Sultan Qaboos University Medical Journal

This technical note describes a simple arthroscopic technique that was introduced without the need for further staff during an operation to address osteonecrosis of the medial femoral condyle. A 2.4 mm pin was positioned through the sleeve of an anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) tibial guide and marked with a steri-strip at its body, aiming at 5-10 mm distance between the tips of guide and the pin. The steri-strip serves as a marker and as a stop for inadvertent violation of the cartilage. The tip of the ACL was positioned just over the bone lesion, while the marked 2...

OBJECTIVES: This study aimed to review the case records and report the outcomes of open and laparoscopic adrenalectomy (LA) cases. METHODS: This retrospective study included patients who underwent adrenal surgery from January 2010 to December 2020 at Sultan Qaboos University, Muscat, Oman. Demographic details, indications, surgical approaches, intra-operative data, complications, final pathology and outcome at the last follow-up were analysed. RESULTS: A total of 52 patients underwent 61 adrenalectomies; six patients had a bilateral procedure while three patients had to undergo revision surgery resulting in a total of 55 individual procedures...

This systematic review and meta-analysis aimed to assess the cytotoxic and genotoxic impacts of waterpipe smoking on oral health. The databases MEDLINE, Cochrane Library and Dimensions were searched to find studies evaluating whether waterpipe smokers exhibited any cytotoxic or genotoxic effects on their oral cells compared to non-smokers, with regard to mouth neoplasms. Particularly, changes in DNA methylation and p53 expression were assessed. The Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines were adopted for the systematic review...

OBJECTIVES: This study aimed to retrospectively review imaging findings and the outcomes of uterine artery embolisation (UAE) in symptomatic uterine vascular anomalies (UVA). METHODS: This study included a total of 15 patients with acquired UVA admitted to the Aga Khan University Hospital in Karachi, Pakistan, from 2010 to 2020. These patients were evaluated using ultrasound, computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging, either alone or in combination. All patients had a history of dilatation and curettage or uterine instrumentation and underwent angiography and embolisation of the uterine arteries...

OBJECTIVES: This study aimed to determine the orbital dimensions of Omani subjects who had been referred for computed tomography (CT) of the brain at Sultan Qaboos University Hospital, Muscat, Oman. Good knowledge of the normal orbital dimensions is clinically essential for successful surgical outcomes. Racial, ethnic and regional variations in the orbital dimensions have been reported. METHODS: A total of 273 Omani patients referred for CT scans of the brain were retrospectively evaluated using an electronic medical records database...

We report a 32-year-old female patient who was referred to a tertiary care hospital in Muscat, Oman, in 2021 with an iatrogenic arteriovenous fistula (AVF) that presented as a neck swelling which developed few weeks after an attempt of central venous catheterisation through the right internal jugular vein. The fistula was corrected surgically with a successful outcome. AVF is an abnormal communication between an artery and vein which can occur as a congenital anomaly, after trauma or iatrogenic following central venous catheter or endovenous thermal ablation...

OBJECTIVES: This study aimed to examine the long-term effects of parenting practice during preschool years on children's movement performance in primary school. METHODS: This three-year longitudinal study included 225 children aged 3-6-years-old. Parents reported baseline parenting practice and evaluated children's movement performance three years later. Latent class analysis was used to explore latent classes of movement performance. A post hoc test was used to identify the characteristics of different patterns...

OBJECTIVES: This study aimed to examine the longitudinal association between social relationships and physical functioning among community-dwelling older adults with chronic conditions. METHODS: Self-reported questionnaires were distributed and collected between 2014 and 2017 from participants ≥65 years old. The Index of Social Interaction was used to evaluate social relationships and the instrumental activities of daily living (IADL) subscale of the Tokyo Metropolitan Institute of Gerontology Index of Competence was used to examine functional status...

A urethral caruncle is a rare differential diagnosis for a prolapsed mass at the urethral meatus. The aetiopathogenesis of this entity is unclear. We report a three-year-old female patient who presented to a tertiary care teaching hospital in India in 2019 with intermittent bleeding from the introitus for a month. Investigations revealed a urethral caruncle and associated renal anomalies which has not been described in the previous literature. The patient was discharged with a prescription of a Sitz bath twice daily and advised to apply betamethasone (0...

