Annals of Saudi medicine
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Annals of Saudi medicine · Mar 1995
Ultrasonography detection of radiolucent foreign bodies in soft tissue compared to computed tomography scan.
Thirty-one patients with suspected radiolucent foreign bodies (wooden splinters) in soft tissues of extremities were investigated by plain radiography, computed tomography (CT) scan and ultrasonography to the area suspected clinically. Ultrasonography detected and localized radiolucent foreign bodies in 18 of the 31 patients, while only 14 were seen on CT scan. ⋯ The size of foreign body, the presence of infection or the delay in diagnosis had no effect on results. Ultrasonography is clearly a reliable method of detecting radiolucent foreign bodies in soft tissues of extremities.
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Annals of Saudi medicine · Jul 1994
Antithyroid antibodies and thyroid dysfunction in Saudi children with Down syndrome.
Fifty children (ages seven months to nine years) with Down syndrome compared with age and sex matched controls were tested for antithyroid antibodies. Seven (14%) of the Down group were found to b seropositive; six (12%) for antimicrosomal antibodies; three for both antimicrosomal and antithyroglobulin; none was positive for antithyroglobulin alone. ⋯ Thyroid dysfunction was not previously suspected in the two symptomatic children. In view of our findings, recommendations are made to regularly screen these children for autoantibdies and evidence of thyroid dysfuntion.
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Annals of Saudi medicine · Jul 1994
Hepatitis B, delta and human immunodeficiency virus infections among Omani patients with renal diseases: A seroprevalence study.
The prevalence of hepatitis B virus (HBV), hepatitis delta virus (HDV), and human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infections were determined in 102 patients on regular hemodialysis, 82 kidney recipients and 1030 nondialyzed, nontransplanted patients with various renal diseases. The prevalence rates of hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) in dialysis and renal transplant patients (12.7% and 11.0% respectively) were significantly higher than the rate in a control group of patients who had never been dialyzed nor transplanted (2.9%, P<0.05). ⋯ HIV infection was confirmed in only two of 102 (2.0%) and three of 82 (3.7%) hemodialysis and kidney recipients respectively. These data indicate hepatitis B, delta and HIV infections are major health problems among hemodialysis and renal transplant patients in the Sultanate of Oman.
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Retrospective analysis was carried out for 447 magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) studies of the spine. The overall mean age +/- SD of the entire series was 38.7 +/- 12.9 years. Degenerative spinal lesions and prolapsed intervertebral disks were detected in 62% and 73% of all the studies and of those which showed spinal abnormalities respectively. ⋯ Comparing the numbers of CT and CT myelograms requested in the year prior to the installation of the MRI to the numbers requested during the year where the MRI was functioning did not show any change in the frequency of ordering CT studies. We conclude that our hospital-based series has shown an interesting pattern for spinal disorders. The first year experience of the utilization of MRI in various spinal diseases has been satisfactory with prevailing diagnostic superiority for that modality.