Sixty patients with brain abscess were treated at the Neurosurgical Unit of the Department of Surgery, Hospital Universiti Sains Malaysia between January 1990 and December 1996. A retrospective study was done and data were collected from the computerise d registry of the Record Unit of Hospital Universiti Sains Malaysia. Good results were achieved in patients who were both treated surgically and medically. There were only twelve deaths in this group. The main factor that influences morbidity and mortality of brain abscess is the clinical presentation on admission. The mortality was high in patients treated solely by medical means. Death was common in patients who presented with acute onset of symptoms of less than one week duration and those with poor mental status. Brain abscess is common in the East Coast population of peninsular Malaysia, probably due in part to lower socioeconomic status. Efforts should be directed towards prevention of infection and early recognition and management.
The first endoscopic procedure done in Malaysia using the Caemaert-Abdullah method is reported and the followup results showed an excellent neurosurgical outcome. A 16-year-old girl with an aqueduct stenosis was operated on using a free-hand, computer-assisted endoscopic method where a third ventriculostomy was done. This was the first case being carried out in the Hospital Universiti Sains Malaysia. The next two cases were a suprasellar pituitary cyst in an elderly man and a child with an obstructive hydrocephalus who was previously shunted which became infected. Both endoscopic procedures, extirpation of the cyst using a Nd:Yag laser and a third ventriculostomy, respectively, were done under general anaesthesia in the supine position. Follow-up revealed a transient diabetes insipidus in all three cases up to 48 hours after the operation which resolved spontaneously. The fourth case involved an endoscopic removal of retained ventricular catheter after rectal migration of a shunt in an eight-year-old girl with congenital hydrocephalus. The fifth was a free-hand endoscopy with perforation of multiple brain septae in a ten-month-old baby with hydrocephalus secondary to meningitis. The final outcomes for all the cases were favourable hence we conclude that endoscopic neurosurgery is a safe procedure and hope that more neurosurgeons will continue to use this method, especially for the management of intraventricular cyst and hydrocephalus and especially in South East Asia.
Two hundred primary brain tumours in both adults and children from the year 1990 to 1998 presenting for treatment to the Neurosurgical Division of the Hospital of the University of Sciences Malaysia were studied retrospectively. Volumes of tumours were taken from CT scans with contrast using two formulas and divided into 4 groups: (1) less than 20 cm(3), (2) 20-50 cm(3), (3) 50-100 cm(3) (4) larger than 100 cm(3). The majority of the brain tumours were in the volume range of 50-100 cm(3), and are thus potentially curable with retroviral gene therapy.
This is a descriptive epidemiologic study that was done retrospectively for the years 1990-1996. The objective was to determine whether tumours less than 4 cm in diameter are common and thereafter suitable for radiosurgical treatment. The results showed that the incidence of brain tumours less than 4 cm in diameter was 73.3% and about 20% were situated in the eloquent area.
This work focuses on the use of X-ray tomography in investigating the flow distribution in a structured packed bed. Cross sections of the liquid hold up distribution in a 10 cm diameter column packed with Katapak-SP12 are obtained at various column heights for different liquid flow rates. The repartition of the liquid hold up between baskets and corrugated sheets is quantified. Wall wipers and column wall effects are visualized. Results are obtained from an initially dry column without gas flow.
There are few local statistics on the incidence of hydrocephalus and the outcome of hydrocephalic shunts in the South East Asian region. We report a retrospective study on 285 hydrocephalic patients who underwent shunting procedures between 1990 and 1998 at the University Hospital Science Malaysia, a regional referral center. Multiple logistic regression analysis was applied to predict determinants of outcome in relation to the timing of diagnosis, other congenital abnormalities associated with the hydrocephalus, timing of surgery and cortical thickness from CT scan. The relationship of shunt infection was correlated to the age of the patient and surgical procedure. The predictors for developmental outcome reported by this study were age at diagnosis, type of brain abnormalities and gender. Time of operation and cortical thickness did not contribute to the outcome.
