Hydatid cysts of the brain

Brain involvement with hydatid disease occurs in 1-2% of all Echinococcus granulosus infections. Cerebral hydatid cysts are usually supratentorial, whereas infratentorial lesions are quite rare. Objective of the study was to determine the clinical presentation and surgical outcome of cranial hydatidosis. This retrospective study was performed in the department of neurosurgery LRH Peshawar from December 2000 to Oct 2007. Twenty one cases with intracranial hydatidosis were operated. The patients were either admitted through OPD or referred from other units. CT and/or MRI were the imaging modalities to reach the diagnosis in addition to serological and haematological tests. Surgery was the only treatment option used. Pericystic hydraulic method was the technique used for the excision of the hydatid cyst of brain. There were 9 males and 12 females with male to female ratio of 1:1.3. All patients belonged to paediatric age group with age range of 3-14 years and mean age of 7.42 +/- 3.2 years. Headache, vomiting, papilloedema were present in all the patients while seizures were the present in 16 patients. The lesion was removed surgically by adopting pericystic hydraulic method during craniotomy in all cases. There was no intra-operative morbidity except that the cyst ruptured in one case. No postoperative complications were noted and there was no mortality. Hydatid cyst of the brain presents clinically as intracranial space occupying lesion and is more common in children. Surgery is the treatment option with affordable morbidity and low mortality

Oral cleanliness of school children of Ghazi Tehsil, district Haripur

This study was done from 07-01-2008 to 28-02-2008 to compare the oral hygiene status and level of cleanliness of 11-15 year old children of the government and private schools at the Ghazi Tehsil, District Haripur of North Western Frontier Province of Pakistan. The data were recorded on a Proforma that included child's age, sex, school of attendance, Debris Index [DI] score, Calculus Index [CI] score, Simplified Oral Hygiene Index [OHI-S] score and the Level of Cleanliness [LOC]. DI score and CI score were calculated and combined to obtain OHI-S score for each child. Based on the OHI-S, the LOC was categorized as Good, Fair or Poor. There were 101, 11 to 15 year [mean age 13.3 years SD +/- 1.41] old children, among them 546 [53.6%] were boys and 473 [46.4%] girls. The mean OHI-S for boys was 2.71 and for girls was 2.65 and this was statistically significant [P<0.05]. Majority [75.3%] of the children had Fair LOC, 193 [18.9%] of the children had Poor LOC while only fifty nine [5.8%] of the children had Good LOC. The LOC of children of both the government and private schools in the Ghazi Tehsil was considered as Fair

Fluoride levels of drinking water and dental caries in Hazara and Mianwali

Two hundred and sixteen drinking water samples from various sources in Hazaza Division and District Mianwali were tested for fluoride levels. In Hazara Division, out of 161 water samples, only 4 samples were found to have fluoride levels within acceptable range [0.8-1.5 PPM], remaining samples had fluoride either very low or not at all. The fluoride range was from 0.0 to 0.9 ppm with a mean of 0.11 ppm. In District Mianwali, 55 drinking water samples were tested, the fluoride content was within normal limits or high, except few samples having less fluoride concentration. The range was 0.3 to 6. 5 ppm with mean of 1.46 ppm. 1739 Primary and High School going boys and girls of District Abbottabad, Haripur and Mianwali were examined for dental caries. In Hazara Division 61% were found to have mild to severe dental caries while in District Mianwali, it was only 4.9% while mottling was 14.6%

Physical and mental handicapped in government institutes of Hazara division

Of the 194 physically and mentally handicapped children and adults admitted to 5 institutes of Hazara Division, 117 [57.2%] were congenitally deaf and dumb, 27 [14.0%] were Post paralytic Polio myelitis victims 24 [12.47] were blind, while 9 [4.7%] were mentally retarded. Congenital limb anomalies and post encephalitics were 4.0% each. Genetic defects and metabolic deficiencies were 2.5% of the total handicapped. Consanguinity was higher in congenital limb anomalies and in congenital deaf and dumb. Proper health facilities were not provided to these institutes and no doctors, nurses, psyiotherapists, paediatricians or psychiatrists were available or visiting these institutions

Preliminary cytogenetic studies in Hazara division

Cytogenetic studies were performed on 185 people in Hazara Division from January 1, 1993 to January 31, 1994; these included normal people, as well as selected groups of patients suspected of having various chromosomal abnormalities. Suspected patients were selected from special education centres, hospitals or the community and belonged to the following categories: mental retardation, congenital anomalies, Down's syndrome, Turner's syndrome, primary and secondary amenorrhoea, infertility, undescended testes, azoospermia and leukaemias. Abnormal karyotypes were found only in cases of Down's and Turner's syndromes and in Leukaemias. Further studies in these and other related groups are expected to continue in the future

