Biomedical subjects
Publications and source records attributed to N I Azzam.
Five children are presented with complications related to migration of peritoneal shunt tubes. Anchoring the distal end of the peritoneal tube to the peritoneum was found to be a satisfactory answer to the problem in 13 children. This simple method does not add much to the operation time and has prevented shunt-tube migration in the group studied.
A retrospective study of 23 patients with spinal tuberculosis (TB) was conducted, with special attention to the diagnosis and method of treatment. Computerised tomography (CT) was found to be the diagnostic radiological modality of choice. Triple therapy with the new anti-tuberculous drugs and posterior or posteriolateral decompression succeeded in decompressing the cord and eliminating the tuberculous lesion in all cases. The outcome was comparable to series where anterior decompression was adopted. None of the patients required spinal fusion. Erythrocyte sedimentation rate was the most consistent blood test in suggesting the diagnosis and was the best tool for evaluating a patient's response to treatment. The average hospital stay was only 17 days, which speaks favourably for the surgical management of tuberculous spondylitis.
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A case of supratentorial intracerebral cyst, containing ectopic plexus, is discussed. The cyst had no communication with the ventricular system or subarachnoid space. The cyst wall was lined in part by flattened or cuboidal epithelium and in part by glia. Fronds of choroid plexus protruded into the cavity of the cyst in one part. The preoperative and postoperative computerized tomography scans are presented and the operative findings are discussed. The management of such cases is reviewed.
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A review of all patients with major head injuries transferred to a regional neurosurgical unit for the years 1975 and 1976 has been carried out for comparison with the total number of patients with head injury admitted to district general hospitals of the region. Fifty-four per cent of patients admitted to the neurosurgical unit have resumed their old occupation and 20 per cent died. The significance of these figures is discussed, particularly in the light of the need for a more comprehensive policy for treating head injuries within the United Kingdom.
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