Endovascular repositioning and resizing of the distal catheter of a ventriculoatrial shunt.

Ventriculoatrial (VA) shunts are an effective alternative to ventriculoperitoneal shunts for diversion of cerebrospinal fluid in patients with hydrocephalus. Accurate placement of the distal end of a VA shunt in the right atrium is imperative for appropriate drainage and can be technically challenging. Misplaced or dislodged shunt catheter needs urgent repositioning, which can be performed by endovascular techniques.

Readiness for antimicrobial resistance (AMR) surveillance in Pakistan; a model for laboratory strengthening.

Background: Limited capacity of laboratories for antimicrobial susceptibility testing (AST) presents a critical diagnostic bottleneck in resource limited countries. This paper aims to identify such gaps and to explore whether laboratory networks could contribute towards improving AST in low resource settings.

Methods: A self-assessment tool to assess antimicrobial susceptibility testing capacity was administered as a pre-workshop activity to participants from 30 microbiology laboratories in 3 cities in Pakistan.

Cystic Chordoma of the Cavernous Sinus.

Chordomas are the tumors commonly involving base of skull which are predominantly solid in consistency. A cystic chordoma of the cavernous sinus is an extremely rare entity and has never been reported. We report a 26-year-old male presenting with gradually progressive right-sided sixth nerve palsy and headache.