Recurrent delayed-onset cerebral vasospasm following ruptured ICA aneurysm: case report.

We report a unique case of late-onsetcerebral vasospasm at 21 and again at 30 days following aneurismal subarachnoid hemorrhage.

The largest malignant peripheral nerve sheath arising from the gluteal region: case report.

We report a unique case of a huge malignant peripheral nerve sheath tumor with probable smooth muscle differentiation.

Unique case of successful surgical treatment of recurrent spinal epidural hematoma after lumbar disc surgery in a Glanzmann thrombasthenia patient.

We report a case of recurrent postoperative spinal hemorrhage after lumbar disc surgery in a Glanzmann thrombasthenia patient.

Evaluating the Prognostic Role of Monocytopenia in Chemotherapy-Induced Febrile Neutropenia Patients Treated with Granulocyte Colony-Stimulating Factor.

OBJECTIVE: Chemotherapy-induced febrile neutropenia is a common and serious oncological emergency which carries a substantial mortality and morbidity. The main objective of this study is to evaluate the usage of absolute monocyte count (AMC) at presentation as a prognostic factor for patients with chemotherapy-induced febrile neutropenia who were subsequently treated with granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (G-CSF). STUDY DESIGN: The electronic medical records of our center were used retrospectively to identify patients diagnosed with unprecedented chemotherapy-induced febrile neutropenia treated with G-CSF between January 2010 to December 2020 and diagnosed with solid and hematological malignancies. Patient's demographics, disease characteristics and laboratory investigations were extracted. Disease progression measures were statistically compared between the study groups in the short-term period of follow-up (six days) including absolute neutrophil count (ANC), ANC difference compared to the baseline readings, hospitalization period, and mortality. RESULTS: A total of 80 patients were identified and categorized into two groups namely monocytopenia (n = 34) and non-monocytopenia (n = 46) with an AMC cutoff point of 0.1×109 cells/L. The monocytopenia group exhibited a worse prognosis with lower ANC values and slower improvement illustrated by the low ANC difference values at all follow up points (P-value ≤ 0.05) apart from day 5. A statistically significant lower hospitalization period was also observed in the non-monocytopenia group (P-value = 0.006). Linear regression analysis evaluated the association between AMC values at admission and ANC values at admission along with subsequent days of follow up which were found to be statistically significant (P-value ≤ 0.05). Receiver operating characteristic curves suggest a satisfactory predictability of ANC changes by AMC values at admission, days1, 2, 3, 4 and 6. CONCLUSION: Monocytopenia holds a worse prognosis in chemotherapy-induced febrile neutropenia patients treated with G-CSF. In addition, AMC values at presentation represents a potential risk factor that can predict short-term changes regarding ANC measures.

Predictive Factors for Failure of Limb Salvage in Blunt Leg Trauma Associated with Vascular Injuries.

INTRODUCTION: Blunt leg trauma is common; however, it is rarely associated with significant vascular injury. This study was undertaken to determine the risk factors attributed to failure of limb salvage in acute postoperative period in blunt leg trauma with vascular injuries after revascularization. METHODS: A retrospective analysis was conducted of all patients with blunt leg trauma involving bone and soft tissue associated with vascular injuries. They were studied in terms of demographic data, associated comorbidities, mechanism of trauma, associated extra leg injuries, type and nature of bone fractures, soft-tissue injuries, nerve injuries, time of ischemia, Injury Severity Score (ISS), Mangled Extremity Severity Score (MESS), injured vascular segments, modality of vascular repair, modality of bone fixation, thrombosis at the site of vascular repair, complications, limb salvage failure, and mortality. RESULTS: Vascular injuries were identified in 45 arterial segments and 9 popliteal veins among 31 patients. The patients were 93% male, with a mean age of 31 years. The MESS ranged from 6 to 11, and the ISS ranged from 9 to 41. The main pathology of the injured vessels was contusion/thrombosis in 28 legs, which were repaired by interposition-reversed long saphenous vein graft. Seven patients developed postoperative thrombosis and underwent thrombectomy/embolectomy. Failure of limb salvage occurred in seven limbs with no mortality. CONCLUSIONS: Severe multi-segmental bone fractures, prolong ischemic time of >10 h, and MESS of ≥9 are significant predictors of limb loss in patients with blunt leg trauma in association with vascular injuries.