There is no report in the English literature on the criteria for neuroablation or neuroaugmentation for the treatment of Parkinson's disease in a developing country like Malaysia. A prospective study of patients with Parkinson's disease from the north-eastern peninsular Malaysia was done to assess their suitability of surgery. Age, race, duration of illness and dementia were considered important factors towards the success of such surgical procedures. A mathematical model is suggested for future cases deemed to be suitable for neuroaugmentative or ablative surgery.
The large-scale genomic resource for kelampayan was generated from a developing xylem cDNA library. A total of 6,622 high quality expressed sequence tags (ESTs) were generated through high-throughput 5' EST sequencing of cDNA clones. The ESTs were analyzed and assembled to generate 4,728 xylogenesis unigenes distributed in 2,100 contigs and 2,628 singletons. About 59.3 % of the ESTs were assigned with putative identifications whereas 40.7 % of the sequences showed no significant similarity to any sequences in GenBank. Interestingly, most genes involved in lignin biosynthesis and several other cell wall biosynthesis genes were identified in the kelampayan EST database. The identified genes in this study will be candidates for functional genomics and association genetic studies in kelampayan aiming at the production of high value forests.
Bioassay and immunohistochemical studies have detected the presence of prosaposin in the central nervous system (CNS) of mammals. Here, first time, we have determined the partial cDNA sequence of pigeon prosaposin and mapped the distribution of its mRNA in the pigeon CNS. The predicted amino acid sequence of pigeon prosaposin showed 93 and 60% identity to chicken and human prosaposin, respectively. In situ hybridization, autoradiograms showed that the prosaposin mRNA expression was found in the olfactory bulb, prepiriform cortex, Wulst, mesopallium, nidopallium, hippocampal formation, thalamus, tuberis nucleus, pre-tectal nucleus, nucleus mesencephalicus lateralis, pars dorsalis, nucleus isthmi, pars parvocellularis and magnocellularis, Edinger-Westphal nucleus, optic tectum, cerebellar cortex and nuclei, vestibular nuclei and gray matter of the spinal cord. These results suggest that the cDNA sequence of pigeon prosaposin is comparable to other vertebrates, and the general distribution pattern of prosaposin mRNA resembles those are found in mammals.
Centella asiatica has a reputation to restore declining cognitive function in traditional medicine. To date, only a few compounds that show enhancing learning and memory properties are available. Therefore, the present study investigates the effects of for acute administration of asiatic acid (A-A) isolated from Centella asiatica administration on memory and learning in male Spraque-Dawley rats.
BACKGROUND: Most medical schools use simulated patients (SPs) for teaching. In this context the authenticity of role play and quality of feedback provided by SPs is of paramount importance. The available literature on SP training mostly addresses instructor led training where the SPs are given direction on their roles. This study focuses on the use of peer and self evaluation as a tool to train SPs.
METHODS: SPs at the medical school participated in a staff development and training programme which included a) self-assessment of their performance while observing video-tapes of their role play using a structured guide and b) peer group assessment of their performance under tutor guidance. The pre and post training performance in relation to authenticity of role play and quality of feedback was blindly assessed by students and tutors using a validated instrument and the scores were compared. A focus group discussion and a questionnaire assessed acceptability of the training programme by the SPs.
RESULTS: The post-training performance assessment scores were significantly higher (p < 0.05) than the pre-training scores. The degree of improvement in the quality of feedback provided to students was more when compared to the improvement of role play. The acceptability of the training by the SPs was very satisfactory scoring an average of 7.6 out of 10. The majority of the SPs requested the new method of training to be included in their current training programme as a regular feature.
CONCLUSION: Use of structured self-reflective and peer-interactive, practice based methods of SP training is recommended to improve SP performance. More studies on these methods of training may further refine SP training and lead to improvement of SP performance which in turn may positively impact medical education.
We report one case of posterior fossa intracranial haemorrhage in a full-term Malay baby boy following vacuum assisted delivery. The patient, a term baby boy was delivered by a vacuum extraction and later developed signs of increased intracranial pressure 72 hours after birth. Computed tomography (CT) of the brain showed a posterior fossa intracranial haemorrhage with acute obstructive hydrocephalus. He was initially treated with isolated ventricular shunting which later caused an upward cerebellar herniation. An immediate suboccipital craniectomy for evacuation of cerebellar haematoma was performed which resulted in a gradual recovery.
