LAMN as a differential diagnosis for abdominal pain: a case report from Syria.

Low-grade appendiceal mucinous neoplasms (LAMNs) are papillary or flat mucinous tumors with low-grade cytologic atypia found in <0.3% of appendectomy specimens among older population. They are the most frequent source of pseudomyxoma peritonei. They can be easily misdiagnosed, due to unspecific symptoms, with acute appendicitis, retroperitoneal tumors or adnexal mass. Macroscopically, the appendix may appear normal or be variably dilated. Microscopic study determines whether the studied specimen is LAMN or mucinous adenocarcinomas. We report a 77-year-old patient presented with 15-day abdominal pain accompanied with chills and hyperthermia. Decision was made for right hemicolectomy as a result of the findings on ultrasound and computed tomography scan. Diagnosis was made after the pathologic study, which revealedLAMN.

Case report: actinomycosis of the abdominal wall.

Primary abdominal wall actinomycosis is rare, but even rarer when it comes to intestinal infiltration; it is usually misdiagnosed as a neoplasm in computed tomography till proved otherwise with pathological examination. We report a 59-year-old diabetic male presented with a year-old abdominal wall mass, diagnosed by pathology after surgical excisional biopsy, and treated with penicillin for 6 months. We recommend consideration of actinomycosis in cases of abdominal wall mass, especially in immunocompromised patients, as a differential diagnosis of neoplastic lesions.

Attitudes towards organ donation in Syria: a cross-sectional study.

BACKGROUND: The perception of organ donation and brain death among Syrian population has not been previously explored. The goal of this study is to evaluate the attitude and knowledge of organ donation among Syrians and the willingness of this population to donate their organs. METHODS: We conducted a survey-based cross-sectional study in four hospitals in Aleppo, Syria in November 2019. Patient demographic, awareness of brain death; and attitude toward organ donation were collected and analyzed. RESULTS: A total of 350 individuals were invited to participate in the survey among whom 303 (197 females, 106 males) agreed to participate in the study (87% response rate). The majority of our participants (n = 249, 82%) heard about organ donation with television (n = 166, 55%), social media (n = 77, 25%), and the internet (n = 77, 25%) being the most common sources of information. When assessing knowledge about brain death, only 40% (n = 116) answered 3 or more questions (out of 5) correctly. Fifty-eight percent (n = 176) of respondents agreed with the idea of organ donation and 183 (62%) would like to donate their organs one day. The leading motivation to organ donation was the desire to help (n = 234, 77%), while the most common reason to refuse donation was the refusal to disfigure a dead body by removing an organ (n = 125, 41%). Religious reasons were cited as motivation for organ donation by 43% of participants (n = 130), and a reason for refusing to donate organs by 24% (n = 71). Most respondents (n = 261, 88%) were unaware of the laws and legislations related to organ donation in Syria. When asked if religion and law were encouraging organ donation, 76% of respondents (n = 226) would donate their organs. Although more positive attitude was found in those with better brain death knowledge (score ≥ 3), this did not translate into more willingness to donate organs in this group of participants. CONCLUSIONS: The promotion of organ donations from deceased donors is a necessity given the rising shortage of organs. The information provided by this study could help policy makers build future strategies to promote deceased organ donation programs and overcome current obstacles preventing such initiatives from achieving their goals.

Gender differences in specialty preference among medical Students at Aleppo University: a cross-sectional study.

BACKGROUND: This study aims to identify gender differences in specialty preference and career choice among Syrian medical students. METHOD: A cross-sectional study comprising currently enrolled second, fourth and sixth year medical students at Aleppo University was conducted. Demographics, specialty preferences and factors influencing this decision were collected and analyzed. RESULTS: A total of 561 students (44% males, 56% females) responded to our survey (87% response rate). Surgical specialties (40%) and internal medicine (16%) comprised the two most common specialties chosen by males. In contrast, the majority of females preferred other specialties (17%), internal medicine (16%) and surgical specialties (15%). The most common factor affecting the choice of a specialty by both genders (74% females and 71% males) was 'A specialty that I like and find interesting'. Work/life balance and anticipated income were the second most common influencing factors by females (62%), males (67%), respectively. The majority of both genders supported the idea that medical students should be able to pursue any medical specialty they want, regardless of their gender. However, females more often believed that they had decreased opportunities for professional advancement based on their gender compared to males (33% vs. 4% respectively, p < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: We illustrated significant gender differences in specialty preferences and factors influencing this decision. While the majority of participants agreed that medical students should be able to pursue any medical specialty they desire regardless of gender, more women believed they had decreased opportunities for professional advancement based on gender. Policy makers should advocate for a culture of gender equity and develop educational programs to insure gender balance of physicians into different specialties.

Penile reconstruction using scrotal flap after usage of monopolar electrocautery in a 2-month-old Syrian child: a case report.

Circumcision is regarded as one of the most common procedures in pediatrics. We present a case of a newborn, who has undergone circumcision using monopolar electrocautery. He admitted to the hospital with glans necrosis and was treated with antibiotics and surgical debridement. Four months later, phalloplasty was performed for the newborn using scrotal flap. The result is satisfactory, and the penis is esthetically acceptable with effective urination. Our case suggests the use of scrotal flap for penile reconstruction due to feasibility of procedure and anatomic privilege. It would also support usage of bipolar electrocautery for circumcision to avoid possible unwanted complications of monopolar electrocautery.