<p> <b><span>Background:</span></b><span> <i>Malassezia</i> folliculitis is an infection of the hair follicle, </span><span>which</span><span> commonly affects young adult, and is often misdiagnosed as truncal acne.</span><span> </span><b><span>Objectives</span><span>:</span></b><b><span> </span></b><span>To shed light on different clinical, histopathological, and microbiological aspects of <i>Malassezia</i> folliculitis and to be compared with truncal acne. <b><span>Patients and Methods</span>: </b>This is a descriptive comparative cross sectional, out patient based study, </span><span>which</span><span> was conducted at the Department of Dermatology, Basrah Teaching Hospital from October 2008 to October 2009.</span><span> </span><span>Total number of 113 patients with papular and/or pustular follicular skin lesions on the trunk were enrolled in this study. They were divided according to the clinical features, Wood’s light examination, direct microscopic examination, PAS stained skin biopsy and the response to a trial of antifungal drugs into two groups:</span><span> </span><span>group</span><span> </span><span>1:</span><span> </span><span>patient with <i>Malassezia</i> folliculitis and group</span><span> </span><span>2: patient with truncal acne vulgaris. <b><span>Results</span>:</b> Group</span><span> </span><span>1: They were 53(46.9%) out of a total 113, 33(62.3%) males and 20(37.7%) females</span><span>, </span><span>their ages ranged from 19</span><span> </span><span>-</span><span> </span><span>40 years. Group</span><span> </span><span>2 consisted of 60(53.1%) patients, 25(41.6%) males and 35(58.4%) females, </span><span>whose</span><span> ages ranged from 14</span><span> - </span><span>29</span><span> </span><span>years.</span><span> </span><span>The ages were earlier in the acne group in comparison with MF group (p < 0.0001). The <i>Malassezia</i> folliculitis was more common among males than females, while in truncal acne, females predominated males. The center of the back was the predominant site among MF group affecting (90.6%) of patients with sparing the face, in contrast to truncal acne where the periphery of the back was involved in (91.7%) and the face in (75%) (p <</span><span> </span><span>0.0001).</span><span> </span><span>Wood’s light examination,</span><span> </span><span>skin scrapping and PAS stained skin biopsies were also ...

Objectives:To evaluate hepatoprotective potential of carvedilol, prazosin, metoprolol and prazosin plus metoprolol in paracetamol-induced hepatotoxicity.Materials and Methods:Thirty-six male rabbits were divided into six groups, six in each, group 1 received distilled water, group 2 were treated with paracetamol (1 g/kg/day, orally), group 3, 4,5 and 6 were treated at a dose in (mg/kg/day) of the following: Carvedilol (10 mg), prazosin (0.5 mg), metoprolol (10 mg), and a combination of metoprolol (10 mg) and prazosin (0.5 mg) respectively 1 h before paracetamol treatment. All treatments were given for 9 days; animals were sacrificed at day 10. Liver function tests, malondialdehyde (MDA) and glutathione (GSH) in serum and liver homogenates were estimated. Histopathological examinations of liver were performed.Results:Histopathological changes of hepatotoxicity were found in all paracetamol-treated rabbits. The histopathological findings of paracetamol toxicity disappeared in five rabbits on prazosin, very mild in one. In carvedilol group paracetamol toxicity completely disappeared in three, while mild in three rabbits. Paracetamol hepatotoxicity was not changed by metoprolol. In metoprolol plus prazosin treated rabbits, moderate histopathological changes were observed. Serum liver function tests and MDA in serum and in liver homogenate were elevated; GSH was depleted after paracetamol treatment and returned back to the control value on prior treatment with prazosin. MDA in serum and liver homogenate, alkaline phosphatase, total bilirubin were significantly decreased after carvedilol and prazosin plus metoprolol treatments.Conclusion:Carvedilol and prazosin are hepatoprotective in paracetamol hepatotoxicity, combination of prazosin and metoprolol have moderate, and metoprolol has a little hepatoprotection.

A total of 128 fish samples including 70 Cyprinus carpio Linnaeus, 1758, 10 Leuciscus vorax (Heckel, 1843), 40 Oreochromis aureus (Steindachner, 1864) and eight Planiliza abu (Heckel, 1843) were collected during the period from November 2016 to May 2017. Seven different localities (floating cages, earthen ponds and natural water) in Basrah were investigated. Among some detected fish diseases, whirling disease symptoms was reported for the first time in Iraq in April 2017, from two C. carpio cultured in earthen fish ponds of Marine Science Centre, University of Basrah. The infested fish were dwarfed, with abnormal big head and small body. Grossly signs of the diseases represent fins and tail deformities in addition to open ulcers and losing  of scales, and necrosis of skin and muscles. Internally, fish suffered of muscles ecchymosis and vertebral deformities. Histological sections revealed that the spinal  cord had healthy structure.

Objective:To investigate the possibility of hepatoprotective effect of Nigella sativa (NS) in INH-induced hepatotoxicity.Materials and Methods:The experiments were carried out on 24 male rabbits. They were divided into 4 groups (6 each); rabbits in group 1 were treated with INH following a standard protocol to induce hepatotoxicity. Rabbits in group 2 received starch. Group 3 received NS 1 g/kg/day before INH treatment. Group 4 rabbits were treated with NS only. Phenobarbital sodium (IP) was given to induce metabolism of INH. INH and NS were given orally. The experiment continued for 12 days; at day 13, animals were sacrificed. Liver function tests, malondialdehyde (MDA) were estimated in serum and in liver homogenates. Liver histopathological examinations were performed.Results:Histopathological changes of hepatotoxicity were found in all INH-treated rabbits. The histopathological findings were normal in three rabbits treated with NS before INH, very mild in two, and with moderate changes in one rabbit. Serum alanine aminotransferase (S.ALT) was elevated after INH treatment and returned back to the control value when NS was given before INH. Similar pattern of effect was noticed with serum aspartate aminotransferase (S.AST), S. total bilirubin, S. MDA, and Serum alkaline phosphatase.In liver homogenate, AST, ALT, and MDA were increased with INH treatment compared to the control, then decreased with NS treatment given before INHConclusions:NS has hepatoprotective effects against INH-induced hepatotoxicity in rabbits. NS 1 g/kg proved safe, no adverse effects; no histopathological or biological abnormalities were seen.

Malignant tumors of the head and neck exhibit a wide range of histological characteristics and involve multiple locations, therefore considered as a diverse collection of site-specific malignancies. The aim of the study was to evaluate key clinicopathological characteristics of head and neck malignancies in Basrah. In this retrospective study, the histopathological reports of 564 cases with head and neck malignancies were diagnosed in Basrah from 2012 to 2017. All of the cases were analyzed according to the patient's age and gender, as well as the location and histological type of the tumor. The patients' mean age of presentation was 46.45 ±20.75 SD, with about two third of the cases at or over 40 years of age and about 53.19% of cases were males. About 11.52% of the patients were in the age of children and adolescents. Head and neck lymph nodes were the most frequent site (30.67%) involved by malignant tumors, followed by the thyroid gland (20.21%), skin and soft tissues (12.77%), larynx (10.82%) and oral cavity (7.8%), respectively, and the most frequent type of malignancy was squamous cell carcinoma. Hence, the study revealed that head and neck malignancies in Basrah are mainly a disease of elderly, with slight male predominance. Head and neck lymph nodes, followed by thyroid gland, skin and soft tissue, larynx and oral cavity, were the commonest sites, respectively, and squamous cell carcinoma was the most frequent malignant tumor.