The Metabolic Equivalent BMI in Patients with Familial Partial Lipodystrophy (FPLD) Compared with Those with Severe Obesity.

OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to investigate the shortcoming of BMI as a measurement of adiposity in patients with familial partial lipodystrophy (FPLD). METHODS: Two different matching procedures were used to compare 55 FPLD versus control patients with severe obesity (N = 548 patients) to study the relationship between body weight, fat distribution, and metabolic diseases, such as diabetes mellitus, hypertriglyceridemia, and nonalcoholic steatohepatitis. In MATCH1, the patients with FPLD were matched to controls with obesity (OCs) by truncal mass, and in MATCH2, the patients with FPLD were matched to OCs with respect to glucose control. RESULTS: With MATCH1, the FPLD group had worse glycemic control (hemoglobin A1c 8.2% ± 1.6% vs. 5.9% ± 0.9%), higher triglycerides (884 ± 1,190 mg/dL vs. 139 ± 79 mg/dL), and lower leptin (20.5 ± 15.8 ng/mL vs. 41.9 ± 29.4 ng/mL, P < 0.001 for all comparisons). In MATCH2, metabolic comorbidity-matched FPLD patients had significantly lower BMI compared with OCs (29.5 ± 5.7 kg/m2 vs. 38.6 ± 5.2 kg/m2 , P < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: Patients with FPLD with similar truncal mass have worse metabolic profiles than non-FPLD OCs. The differential BMI between the FPLD and OCs, when matched for their metabolic comorbidities, approximates 8.6 BMI units.

Inter-Gender Pelvic Shape Variations as a Cause of DDH Overdiagnosis.

OBJECTIVE: Developmental dysplasia of the hip (DDH) is an abnormal relationship between the acetabulum and the head of the femur. Plain x-ray of both hips at the age of 3 months is still in use in some countries. On plain films, classic lines and angles are evaluated to meet current guidelines for positive DDH. Among these is the acetabular angle (AA), which most did not exceed 30° in normal pelvis regardless of gender. A flat promontory gives the impression of a high AA angle, whereas a sharp promontory gives the impression of a low AA angle. MATERIALS AND METHODS: All anteroposterior (AP) pelvic digital x-ray studies performed to rule out DDH were collected from the PACS systems. A novel angle was measured between a line parallel to the lateral aspect of the region of the inferior iliac spines and a line that extends along the acetabular roof to quantify the roundness of the iliac promontory. We called the former line the Miral line and the formed angle the iliac promontory angle. RESULTS: We show that the promontory shape is significantly different between genders, and therefore it is mistaken to generalize an upper AA limit for males and females. In addition, we show that the current guideline of the upper limit of AA did not predict the incidence of DDH. CONCLUSION: We suggest that the current practice is introducing a high rate of false positive, especially among females, and the current guidelines on AA should be reviewed and assigned separately for males and females. This is more important for countries that did not utilize the ultrasonographic assessment for DDH.

Coronary artery anomalies in patients with zero calcium score: A new evidence supports the 2016-NICE guidance.

BACKGROUND: Currently, guidelines from around the world endorse measurement of coronary artery calcium (CAC) to improve clinical risk prediction in appropriately selected asymptomatic and stable symptomatic individuals. A CAC score of zero may discourage from further testing as coronary computed tomography angiography (CCTA). We investigate the presence of malignant coronary artery anomalies (CAA)s among stable symptomatic patients with zero CAC. METHODS: A total of 281 individuals' information was obtained. These individuals had low to intermediate pre-test probability of coronary artery disease, complained of stable typical or atypical chest pain, were not known to have CAD, and had CAC scan score of zero. After investigating the CCTA, Angelini's classification system for CAA was utilized in adapted form to determine the presence, the class and type of the CAA. RESULTS: The CAAs were detected in 16 (5.7 %) patients on CCTA, 15 (8.1 %) of them were below 45 years. The mean age for patients with CAAs was 31.8. According to Angelini classification system, most of the detected CAAs were malignant such as the origination of the coronary artery from the opposite sinus with arterial course between the aortic and pulmonary trunks and the intramural muscular bridge course. CONCLUSION: It is preferable to perform CCTA in young patients with cardiac symptoms, especially in Asian and Middle Eastern countries even of the CAC score is zero.