Prevalence of glycosuria in the general population of district Abbottabad

One thousand one hundred and fifty six urine samples were tested for glycosuria in various age groups. There was almost an equal representation of urban and rural populations and ratio of male to female was 2:1. The mean age was 27.3 years. Out of the total, 16 subjects [1.4%] were diabetic and 75% of them were newly diagnosed. The prevalence of diabetes in the age group 31-44 years group was 2.2% 3% in 41-50 years and about 12% in the over 50 years age group. Only one case was Juvenile onset diabetes while all others were maturity onset diabetics. Most of the diabetics were obese. Two diabetics [12.5%], were found to have retinopathy and nephropathy and one [6.25%] was found to have neuropathy also. All the known diabetics [25%] were managed on oral hypoglycaemic agents and diet control

Screening for neonatal hemoglobin-S in Abbottabad-a hospital based study

A total of 764 cord blood samples were analysed for Haemoglobin-S [Hb-S] from two hospitals of District Abbottabad. Half of the cases belonged to rural areas of District Abbottabad and Mansehra. The common ethnic groups/casts were Awans and Pathans. No case of sickle cell disease or other variant was found thus showing that Hb-S and other haemoglobinopathies are uncommon in this area. It is concluded that extensive screening of the local population as a routine is unlikely to be very frutiful; however, this may be done keeping in view the local population movement and the malarial trends in the area

Serum total protein profile in children under 5 years age at women and children hospital, Abbottabad

A study of serum protein profile was done in 324 infants/children suffering from meningitis, pneumonia, enteric fever, diarrhoeal diseases, gastro - enteritis, malaria, septicaemia, rheumatic fever, cirrhosis, tetanus and leishmaniasis. Pneumonia and meningitis were the common diseases in the study. Hypoproteinaemia was found in only 4% of the patient of diarrhoeal diseases while hypoalbuminaemia occurred in all cases of septicaemia and cirrhosis. Alpha-I globulin was raised in 56% of meningitis, 60% cases of rheumatic fever, 20% of the enteritis fever and all of the septicaemia cases. It was markedly less in cirrhosis. Alpha-2 globulin was high in 85% of meningitis, 64% of pneumonia, 41% enteric fever, 38% of diarrhoeal diseases, 8% of gastro-enteritis and all of septicaemia, rheumatic fever and leishmaniasis. Beta globulin fraction was increased in rheumatic fever and cirrhosis only. Marked hypergammaglobulinaemia was found in septicaemia and cirrhosis. Hypogammaglobulinaemia was detected in 62 [19%] patients. Bisalbuminaemia, a genetic abnormality was seen in only one case. Alpha-2 globulin was raised in 7[8.5%] while Hypogammaglobulineemia was found in 4[4.9%]. Serum protein and its fraction determination is a valuable diagnostic aid for infections and some genetic abnormalities

Serum calcium level in normal and hypertensive pregnancy women at women and children hospital Abbottabad

We have studied ionized serum calcium, total calcium, phosphorus, total protein and albumin in 20 normal pregnant women, 37 moderate and severe pregnancy induced hypertensive women and 9 pregnant women with chronic hypertension. The total serum calcium was significantly reduced in moderate and severe pregnancy induced hypertension and chronic hypertension [P<0.05 and 0.0001 respectively] while ionized calcium was also significantly reduced in pregnancy induced hypertension and chronic hypertension patients as compared to the normotensive pregnant women. [P<0.001 and P<0.0001 respectively]. Total protein and albumin was less in hypertensive group as compared to normotensive. Serum phosphate was increased in hypertensive group. It was observed that total calcium and ionized calcium among these hypertensive groups were decreased which support conclusion of other epidemiologic studies of hypertension in non pregnant patients and pregnant patients that abnormal calcium metabolism contributes to the genesis of hypertensions

Prevalence of intestinal parasites in children and its effect of hemoglobin level

A total of 856 stool samples from school going children of District Abbotabad were examined for intestinal helminths. The overall infestation rate was 35.3% of which 6.6% showed mixed infection. Ascaris lumbricoides was the commonest [74.11%], followed by Hymenolepis nana [15.1%]. Trichuris trichura [7.4%], Entrobius vermicularis [0.9%], Taenia Saginata [0.9%]. Ankylostoma duodenale [0.6%], Entamoeba histolytica [0.6%] and Giardia lamblia [0.3%]. The overall mean Hb was 12.6 g/dl, and there was a significant difference in Hb levels between the infected 1nd non-infected subjects who had 11.4 g/dl and 13.6 g/dl Hb respectively [P< 0.05]

Bacteriological study of drinking water in district Abbottabad

Seventy samples were collected from various sources of drinking water in Abbottabad Disrtict, to study the quality of such water. Out of all samples, faecal contamination was found in 57.2% of samples, while 18.6% of the samples were found sterile having less than 10 bacilli per 100 ml. It was noted that water from 76.2% spring, 100% streams, 44.0% taps and 50% shallow wells and faecal contamination. The common organism isolated were echerichia coli 57.2%, klebsiella 14.3% pseudomonas 1%, preoteus 1.4% and micrococci 1.4