Sidrah Lodhi

Bio: Sidrah Lodhi is an academic researcher from King Edward Medical University. The author has contributed to research in topics: Internal medicine & Cognitive skill. The author has an hindex of 3, co-authored 8 publications receiving 41 citations.

Morphological Pattern of Posterior Cranial Fossa Tumors

Abstract: Results: Among 62 patients, 43 (69.35%) were male and 38 (61.29%) patients were adult. The morphological distribution of the posterior cranial fossa tumors was as follows: Meningioma – 7 cases (11.2%), Schwannoma – 12 cases (19.3%), Acoustic Neuroma – 20 cases (32.25%), Medulloblastoma – 9 cases (14.5%), Pilocytic Astrocytoma – 2 cases (3.22%), high grade Astrocytoma – 3 cases (4.83%), Metastatic carcinoma – 5 cases (8.06%) and malignant round blue cell neoplasm – 4 cases (6.45%). Conclusion: Acoustic neuroma was the commonest benign tumor and medulloblastoma was found to be the predominant malignant tumor in this study. Medulloblastoma was also seen the commonest posterior cranial fossa tumor in children.

Placenta previa: the role of ultrasound in assessment during third trimester.

Abstract: Objective To assess the role of ultrasound in detecting the migration of placenta previa during the third trimester at Lady Willingdon Hospital and Jinnah Hospital, Lahore during the period July 2000 to September 2002. Methods Eighty pregnant women with the diagnosis of placenta previa at 28 to 32 weeks of gestation were included in the study. After base line ultrasound, scan was repeated every two weeks until delivery or placental migration for more than 3 cm from internal cervical os. Detailed information for placental position, distance from cervical os and relation to presenting part was recorded. Women with major degree placenta previa were admitted in the hospital at 32 -34 weeks of gestation. Delivery plan was made according to degree of placenta previa by completed 37 weeks of gestation. Cesarean section was done for the women with major degree placenta previa and minor degree placenta previa with antepartum hemorrhage and obstetric indication Results Out of 80 women placental migration to a distance of more than 3-5 cm from the internal cervical os occurred in 20 cases (12 anterior/anterolateral, 8 posterior/posterolateral) by 36 weeks of gestation and 20 had complete placenta previa. Out of remaining 40 cases, 12 patients had vaginal delivery and 28 had cesarean section. Placental migration was not observed in women with total placenta previa or posterior placenta previa when the distance of lower edge of placenta was less than 1 cm from the internal os. Conclusion Ultrasound is important for the diagnosis of placental localization and placental migration during third trimester. Placental migration takes place more often in anterior than in complete or posterior placenta previa.

Histopathological Evaluation of 432 Cases of Goiter

Abstract: Introduction Thyroid nodules are among the commonly encountered surgical specimens in histopathology laboratory. Thyroid nodules can be solitary or multiple. Carcinoma of thyroid is uncommon accounting for only 1% of all human tumors. Annual incidence of thyroid cancer is 0.5 to 10:100,000 person’s world wide. The prevalence of carcinoma is lower in multinodular goiter (MNG) than in solitary thyroid nodule (STN) (2). Malignancy is seen in only 0 to 11% of patients with MNG and is usually an incidental finding in thyroidectomy specimens, and in 3 to 33% of patients with STN. Clinical assessment based on physical examination of thyroid nodule helps to distinguish cases having high risk of malignancy. Iodine uptake thyroid scan, ultrasonography of the gland and fine needle aspiration cytology (FNAC) can also play a significant role in establishing the preoperative diagnosis of malignancy, but FNAC is the modality of choice. One shortcoming of FNAC in MNG is false negative result because the needle may not go into the nodule on which the test needs to be done. However, its role in solitary nodule is well established. Help of ultrasound guidance for FNAC can be taken if the cell yield is poor on aspiration. STN is the most common indication for surgical resection as prevalence of malignancy is more in solitary nodules. However, the solitary nodules should be cold on thyroid scan because hot nodules are less likely to be malignant. Malignancy in thyroid is mostly seen in hypo functioning cold nodules which do not take up iodine. Men develop thyroid nodules less frequently than women. Another fact is that frequency of malignancy in STN is more common in men than in women. Solitary cold nodules in men should be thoroughly investigated. Malignant nodules need to be treated surgically whereas benign nodules can be managed conservatively. Thyroid malignancy does not cause hypo or hyperthyroidism. Patients with thyroid malignancy usually reveal normal thyroid function tests. This study is aimed to see the histological pattern and ascertain the frequency and pattern of malignancy in goiter and STN in both sexes so that recommendations can be made for management.