Lesion Type Analysis of Hemodialysis Patients Who Underwent Endovascular Management for Symptomatic Central Venous Disease.

PURPOSE: Central venous lesions (CVLs) can adversely affect hemodialysis access maturation and maintenance, which in turn worsen patient morbidity and access circuit patency. In this study, we assessed several clinical variables, patient characteristics, and clinical consequences of symptomatic central vein stenosis and obstruction in patients who underwent renal replacement therapy in the form of hemodialysis. PATIENTS AND METHODS: The medical records of all hemodialysis patients with clinically symptomatic CVLs who underwent digital subtraction angiography treatment at King Abdullah University Hospital between January 2017 and December 2019 were retrieved. Patient characteristics and the clinical and anatomical features of CVLs were analyzed retrospectively. Pearson's chi-square tests of association were used to identify and assess relationships between patient characteristics and CVLs. RESULTS: The study cohort comprised 66 patients with end-stage renal disease who developed symptomatic central vein stenosis. Of the 66 patients, 56.1% were men, and their mean age was approximately 52 years. Most (62.1%) of the patients were determined to have a history of central catheter insertion into the jugular vein. Hypertension was the most common comorbidity (78.8%, p<0.001), followed by type 2 diabetes mellitus (47.0 %, p<0.01). The incidence of stenosis was found to be significantly higher in the brachiocephalic vein than in other central veins (43.9%, p<0.001). A repeated central catheter insertion in a patient was predictive of central venous occlusion (p<0.05). Stenotic lesions were found to be associated with a significantly higher success rate than occlusive lesions (91.2%, p<0.01). CONCLUSION: Multiple central venous catheters (CVCs) are found to be associated with occlusive CVLs and unfavorable recanalization outcomes. Multiple CVC should be avoided by creating a permanent vascular access in a timely fashion for patients with chronic kidney disease and by avoiding the ipsilateral insertion of CVC and AVF.

Depression and Coping Among COVID-19-Infected Individuals After 10 Days of Mandatory in-Hospital Quarantine, Irbid, Jordan.

BACKGROUND: In-hospital mandatory quarantine of asymptomatic and symptomatic COVID-19-infected individuals was part of the national control strategy used to prevent the spread of the COVID-19 outbreak in Jordan. This study aims to evaluate depression, associated stressors, and various coping methods used among adult quarantined COVID-19-infected individuals. METHODS: This cross-sectional study included all COVID-19-infected individuals who were obligatorily quarantined at King Abdullah University Hospital, Irbid, Jordan from March 15 to April 20, 2020. Symptoms of depression were assessed using the 9-item Patient Health Questionnaire after 10 days of quarantine. In addition, several questions regarding the patients' sights with the health-care system, and coping methods were added. Demographic characteristics, clinical presentation, and comorbidities were collected from the medical records. RESULTS: Out of 91 quarantined COVID-19 patients, a total of 66 completed the survey, with a participation rate of 72.5%. The majority were relatively young; the mean ± SD age was 35.8 ± 16.2 years (range 18-79), 59.1% were females and 47% were asymptomatic. A considerable proportion of patients (44%) reported symptoms of depression, with 21% were at high risk of major depressive disorder. Depression symptoms were significantly more common among females than males [PHQ-9 score ≥10: 13 (92.9%) vs 1 (7.1%), respectively; p=0.004]. The majority of patients (71.2%) reported having problems with health-care services. Insufficient involvement in making treatment decisions was the most commonly reported concern (59.1%). Patients who reported problems in maintaining privacy, reaching out to their physicians, or receiving conflicting information from the medical staff, had more symptoms of depression compared with the satisfied ones (p<0.05). On the other hand, those who were receiving sufficient support from the family, friends, or medical staff during quarantine, were less likely to have depression symptoms (p<0.05). Furthermore, symptoms of depression were less in patients who stayed in touch with others using phone calls, texting, or social media (p=0.024). CONCLUSION: Symptoms of depression were common among both symptomatic and asymptomatic quarantined COVID-19 patients. The support of family, friends, and medical staff was an essential alleviating factor. Facilitating adequate communication may promote the mental well-being of COVID-19-infected patients and help in reducing the risk of depression during the in-hospital quarantine.

