Climatic factors influencing the abundance of Phle-botomus papatasi [Scopoli] [diptera: Psychodidae] in the Nile Delta

Ecological studies on sand flies were carried out in two villages of the Nile Delta Governorates namely; Kafr Tahla [Qalyubiya] and el Quantara el Beida [Kafr el-Sheikh] from September 2003 to August 2005. Sand flies were collected weekly from around houses, stables and near rodent burrows using sticky paper traps. A total of 9529 sand flies were collected from the two villages, all of which were identified as Phlebotomus papatasi. Sand fly activity started from April to December with a bimodal annual pattern. The sex ratio of collected sand flies was significantly male biased. Data analyses revealed that sand fly densities were strongly correlated to temperature but not to relative humidity or wind velocity. Variation in the densities of P. papatasi in both villages did not show a significant effect due to lunar phases. However, sand fly activity was highly positively correlated to fraction illumination

Surgical evaluation of minimally invasive parathyroidectomy

This study included selected 30 patients with primary hyperparathyroidism [PHPT] due to solitary adenoma after exclusion criteria. All our patients were submitted preoperatively to: estimation of serum calcium level serum parathormone [PTH] level bone survey, neck ultrasonography and technetium 99 sestamibi [Tc99 MIBI] scan. After adequate localization of the parathyroid adenoma, all our patients were treated surgically by excision of the previously adequately localized parathyroid adenoma through a unilateral neck exploration. The unilateral neck exploration [focused technique] for treatment of PHPT due to solitary adenoma can be considered as a good method of treatment of such condition regarding the less surgical morbidity, favourable cosmesis, patient satisfaction, shorter operating time and earlier discharge

Management of solitary thyroid nodule: new update

The study was done on [56] patients with clinically apparent Solitary Thyroid Nodule [S.T.N]. They were treated in Mansoura Endocrine Surgery Unit [M.E.S.U] during the period from January 2005 -January 2006 inclusive. All our patients were presented by palpable single nodule in the thyroid gland. Patients with malignant nodule were mainly presented by rapid recent increase in the size of the nodule and some presented with early hoarseness of voice. Those with toxic nodule were presented with thyrotoxicosis and those with simple nodule were presented by accidentally discovered thyroid swelling. All patients were submitted to careful history taking and clinical examination. Different methods of investigations were done that included measurement of thyroid hormones, neck ultrasound, Computerized Tomography [C.T], Magnetic Resonance Imaging [M.R.I] in certain cases when needed and thyroid scan using Technetium ninety nine [Tc99]. Histopathological examination was done using Fine Needle Aspiration Biopsy [FNAB], truant needle biopsy or frozen section. According to the result of the pathology whether: a] Malignant [Papillary, Follicular, Medullary] b] Simple [benign] c] Toxic, adequate treatment was done that varies in every case ranging from total lobectomy in benign lesion up to total thyroidectomy and block dissection or cherry picking in medullary or papillary cancer respectively. S.T.N may become an easier surgical problem after following a specific proposed protocol in management

Laparoscopic transabdominal preperitoneal procedure versus lichtenstein repair in treatment of recurrent inguinal hernia

This study was designed to compare an open tension-free technique [Lichtenstein repair] with a laparoscopic transabdominal preperitoneal hernia repair [TAPP]. In the period between January 2004 and May 2005, 36 patients presented with recurrent inguinal hernias admitted to General Surgery Department at Mansoura University Hospitals. All patients were males and subjected to careful history taking, clinical examination and investigations, they were divided into two groups, group A included 20 patients with 20 recurrent inguinal hernia were treated by open technique [Lichtenstein] and group B included 16 patients were managed by laparoscopic technique. Follow up was done after 1 week, 6week, 3months, 6 months and one year. 20 patients were treated by open technique and 16 patients were treated by laparoscopic method. No major complications were found in both techniques apart from one recurrence in the laparoscopic group [1 year after surgery]. There were difference in operative time between the two methods with favor to open technique [P< 0.05]. Laparoscopy is of great benefit in treatment of recurrent inguinal hernia due to less postoperative pain, early return to work, it still of limited applications in this field due to its serious complications. High cost and experience needed by surgeon to elicit this type of surgery. This makes conventional open technique more applicable for those patients

Effect of near-total thyroidectomy on thyroid orbitopathy due to toxic goiter

The relative merit of operation in the treatment of Graves' ophthalmopathy as well as the extent of surgical resection is still a matter of debate. This work aimed at reporting the assessment of the impact of near-total thyroidectomy on the course of ophthalmopathy including exophthalmos. A total of 20 patients, with thyrotoxic goiters suffering from mild to moderate exophthalmos were enrolled onto this prospective study. Preoperative evaluation of ophthalmopathy was accomplished through the NOSPECS classification, MRI scanning for measuring the extraocular muscle diameters and measurement of the exophthalmos using Hertel's exophthalmometer. Six months postoperatively, ophthalmopathy including exophthalmos was re-evaluated using the same parameters mentioned before. Clinical activity evaluation, exophthalmometry and extraocular muscles measurement by MRI revealed that the majority of the cases experienced improvement of their ophthalmopathy [65%]. This improvement was statistically significant In addition, no major postoperative complications were observed. However, the study, unlike a number of reported retrospective ones, failed to specify any statistically significant prognostic factors affecting the course of ophthalmopathy possibly due to the limited number of cases in general In addition, all of the cases were of relatively young age and thyrotoxic, and the majority were females and non-smoking. Beside the fact that near-total thyroidectomy adds the advantages of total thyroidectomy [no recurrence] to those of subtotal thy-roidectomy [low incidence of temporary and permanent hypoparathyroidism], it has a significant positive impact on thyroid-associated orbitopathy