflammatory drugs and analgesics. Approximately, 10%-15% of patients require surgery. Surgical treatment aims to decompress the spinal canal and dural sac from degenerative bony and ligamentous overgrowth. Different studies have given conflicting results. The aim of our study is to clear the confusion by comparing two surgical techniques. This meta-analysis was conducted in accordance with the preferred reporting items for systematic reviews and meta-analysis (PRISMA) guidelines. A literature search was conducted of the Ovid Embase, Scopus, Pubmed, Ovid Medline, Google Scholar, and Cochrane library databases. A quality and risk of bias assessment was also done. The analysis was done using Revman software (The Nordic Cochrane Centre, The Cochrane Collaboration, 2014, Copenhagen, Denmark).A total of 76 studies were extracted from the literature search and 29 studies with relevant information were shortlisted. Nine studies were included in the meta-analysis after a quality assessment and eligibility. Fusion with decompression surgery was found to be a better technique when compared to decompression alone for spinal stenosis in terms of the Oswestry Disability index and the visual analog pain scale for back and leg pain. On the basis of the meta-analysis of the recent medical literature, the authors concluded that decompression with fusion is a 3.5-times better surgical technique than decompression alone for spinal stenosis.
Objectives This study assessed resilience in brain tumor patients at a tertiary care hospital in Pakistan (a lower middle‐income country; LMIC) and explored its relationship with patients' sociodemographic factors, clinical characteristics, social support, and mental health. Methods A cross‐sectional survey was conducted amongst adult (≥18 years) patients with brain tumor at the Aga Khan University Hospital, Pakistan. Resilience was assessed by Wagnild and Young's Resilience Scale, and patients' psychosocial characteristics by the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale and the Enriched Social Support Instrument. Results A total of 250 patients were included (mean age: 44 years; 68% males), with majority (97.6%) having high social support and only 4.4% and 2% having symptomatic depression and anxiety, respectively. On multivariable linear regression adjusted for covariates, lower resilience was associated with not being involved in household decision‐making (Adjusted Beta Coefficient: 4.58 [95% Confidence Interval:−7.59, −1.56]), not currently working (−2.80 [−4.61, −0.99]), undergoing multiple neurosurgical interventions such as tumor biopsies or resections (−8.64 [−13.11, −4.16]), receiving chemotherapy (−5.17 [−9.51, −0.83]) or combination adjuvant therapy (−2.91 [−5.14, −0.67]), low social support (−7.77 [−13.73, 1.81]), mild depression (−13.00 [‐17.00,‐8.99]) or symptomatic depression (−19.79 [−24.69, −14.89]), and mild anxiety (−4.24 [−7.98, −0.50]). Conclusion Our study highlights the function of familial/household role and working status in mediating resilience, and demonstrates the well‐known protective effect of resilience for mental health in brain tumor patients in Pakistan, a South‐Asian LMIC. These findings are of clinical relevance with regards to the development of culture‐specific evidence‐based resilience‐building interventions that may help patients with brain tumors to cope with the psychological distress of cancer.
Objective To compare the results of the use of irrigation versus no irrigation during burr hole evacuation of chronic subdural hematoma (CSDH). Methodology The study was a retrospective chart review of those patients who underwent burr hole evacuation of CSDH during a period of 5 years. Cases were divided into two groups based on the use of irrigation during surgery. A subdural drain was placed in all patients (i.e., in both the irrigation and no-irrigation groups) and removed 24 to 48 hours postoperatively. Results The total sample size was 56, of which 34 patients were in the irrigation group and 22 in the no-irrigation group. Recurrence rate was 17.6% in the irrigation group and 9.1% in the no-irrigation group (p = 0.46). Systemic complications were predominantly cardiac related in the no-irrigation group compared with respiratory complications in the irrigation group. The irrigation group had a mortality rate of 5.9% compared with 4.5% in the no-irrigation group (p = 0.66). Conclusion No statistically significant difference was found between the two groups in terms of recurrence or mortality.
Third ventricle tumors are uncommon and account for 0.6 - 0.9% of all the brain tumors. Tumors of the third ventricle are classified into primary tumors, such as colloid cysts, choroid plexus papillomas, and ependymomas, or secondary tumors, such as craniopharyngiomas, optic nerve gliomas, pineal tumors, and meningiomas. Third ventricular tumors are uncommon, and their treatment involves significant morbidity and mortality. The colloid cyst has a better surgical outcome and many approaches are available to achieve a complete cure. Choroid plexus papilloma is also a common tumor documented with its treatment majorly based on surgical resection. In addition to multiple treatment options for craniopharyngiomas, surgery is the most preferred treatment option. Ependymomas also have few treatment options, with surgical resection adopted as the first line of treatment.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.
hi@scite.ai
10624 S. Eastern Ave., Ste. A-614
Henderson, NV 89052, USA
Copyright © 2024 scite LLC. All rights reserved.
Made with 💙 for researchers
Part of the Research Solutions Family.