Prevalence of sleep disorders among medical students and their association with poor academic performance: A cross-sectional study.

BACKGROUND: Sleep quality is of paramount importance for human health. This multi-site study measures the proportion and types of self-reported sleep disorders in medical students and evaluates their association with academic performance by Grade Point Average (GPA). MATERIALS AND METHODS: A cross-sectional survey was conducted on medical students from two medical schools in Jordan during the 2018/2019 academic year. The study utilized the SLEEP-50 questionnaire to estimate the proportion of several sleep disorders and their effects on daily functioning. Below average GPAs were considered poor academic performance. RESULTS: 1041 medical students' online surveys were analyzed from two medical schools' campuses, representing a 29.7% response rate. Their mean age was 22 ± 2.1 years (ranging from 18 to 37) and 52.6% were female. The mean body mass index was 24.2 ± 4.4 kg/m2. According to the SLEEP-50 questionnaire, the prevalence of sleep disorders among studied medical students ranged from 0.6% for sleep state misperception (SSM) to 23.1% for hypersomnia. Using binary logistic regression, after adjusting for gender and obesity, poor academic performance was associated with a risk for insomnia [adjusted odds ratio (OR) = 1.96, p < 0.001]; affective disorder [OR = 2.24, P < 0.001]; SSM [OR = 6.40, p = 0.045]; narcolepsy [OR = 9.54, p = 0.045]; and circadian rhythm disorders [OR = 2.03, p < 0.001]. CONCLUSION: Sleep disorders are common among medical students. Several sleepdisorders were associated with poor academic performance. Proper diagnosis and treatment of sleep disorders may remedy this issue.

Chronic rhinosinusitis due to cyano-acrylic glue after endoscopic transsphenoidal pituitary surgery.

BACKGROUND: To reduce the risk of cerebrospinal fluid leak, clinicians utilize a filling material placed in the sella followed by floor reconstruction with various materials, including glue sealing. Cyano-acrylic glue Glubran®2 glue is commercially available and is generally used as embolizing agent and for the prevention of cerebrospinal fluid leakage. CASE DESCRIPTION: A 25-year-old woman underwent endoscopic endonasal transsphenoidal surgery for pituitary adenoma. After tumor resection, sellar floor reconstruction was performed by mucosal graft and Glubran®2 glue. The early post-operative period was uneventful. However, 2 months after surgery, the patient complained of headache, facial pain and greenish foul-smelling nasal discharge with solid particles dripping from the nose. Medical treatment was unsuccessful. Brain MRI showed inflammation and thickening of the sphenoidal and para-sphenoidal mucosa. The patient underwent endoscopic endonasal surgery and a solid glass-like mass surrounded by inflamed infected mucosa was seen in the inferior and lateral aspects of the sphenoid sinus. Efforts were made to erupt and de-crust the solid mass until total resection was achieved. Early post-operative period was uneventful, and a course of antibiotics was continued until total disappearance of the discharge. CONCLUSION: To the best of our knowledge, this is the first case reporting of acrylic glue (Glubran®2)-related sinusitis. Surgeon should be aware about similar side effects for the glue material that would complicate the surgery.

Chemical space and diversity of seaweed metabolite database (SWMD): A cheminformatics study.