A 28-year old Malay man with evidence of an upper motor neuron cord lesion was diagnosed to have a C7 to T2 spinal arterio-venous malformation and associated cutaneous vascular lesion. He finally agreed for treatment after 5 years of progressive spastic right lower limb weakness leading to inability to mobilize. A two staged intravascular procedure was done followed by surgery with recovery of ASIA impairment scale grade B.
Loss of heterozygosity (LOH) on several loci and mutations on PTEN tumor suppressor gene (10q23.3) occur frequently in sporadic gliomas. We have performed polymerase chain reaction (PCR)-LOH analysis using microsatellite markers and single-stranded conformational polymorphism (SSCP) analysis to determine the incidence of allelic losses on chromosome 10q, 9p, 17p and 13q and mutations of exons 5, 6 and 8 of the PTEN gene in malignant gliomas. Twelve of 23 (52.2%) malignant glioma cases showed allelic losses whereas 7 of 23, (30.4%) samples showed aberrant band patterns and mutations of the PTEN gene. Four of these cases showed LOH on 10q23 and mutations of the PTEN gene. The data on LOH indicated the involvement of different genes in gliomagenesis whereas mutations of the PTEN gene indicated the role of PTEN tumor suppressor gene in the progression of glioma in Malay population.
We report a case of a 6 month old baby boy who had congenital nasal encephalocele, repaired via the traditional staging procedure. The surgical techniques and procedures are described and discussed.
Mycobacterium tuberculosis is known to cause pulmonary and extrapulmonary tuberculosis. This organism showed special phylogeographical specificity. Here, we report the complete genome sequence of M. tuberculosis clinical isolate spoligotype SIT745/EAI1-MYS, which was isolated from a Malaysian tuberculosis patient.
Epidermoid cysts of the central nervous system are described as rare, benign, slow growing lesions with a history of high rate of recurrence even after surgical removal. This lesion is rarely located at the cerebellopontine angle and is found to be composed of solid and cystic components with close adherence to vital neurovascular structures that might complicate its removal. We present a rare case of a twenty-five year old housewife with signs and symptoms of increased intracranial pressure due to the above pathology after multiple episodes of intra-tumoral bleeding. Microneurosurgical techniques were used for tumour dissection and excision. The patient recovered well after a three-year follow-up. This is the fourth example in the index medicus of bleeding seen in a histopathologically proven cerebellopontine angle intraepidermoid cyst.
The beneficial effects of stereotactic third ventriculostomy versus ventriculoperitoneal shunt were evaluated in 62 paediatric patients and analysed in relation to age, sex, clinical history, presence of meningomyelocele, magnetic resonance imaging measurements of hydrocephalus and third ventricle floor size. The third ventriculostomy were done on 50 patients using the Richard-Wolf Caemaert Endoscope and the Leksell Stereotactic Frame Model G. These patients were operated using the 4-French Fogarty catheter to open the base of the third ventricle. During the same period of study 12 paediatric patients with aqueduct stenosis who were managed by ventriculoperitoneal shunt were included. Both surgical procedures were compared. Statistically univariate analysis revealed that those patient with an age group of more than six months undergoing ventriculostomy had good outcome. Multivariate analysis revealed that past history of haemorrhage and/or meningitis were predictors of poor outcome. Sex, size of lumbar meningocele at birth, abnormal ventricular anatomy or narrow third ventricular floor size were non predictors of bad outcome in these patients. There was no difference in outcome in both the shunt or ventriculostomy group.
Four patients underwent reconstruction of anterior cranial fossa of skull defects between November 1997 and January 1998. All of them had traumatic anterior cranial fossa defect and were reconstructed with lyophilised bovine cortical bone graft. There was no cerebrospinal fluid leakage, meningitis, extradural abscess or other infections. This study demonstrates that the use of bovine bone graft in the reconstruction of anterior base defects is safe.