Superficial extraconal blockade for vitreoretinal surgery

Needle length plays an important role for the success of ophthalmic block. The standard practice is to use 25 mm needles length; however, unnecessarily long needles may increase the risk of complications especially in the presence of staphyloma or previous scleral buckle. This work was designed to compare the efficacy of using 15 and 25 mm needle in performing extraconal block for patients undergoing vitreoretinal surgery. Prospective randomized double blinded study. A total of 120 patients were enrolled in this study and were divided in two groups. In group [1] extraconal block was performed using 25 mm needle, while in group [2] 15 mm needle was used. After primary injection, assessment of the block was done by an anesthesiologist who was unaware of the needle used. If satisfactory akinesia was not achieved a supplementation was provided. At the end of the procedures, patients and surgeons were asked to assess their pain and satisfaction with the anesthetic technique. The sample size calculation using N-Quary version 4. Numerical and categorical data were analyzed using an independent sample, a two-tailed t-test, and chi-square test, respectively. The volume of primary injectable was significantly higher in group 2. The two groups were comparable as regards total volume of local anesthetic, supplementation rate, akinesia, pain score, and surgeon satisfaction. Using 15 mm needle length to perform extraconal blockade for posterior segment procedures is equally effective to 25 mm needle

Osteo-arthritis of the knee and its histopathological pattern in the United Arab Emirates

Osteoarthritis of the knee is a major problem of patients seeking rheumatological advice in the United Arab Emirates. A correlation between clinical, laboratory, radiological and histopathological findings among 35 patients living in the United Arab Emirates has been done. Histopathology has proved to be of value in the diagnosis of borderline cases in which other connective tissue diseases could have similar features

Urine cytology in the diagnosis of bladder tumours

The chief and principal use of the cytological examination of urine, is for the detection of bladder tumours amongst a population that has been exposed to bladder carcinogens. The high incidence of bladder tumours amongst some industrial workers [B-naphthylamine, benzidine, auramine and magneta, etc.] makes it essential to have the means for the early detection of these lesions. The clinical examination cannot play any part in the early detection of bladder lesions, because a tumour that gives rise to physical signs and symptoms may be so far advanced as to offer a poor prognosis. Also cystoscopic examination, although it offers a great advantage as a final means of detecting the presence of a tumour, yet is an operative interference which has its distinct drawbacks when applied as a routine diagnostic method. It is known that cystoscopy is an uncomfortable procedure and is not always entirely devoid of unpleasant sequelae. In the present work, an attempt is made to evaluate the cytologic examination of urine in the diagnosis of bladder cancers, in Egypt where urinary bilharziasis prevails. In these developing countries, the incidence of bladder cancer is high, specialists are scarce, and there is need for a simple technique which can be applied with great case. Furthermore, haematuria is characteristic in bilharzial cystitis and bladder cancer and for the detection of the latter, repeated cytologic examination of the urine may be of value in order to detect early development of carcinoma