Seaweeds have attracted attention in the past decade as a biological source of highly diverse secondary metabolites with great potential in the industrial and pharmaceutical sciences. Herein, we represent a comprehensive cheminformatics study to compare the chemical diversity of seaweed metabolites based on their taxonomic source. Seaweed Metabolite Database (SWMD) was utilized in this study. The compounds were manually categorized into three datasets, namely red algae (Rhodophyta, n = 645), brown algae (Phaeophyta, n = 220), and green algae (Chlorophyta, n = 32). The compounds in each dataset were curated to generate six chemical descriptors of pharmaceutical interest for each molecule, which were later used to visualize the chemical space of these metabolites by principal component analysis. Scaffolds were generated by removing side chains and keeping the core part of each molecule. Scaffold diversity among the tested datasets was quantified using Cyclic System Retrieval Curves. Green algae metabolites in SWMD possessed the highest scaffold diversity followed by brown and red algae metabolites, respectively. Three structural binary fingerprints, including ECFP_4, MACCS keys, and PubChem were computed indicating that the red algae metabolites had the highest fingerprint diversity followed by the green and brown algae metabolites respectively. Finally, Consensus Diversity Plots were generated to assess the global diversity considering both scaffold and fingerprint diversity. It was concluded that green algae metabolites in the SWMD are the most diverse regarding chemical descriptors of pharmaceutical relevance and scaffolds. While red algae possess the highest fingerprint diversity.

The practice of intracytoplasmic sperm injection in Jordan: A clinical outcome study.

OBJECTIVE: The lack of appropriate guidelines and justified practice in most developing countries is a serious limitation to efforts to qualify the services provided. In this paper, we evaluate and assess the clinical practice of an assisted reproductive technique of intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) in Jordan. METHODS: Retrospectively, we identified women who achieved a successful pregnancy by ICSI over a period of ten years. Information related to the ICSI procedure, foetus abnormalities, maternal complications and delivery outcomes were included. A control group of normal pregnancies were incorporated. RESULTS: In total, 291 cases were included as successful cases of ICSI with a success rate of 14.1%. For the control group, 466 pregnant women with normal pregnancies were included. No statistical difference was observed between both groups in foetus malformation. In normal pregnancy women, 42.1% delivered through caesarean section (CS) while 87.6% of ICSI patients underwent CS. Women with ICSI had significantly higher rates of multiple gestations, and their neonates were lower in birthweight. Women in the ICSI group tended to deliver females compared to the control group. Pregnancy-related hypertension was more commonly reported in the normal pregnancy group, while gestational diabetes, antepartum haemorrhage and preterm labour were more common in ICSI group. CONCLUSION: Services for the management of infertility are increasing in the Middle East. The clinical outcomes in Jordan is approaching that of other developed regions, although the success rate is lower than in other regions. Further studies and efforts should be carried out to maximize effective and successful practice in such low-income areas.

WITHDRAWN: Mechanical ventilation in COVID-19: Is it due to patient or virology factors?

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Racial variations in knee joint laxity: A comparative study of the Jordanian Arab and Malay populations.

BACKGROUND: A high incidence of joint laxity has been reported among Asians compared with Western populations, but clear differences between more specific ethnic populations have not been established. This study aimed to determine the average knee laxity in the Malaysian and Jordanian populations. METHODS: Jordanian and Malaysian medical students from our institution were invited to participate in the study. General demographic data and factors affecting joint laxity were obtained from each participant using a printed questionnaire. Both knees were examined using the anterior drawer test while in 90° of flexion. Knee laxity was measured by three separate independent investigators through a knee laxity tester. RESULTS: One hundred and eighty-six participants (95 females) were enrolled in the study. Among them, 108 Malaysians participated. The Jordanians had significantly higher knee laxity in both knees compared with the Malaysians. The mean average right knee laxity for Jordanians was 2.98 mm vs. 2.72 mm for Malaysians (P = 0.005). Similarly, the mean average left knee laxity for Jordanians was 2.95 mm, while for Malaysians, it was 2.62 mm (P = 0.0001). Furthermore, smokers had significantly more laxity in both knees. After performing a multivariate linear regression analysis for all factors, race was the only independent factor that affected knee laxity in both knees. CONCLUSIONS: Race is directly associated with knee laxity. Jordanians tend to have more laxity in knee joints compared with Malaysians. Larger multi-center and genetic studies are recommended to establish the racial differences between different ethnic groups.

