PurposeTo calculate the frequencies of incidental extraspinal findings and incidentally detected congenital anomalies or anatomical differences in the lumbar spine on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans of intervertebral discs.Materials and methodsA total of 379 lumbar spine MRI cases were prospectively investigated in the period spanning from August 2016 to January 2018. Both 1.5 and 0.35 Tesla MRI units (Toshiba and Siemens Medical Systems) were used to examine patients with clinically suspected intervertebral disc abnormalities at three MRI diagnostic centers in Khartoum State, Sudan.ResultsOf the 379(100%) patients, 90(23.7%) patients were presented with incidental findings. Among the incidental findings, 39(10.3%) were renal cysts, 10(2.6%) were retroverted uteri, 5(1.3%) were Nabothian cysts, 4(1.1%) were ovarian cysts, 10(2.6%) were uterine fibroids, 3(0.8%) were endometrial thickening, 11(2.9%) were indicative of hydronephrosis, 4(1.1%) were uncovered prostatic enlargement, 2(0.5%) were atrophic kidney, and 1(0.3%) each was of an ectopic kidney and bladder wall thickening, respectively.ConclusionsA high percentage of extraspinal pathological findings were detected during MRI lumbar spine scans of intervertebral discs. Thus, it is important to be aware of the high percentage of patients who undergo further evaluation given the presence of unexpected findings, but for whom clinical confirmation of these abnormalities is not obtained.

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Prévention et lutte contre les infections à COVID-19: étude des connaissances, de la conscience et de l'attitude de la maladie chez le personnel des départements de radiologie au Soudan Introduction. Dans le sillage de la situation actuelle de la pandémie de COVID-19, il est important de suivre strictement toutes les mesures de prévention et de contrôle des infections (IPC) normalisées par l' Organisation Mondiale de la Santé (OMS). L'IPC est une approche scientifique et une solution pratique conçue pour prévenir les dommages causés par l'infection aux patients et aux agents de santé. L'objectif de l'étude. Cette étude visait à évaluer les connaissances et la pratique des mesures standard d'IPC parmi le personnel des services de radiologie au Soudan. Matériel et méthodes. Une enquête qualitative a été menée à l'aide d'un questionnaire distribué par ABSTRACT Introduction. In the wake of the current situation of the COVID-19 pandemic, it is important to strictly follow all the standard infection prevention and control measures (SICPs) of the World Health Organization (WHO). SICPs is a scientific approach and practical solution designed to prevent harm caused by infection to patients and health workers. Objective. This study aimed to evaluate the knowledge and practice of standard measures of IPCs among the staff of the radiology departments in Sudan. Material and methods. A qualitative survey was conducted using a questionnaire distributed via email among radiology staff in thirty-three different hospitals in Sudan. The questionnaire was developed by the authors, with help from scientific literature to cover key areas of knowledge, awareness and attitude regarding infection prevention and control guidelines of COVID-19.

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The purpose of our study was to evaluate the common bile duct (CBD) and pancreatic duct (PD) diameter among healthy adult Sudanese subjects using magnetic resonance cholangiopancreatography (MRCP). In addition, this study aimed to determine the effects of age, gender, and body height and weight on the CBD and PD diameters to establish a reference range for these ducts on MRCP, which is very useful in a daily clinical setting where MRCP is commonly performed to evaluate suspected biliary tract disease. Methods and Results: This study included 80 asymptomatic subjects who underwent MRCP. The widest diameter of the CBD and PD was measured perpendicular to their long axes using the electronic caliper. The applied MRCP imaging technique was in line with the guidelines used by Chen et al.(2012) The age, gender, medical history, body height and body weight were recorded. Among the 80 subjects, the mean CBD diameter on MRCP was 6.17±0.69 mm (range of 4-8 mm). There was a significant correlation between the CBD diameter and weight (r=0.407, P<0.001). The mean PD diameter on MRCP was 3.80±0.50mm (range of 2-5 mm). There was also a significant correlation between the PD diameter and weight (r=0.407, P<0.001). In the cohort of 80 subjects, the mean CBD diameter in females was larger than in males(6.50±0.632mm and 5.95±0.677mm, respectively), and this difference was statistically significant (P<0.05). Also, the mean PD diameter in females was statistically larger than in males (6.03±0.66mm and 5.58±0.675mm, respectively), and this difference was statistically significant (P<0.05). Our results demonstrate no significant correlation between the diameter of CBD and PD and participants' height and age. Conclusion: The importance of the current study lies in it’s being one of the few studies whose intention was to use MRCP to bridge the knowledge gap in the literature about the measurement of the CBD and PD diameter among healthy adult Sudanese subjects.