Predictors of treatment failure among tuberculosis patients under DOTS strategy in Egypt

Treatment failure is a serious problem facing some national tuberculosis [TB] control programmes. Irregularity of treatment is a factor that can lead to treatment failure. A case-control study was carried out in TB centres in Egypt during April 2001-December 2002 aimed at investigating the predictors of treatment failure. We interviewed 119 people with treatment failure and an equal number of cured cases [controls] and their families regarding sociodemographic characteristics, information about TB, information about drugs, treatment compliance, family support and patient-family interaction. Significant risk factors for treatment failure were non-compliance to treatment, deficient health education to the patient, poor patient knowledge regarding the disease and diabetes mellitus as co-morbid condition

Treatment of post operative lumbar discitis

Between 1993 and 1998, 34 patients with postoperative lumbar discitis were treated at Assiut University Hospital. These patients had lumbar discectomy done at one level, 15 cases at Assiut University Hospital and the other 19 cases had their surgery performed at district hospitals. Twenty-four cases were treated conservatively and 10 were treated surgically by anterior debridement and fusion. The follow up period ranged between 2 and 5 years with an average of 3.5 years. The clinical results were very good and good in 29 cases and fair in 3 patients. Two cases treated conservatively were lost to follow-up. There was no statistical significant difference between the conservatively and surgically treated groups as regards the overall result at the latest follow-up, but the complications were higher in the surgical group

Chronic lymphocytic leukaemia in Egyptian farm workers exposed to pesticides

We aimed to explore the relationship between chronic lymphocytic leukaemia and pesticide exposure among farm workers. Blood samples were obtained from 932 male Egyptian farm workers exposed to pesticides and from a control group of 932 males of similar age and socioeconomic status who were not involved in farming and did not normally deal with pesticides. The farm workers had significantly higher lymphocyte, white blood corpuscle and platelet counts. About 5% of the farm workers over 40 years had immature cells. Two of the farm workers and none of the control group had chronic lymphocytic leukaemia, giving an undefined relative risk and an attributable risk of 2.1 per 1000, which was not statistically significant

Schistosomiasis in chronic cervicitis [prevalence and pathological effect]

Histopathological examination of the cervix of 200 patients complaining of chronic cervicitis with positive urine or stool analysis, for schistosomiasis showed 8 cases of schistosomal infection [4%] varying degree of cellular abnormalities were associated with schistosomal infection in the form of 2 cases with cellular atypia, one case with well differentiated squamous cell carcinoma and one case with well differentiated adenocarcinoma. The high percentage of cases with cellular abnormalities [50%] among patient with schistosomal cervical infection together with its incidence in relatively younger patients are strong evidences that schistosomiasis may have a carcinogenic effect on the cervix