Etiology and diagnosis of obstructive jaundice, our experience

Obstructive jaundice is a common problem faced by surgeons. To ascertain various etiologies of obstructive jaundice in our set up and to evaluate the usefulness of available diagnostic modalities. Descriptive study. This study was conducted at Allied and District Head Quarter Hospital, Faisalabad from April 2010 to Sep. 2010. Eighty-five patients with obstructive jaundice were included in the study. They were evaluated on the basis of history, clinical examination, biochemical tests and ultrasonography. CT scan abdomen was done in suspected malignant cases only. Operative findings were compared with preoperative ultrasound and CT scan findings. The results were then prepared and analyzed. In our study. 56.5% patients were of benign etiology and 34.5% were of malignant etiology. Female to male ratio was 2:1. Serum bilirubin was raised more in malignant diseases than in benign diseases. and accuracy of 80% of ultrasound and 86% of CT scan abdomen was found out after performing different surgical procedures in our patients. In benign group of patients the most common cause was choledocholithiasis, 47.1% while in malignant group the most common cause was carcinoma of head of pancreas, 34.1%. Common causes of obstructive jaundice in our study were choledocholithiasis and carcinoma head of pancreas. Ultrasound is a reliable tool for diagnosis of obstructive jaundice and CT scan is helpful in evaluation of malignancy scan is helpful in evaluation of malignancy

Significance of cephalic index in race determination

Significance of cephalic index regarding our population is to identify the category of our race, into which type of cephalic index does it fall. To categorize our community into a type of population, whether they fall into dolicocephalic, mesocephalic or brachycephalic cranial index. Descriptive study This study was conducted at the Anatomy and Forensic departments of Aziz Fatimah Medical College, Faisalabad and Anatomy department of Punjab Medical College, Faisalabad from October 2011 to March 2012. This research was conducted upon 100 dried skulls, which were of adult size including both males and females. Measurements were noted making use of Vernier,s caliper. Length of skulls was measured as from summit of glabella anteriorly to the farthest occipital point, posteriorly. Breadth of skulls was measured as a line drawn perpendicular to maximal length of skull i.e. from the points of maximum parietal convexities. Then cephalic index was calculated for each skull. In our study we measured the maximum length and maximum breadth of 100 skulls and worked out the cranial indices of each skull present in our sample. We also calculated the percentage of different categories of skulls like dolicocephalic, mesocephalic and brachycephalic in our sample. Moreover, we also calculated the mean value, standard deviation, confidence interval CI, mean standard error, degree of freedom df, t and p values of the cranial indices, using SPSS software. Punjabi population in Pakistan is predominantly Dolicocephalic as shown in our study. This study can be used for future references in race determination