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A recent symposium and workshop in Khartoum, the capital of the Republic of Sudan, brought together broad expertise from three universities to address the current burden of communicable and non-communicable diseases facing the Sudanese healthcare system. These meetings identified common challenges that impact the burden of diseases in the country, most notably gaps in data and infrastructure which are essential to inform and deliver effective interventions. Non-communicable diseases, including obesity, type 2 diabetes, renal disease and cancer are increasing dramatically, contributing to multimorbidity. At the same time, progress against communicable diseases has been slow, and the burden of chronic and endemic infections remains considerable, with parasitic diseases (such as malaria, leishmaniasis and schistosomiasis) causing substantial morbidity and mortality. Antimicrobial resistance has become a major threat throughout the healthcare system, with an emerging impact on maternal, neonatal and paediatric populations. Meanwhile, malnutrition, micronutrient deficiency and poor perinatal outcomes remain common and contribute to a lifelong burden of disease. These challenges echo the United Nations (UN) sustainable development goals and concentrating on them in a unified strategy will be necessary to address the national burden of disease. At a time when the country is going through societal and political transition, we draw focus on the country and the need for resolution of its healthcare needs.
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INTRODUCTION: Appendicular mucocele is a rare well-described clinico-pathological occurrence. It denotes an obstructive dilatation of the appendicular lumen by mucinous secretions. CASE REPORT: A 60-year-old patient presented with right lower abdominal pain and nausea for 2 years. Abdominal CT scan suggested a diagnosis of a appendicular mucocele. Following informed consent, surgical exploration revealed a cystic mass arising from the body of the appendix with inflamed walls with no evidence of perforation. Simple appendectomy was performed as the caecum and the mesenteric nodes were free of pathological involvement. The final diagnosis of mucinous cystadenoma was confirmed by histopathology. Postoperative course was uneventful. The patient was in good health during a four years regular follow-up. DISCUSSION: Appendicular mucocele is a rare disease with vague symptoms. Abdominal imaging is an important diagnostic tool, but histopathology is the standard for definitive diagnosis. Surgery for benign appendicular mucoceles has an excellent long-term prognosis.
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OBJECTIVES: This study aimed to show that subtotal laparoscopic cholecystectomy (SLC) is a safe procedure that reduces the rate of conversion in patients with difficult laporoscopic cholecystectomies in resource-meagre settings. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Following informed consent, patients with gallstones reporting to Atbara Medical Centre, Atbara, Northern Sudan from February 2012 to July 2013 were managed laparoscopically except those with choledocholithiasis. SLC was done for patients with difficult cholecystectomy and obscured Callot's triangle. Clinical presentation, duration of symptoms, ultrasound findings, frequency of conversion to open operation, frequency of difficult cholecystectomy, operation duration and numbers/types of complications were recorded. Statistical analysis was carried out using SPSS. RESULTS: One hundred and nine patients with a median age of 48 years, F:M ratio of 9 and mean duration of symptoms of 14.8 ± 12.9 months were enrolled. A quarter (29/109, 26.6%) had acute choleycystitis, 13% had difficult laparoscopic cholecystectomy. SLC was done for 16.2%. Retained stones were statistically significant in patients who underwent subtotal laparoscopic cholecystectomy (p = 0.02) with a conversion rate of 5.5%. CONCLUSION: SLC is feasible, safe and can reduce the rate of conversion for patients with difficult laporoscopic cholecystectomy. Sub-total laparoscopic cholecystectomy is not a substitute to conversion and in difficult conditions it is not a failure for the surgeon but a wisdom.