The Effectiveness of Autograft Used in Anterior Cruciate Ligament Reconstruction of the Knee: Surgical Records for the New Generations of Orthopedic Surgeons and Synthetic Graft Revisit.

OBJECTIVE: In this article, we aim to revisit the synthetic graft and review the advantages and disadvantages between different types of grafts for patients who underwent anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) reconstruction in a tertiary medical institute for the new generations of surgeons. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Retrospectively, we identified 115 patients who underwent arthroscopic ACL reconstruction between 2006 and 2009. We were able to retrieve 74 patients from them. The 74 patients were divided into 32 patients who underwent primary arthroscopic ACL reconstruction with hamstring and patellar tendon autograft and 42 cases with an active biosynthetic composite (ABC) ligament. The mean the follow-up period for both groups was 7 years. The following information was obtained: standard demographic information (age, sex), clinical presentation, presence of trauma, associated injuries, types of grafts (autograft versus synthetic graft) and postoperative complications. Moreover, functional and clinical outcomes in addition to the satisfaction of patients using the international knee documentation committee (IKDC) score and knee injury and osteoarthritis outcome score (KOOS) were measured. RESULTS: We found that the natural (autograft) was better in terms of clinical and functional outcome than the synthetic one (the scores of KOOS and IKDC were better in natural grafts). Furthermore, the immediate postoperative results for the pivot and Lachman tests were better in natural grafts. On the other hand, the rate of re-rupture was similar for both groups. However, the long-term inflammatory changes and stiffness that is attributed to the immunological reactions were more in the synthetic grafts. CONCLUSION: This study revisited the synthetic graft and provided evidence that the natural grafts are more beneficial with less complications, as they had better immediate and long-term postoperative clinical and functional outcomes. We recommend the utilization of autograft as first choice and the synthetic not to be used given the current criteria.

Successful Anesthetic Management in Cesarean Section for Pregnant Woman with COVID-19.

BACKGROUND The current COVID-19 pandemic highlights the importance of the mindful use of financial and human resources. Preventing infections and preserving resources and manpower are crucial in healthcare. It is important to ensure the ability of surgeons and specialized interventionalists to function through the pandemic. Until now, no justified protocol has been reported for the anesthetic management in cesarean section (CS). CASE REPORT A 29-year-old pregnant woman, G2P1 at 37+4 weeks of gestation, was referred to our center on March 28, 2020, after she had tested positive for COVID-19. She was stable and the CS was planned after she reached term. Through spinal anesthesia, CS was conducted. The anesthesia team was protected with full personal protection equipment. The operation was carried out smoothly without complication. A female neonate was delivered and was tested to be negative for COVID-19. No medical staff cross-infection was reported. CONCLUSIONS Special precautions should be considered when pregnant women are undergoing CS. Spinal anesthesia is preferred over general anesthesia.

Comparison of postoperative liver function between different dissection techniques during laparoscopic cholecystectomy.

AIM: In this study, we investigated and compared the effect of different types of dissector (Maryland vs Hook) on changes in liver function tests (LFTs) after laparoscopic cholecystectomy. PATIENTS & METHODS: The enrolled patients were divided into two groups. Group A patients underwent dissection by Maryland dissecting forceps, group B by Hook dissecting instrument. LFTs were measured preoperatively and at 1 day and 1 week, postoperatively. RESULTS: For both Maryland and Hook dissection, the 1-day postoperative values for total bilirubin, alanine aminotransferase and aspartate aminotransferase were significantly higher than the preoperative values. Also, there were no statistical differences between Hook and Maryland. CONCLUSION: The elevation of LFTs seems to be attributed to other factors.