Ficolin-2 a newmarker for severity of liver inflammation in patients with chronic hepatitis c

Background: ficolin-2 is a kind of human serum complement lectin with a structure similar to mannan-binding lectin [MBL] and it has been implicated in innate immunity. Recent studies have shown that complement pathway activation may contribute to hepatitis. However, the relationship between ficolin-2 and viral hepatitis remains largely elusive

Aim of the work:this study aimed to determine the dynamics of ficolin-2 in patients with chronic hepatitis C

Patients and Methods: thirty patients who had not yet received therapy and twenty normal control subjects were included in this study. A sandwich enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay [ELISA] was used to measure the ficolin-2 concentrations in all serum samples of patients and 20 healthy donors

Results: we found that the concentrations of ficolin-2 were significantly higher in chronic hepatitis C patients with abnormal ALT values than in chronic hepatitis C patients with normal ALT values and healthy controls. Ficolin-2 concentrations in chronic hepatitis C patients with abnormal ALT values were positively correlated with ALT levels [*P <0.05]. Then, we found ficolin-2 concentrations in rapid viral response [RVR] group decreased significantly [*P <0.05], while in non-RVR group, ficolin-2 decreased slightly [P >0.05]

Conclusion:our findings suggested that early increased ficolin-2 is highly correlated with hepatic inflammation and rapid viral response

comparative study of surgical approaches to cerebello-pontine angle tumours

The present study included 66 patients with cerebello-pontine angle [CPA] tumours. Retro sigmoid approach was done in 53 patients with CPA tumours, 29 retrospective cases and 24 pospective. Trans labyrinthine approach was done in 13 patients with CPA tumours, 8 retrospective cases and 5 prospective. Out of the 66 patients with CPA tumours ,40 cases were vestibular schwannomas, 14 were meningioma's, two arachnoid cysts, two epidermoid and eight patients with other tumours. In sub occipital retrosigmoid cases total resection were done in 71.42% and subtotal in 28.58%. Mortality occurred in 3 cases, facial nerve affection in 21.46%, hearing loss in 21.46% and CSF leakage in 7.14%. In trans labyrinthine cases total radicality occurred in 76.9% and subtotal in 25.1%. No mortality was recorded, hearing loss in all, CSF leakage in 7. 7%. Follow-up of patients for one year showed good preservation of facial nerve function in 76.9%·with trans labyrinthine resection as measured by House and Brackmann system. Facial nerve preservation occurred in all cases with small tumours, 50% of medium sized and55.5% of large tumours. With retro sigmoid resection of schwannomas facial nerve preservation was found in 85.71%.Complete hearing loss occurred in all patients with trans labyrinthine approach. Follow up of retro sigmoid surgery showed hearing preservation with good serviceable haring in 75% of moderate sized acoustic neuromas and hearing loss occurred in 21.46% in whole group of schwannoma. The present study demonstrated that with unserviceable hearing, the trans labyrinthine approach, whatever the size ·of the tumour, is the approach of choice. Young patients with good preoperative hearing are candidates for retro sigmoid surgery. If there is doubt concerning residual tumour the labyrinth should be sacrificed. With patients with tumours smaller than 1.5cm in diameter and in patients with good hearing and no extension in internal auditory canal, retro sigmoid approach is used. Tumours -size larger than 1.5 cm can be accessed by retro sigmoid or trans labyrinthine approaches

Epineural versus fascicular neurorrhaphy in peripheral nerve injuries

Fifty peripheral nerve injuries have been randomly selected for either microscopic epineural or fascicular neurorrhaphy. The technique of fascicular repair spared central fascicles from sutures. Three cases needed nerve grafting. The British evaluation method for follow up assessment was used. Although the results of fascicular repair were better than those of epineural repair being 89% for the motor recovery and 89.6% for the sensory recovery, yet there was no statistical significant difference between the two groups. Fascicular repair guarantee direct fascicle alignment when they are matched by their size and vascular pattern while in epineural repair, despite a satisfactory exterior appearance, the fascicles are ill matched both for spatial alignment and in the quality of apposition

Magnetic resonance imaging versus computer tomography in lumbar disc diseases with surgical correlation

The results of MR imaging and CT scans in 24 patients with known degenerative disc diseases of the lumbar spine were compared. In 96 intervertebral disc levels studied, there were 18 discs with degeneration, 20 discs bulge and 29 with disc herniation. 20% of cases occurred at the L2-L3 levels pointing to the fact, these high discs can be missed by CT scan imaging. The final diagnosis was based on surgical confirmation which proved an accuracy of 96% for MR compared to 85% for CT scan. The advantages and superiority of MR imaging in diagnosing high lumbar disc diseases is stressed. MR has the capacity to image the entire lumbar spines simultaneously on a single sagittal view without injection of a contrast or ionizing radiation, thus screening lesions of the upper lumbar spine and conus, followed by transaxial cuts of 3 mm thickness with spatial resolution comparable to those of CT scans

Intracranial cerebral aneurysms: a neuro-ophthalmological study of 26 cases

Twenty-six cases of congenital cerebral aneurysms presented to the neurosurgical or ophthalmologic departments by ocular manifestations are described. Their different clinical presentations were analyzed and they were classified into ruptured cases, associated with SAH, manifested by papilloedema and fundus hemorrhages, unruptured cases, which presented mainly with cranial nerve palsies and field defects and cases of carotid cavernous fistula, which were characterized by pulsating exophthalmos. Third cranial nerve palsy was pathognomonic of internal carotid-posterior communicating aneurysms and was partially or totally recoverable after gradual carotid occlusion. Fundus hemorrhage was significant in cases associated with SAH and cases of anterior communicating aneurysms. A positive correlation between ICP and level of consciousness was found. Field defects had a localizing importance and were common with middle cerebral aneurysms. Carotid cavernous fistulae were variable in their clinical presentations, but a common symptom was pulsating exophthalmos. The importance of early ophthalmologic diagnosis of patients with cerebral aneurysms is stressed upon as a key for better management

Reliability and limitations of a scan echoencephalography after six years experience in diagnosing intracranial space occupying lesions

260 patients suspicious to have a space occupying lesion were investigated by angiography, ventriculography and echo-enecphalography over the last six years. The reliability of the A mode echograms was demonstrated in both supratentorial tumours for the presence of a midine echo shift and in infratentorial tumours for the size and degree of 3rd ventricular dilatation. The limitations and errors of echo are discussed and correlated with those of other invasive diagnostic radiological procedures

Clinical study and evaluation of the surgical treatment of carpal tunnel syndrome

58 hands suffering from carpal tunnel syndrome [CTS] have been examined clinically, radiologically and electrophysiologically to present information about the diagnosis, prognosis and treatment of this syndrome. Subjective or objective sensory disturbances were always present along the median nerve distribution in the hand. In few cases proximal symptoms in the forearm and shoulder were present. Local cortisone injection was found to be rapidly but temporarily effective. Surgical decompression was effective in nearly 91% of cases whatever the underlying associated pathology which did not affect the prognosis