The Study of Knowledge, Attitude and Practice of Medical Law and Ethics among Doctors in a Tertiary Care Hospital

Abstract: Objective: To assess the knowledge, attitude and pra-ctice regarding medical law and ethics among doctors of a medical unit in a tertiary care teaching hospital in Lahore. Study Design: Descriptive cross - sectional study. Methodology: A three part self - administered struc-tured questionnaire designed to test the knowledge and practices regarding medical law and ethics was distri-buted among doctors in a medical unit in Mayo Hospi-tal, Lahore during September - October, 2012. Results: The 52 respondent doctors included in the study comprised of 20 (38.5%) house officers, 22 (42.3%) postgraduate residents and 10 (19.2%) consu-ltants. In keeping with the Pakistan Medical and Den-tal Council code of ethics, the correct responses of house officers, postgraduate residents and consultants regarding knowledge of medical law and ethics were respectively 50%, 27.3% and 10% for patient's auto-nomy, 40%, 36.4% and 10% for adhering to patient's wishes, 10%, 63.6% and 50% for breaching confiden-tiality, 35%, 36.4% and 0% for informed consent, 10%, 22.7% and 10% for doing best regardless of pati-ent's opinion, 5%, 31.8% and 10% for informing pati-ent's relatives, 15%, 4.5% and 0% for treating violent patients. The practical application part of the question-naire was a general reflection of the knowledge and attitudes. Conclusion: Most of the doctors were poorly acqu-ainted with PMDC code of ethics. Key Words: Medical law and ethics, autonomy, con-fidentiality.

Medscape

Abstract: Secret History: Return of the Black Death Channel 4, 7-8pm In 1348 the Black Death swept through London, killing people within days of the appearance of their first symptoms. Exactly how many died, and why, has long been a mystery. This Secret History documentary follows experts as they pick through the evidence and reveal why the plague killed on such a scale. And they ask, what might be coming next?

Does cervical length and the lower placental edge thickness measurement correlates with clinical outcome in cases of complete placenta previa

Abstract: Objectives To evaluate the effectiveness of cervical length and the lower placental edge thickness measurement in predicting the risk of antepartum hemorrhage (APH) and emergency preterm cesarean delivery in women with complete placenta previa.

Serum lipid profile as a predictor of dengue severity: A systematic review and meta-analysis

Abstract: Dengue virus is known to modulate host cell lipid metabolism in order to promote efficient viral replication. Recent studies have focused on circulating lipids as potential biomarkers of dengue severity; however, the results obtained so far lack the consistency to establish a definite relationship between the two. Therefore, in the present study, we investigated serum lipids as potential biomarkers of dengue severity by conducting a meta-analysis of the currently available clinical data. Nine studies that evaluated 1,953 patients were included in the review, many of which were cross-sectional (44.4%) and conducted in Asian countries (55.5%). These studies observed the presence of lipids in serum samples (77%) of patients in the acute phase of the disease (88.8%). Circulating total-cholesterol (P = .001) and LDL (P = .001) levels, but not HDL (P = .07), VLDL (P = .9) and triglyceride (P = .57) levels, were inversely and significantly correlated with dengue severity. Total cholesterol (P ≤ .001) and LDL (P = .001) were also useful in determining the risk of hypovolemic shock in patients with severe dengue. Subgroup analysis showed that factors, such as design (cross-sectional vs cohort), racial-ethnic differences (Asian vs Latin Americans), and age range (children vs adult) influenced the correlation and also contributed to the high level of heterogeneity in the studies. Our meta-analysis demonstrates that total-cholesterol and LDL-cholesterol levels should be explored as routine laboratory markers for dengue severity, as they will help in employing an appropriate patient therapy, and thus optimize the use of available resources.

A Retrospective Study of Primary Brain Tumors in Children under 14 Years of Age at PIMS, Islamabad

Abstract: The aim of present study was to determine the relative frequency of primary brain tumors among children under 14 years of age in Pakistan. A retrospective review of pediatric primary brain tumors, encountered over 13 years (January 1998 through July 2010) at the Neurosurgical Unit of the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS), Islamabad, Pakistan, was made covering 231 cases, 142 (61.5%) males and 89 (38.5%) females, with a male to female ratio of 1.69:1. The cases were divided into 5 age groups each covering three years of life (0-2, 3-5, 6-8,9-11 and 12-14 years), with the greatest number in age group 3 i.e. 6-8 years (32%) and the least number of patients in age groups 1 and 5 (10.3% each). The 231 malignancies were categorized by site into two groups, supratentorial (83 cases; 35.9%) and infratentorial (148 cases; 64.1%). The morphological distribution was medulloblastoma (33.3%), astrocytoma (24.7%), mixed gliomas (14.7%), craniopharyngioma (11.7%), ependymoma (8.7%), PNET (6.1%) and pineal tumor (0.9%). Since only a single institution was studied, cautious interpretation is needed. Ideally, a population-based approach would be adopted to determine the cancer burden due to pediatric malignancies of the brain in this population and for their morphological categorization in Pakistan.