No abstract text is available yet for this article.

OBJECTIVES: This study aimed to assess the knowledge, attitudes and practices regarding traditional medicine (TM) in Oman and examine the factors that necessitate its use. METHODS: This cross-sectional, questionnaire-based study was conducted among the general population from November 2019 and March 2020. All Omani nationals above the age of 18 were eligible to be enrolled. The questionnaire consisted of questions on the knowledge, attitudes and use regarding traditional medicine in Oman...

Duplication of urethra is a rare congenital anomaly; a Y-shaped urethral duplication is the rarest variant and lacks a standardised treatment plan. We report a nine-year-old male patient with a Y-duplication of urethra diagnosed during neonatal age who presented to a tertiary care teaching hospital in India in 2018. The patient had undergone a vesicostomy on the seventh day of life for passing urine per anus and was lost to follow-up thereafter. At eight years of age, there was a failed attempt at disconnection of the duplicated urethral tract from the anus after colostomy...

OBJECTIVES: This study aimed to compare the skin closure time, postoperative pain and the scar outcome between tissue adhesive and sub-cuticular sutures in thyroid surgery. METHODS: This study was conducted in Jawaharlal Institute of Postgraduate Medical Education and Research (JIPMER), Puducherry, a tertiary care hospital in India from March 2017 to December 2019. Adult patients undergoing thyroid surgery were included while those with previous neck surgery, history of keloids/hypertrophic scars and those undergoing concomitant neck dissections were excluded...

No abstract text is available yet for this article.

No abstract text is available yet for this article.

Cutaneous larva migrans (CLM) is a zoonotic skin disease that is frequently diagnosed in tropical and subtropical countries. Loeffler's syndrome (LS) is a transient respiratory ailment characterised by pulmonary infiltration along with peripheral eosinophilia and commonly follows parasitic infestation. We report a 33-year-old male patient who presented to a tertiary care hospital in eastern India in 2019 with LS that was attributed secondary to multifocal CLM. Treatment with seven-day course of oral albendazole (400 mg daily) coupled with nebulisation (levosalbutamol and budesonide) led to complete resolution of cutaneous lesions and respiratory complaints within two weeks...

Scrub typhus is a disease endemic to the Indian subcontinent caused by the obligate intracellular pleomorphic organism, Orientia tsutsugamushi . Scrub typhus, among other acute febrile illnesses, manifests as prodromal symptoms of fever, malaise, myalgia and anorexia followed by a distinct maculopapular rash, hepatosplenomegaly and lymphadenopathy. We report the case of a patient presenting to tertiary care hospital in southern India in 2021 who developed a rare cutaneous vasculitis secondary to infection with Orientia tsutsugamushi ...

OBJECTIVES: Primary ciliary dyskinesia (PCD) is a disorder affecting the structure and function of the motile cilia of the respiratory system. Transmission electron microscopy is one method that can be used to examine ciliary ultrastructure in airway biopsies. Although the role of ultrastructural findings in PCD has been described in the literature, this role has not been well-studied in the Middle East or, specifically, Oman. This study aimed to describe ultrastructural features in Omani patients with high suspicion of PCD...

OBJECTIVES: This study aimed to define trimester-specific haemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) reference intervals in healthy, pregnant South Asian women. METHODS: This retrospective study was conducted at St. Stephen's Hospital, Delhi, India, between January 2011 and December 2016. Healthy pregnant women were compared to a control group of healthy non-pregnant women. Pregnant participants had term deliveries of babies with appropriate gestational weights. The HbA1c levels were calculated in terms of non-parametric 2...

OBJECTIVES: Identification of the high risk alleles, genotypes and haplotypes of the human leukocyte antigens (HLA) in different populations is beneficial for understanding their roles in type 1 diabetes (T1D) pathogenesis and intervention practices. This study aimed to identify T1D-associated HLA gene alleles in the Omani population. METHODS: The present case-control study included 73 diabetic seropositive children (mean age 9.08 ± 3.27 years) attending the paediatric clinic at Sultan Qaboos University Hospital in Muscat, Oman, and 110 healthy controls...