Neurosurgery resident education in Ethiopia: a cross-sectional study, history, and future educational opportunities.

Objective: An adequate healthcare workforce characterizes high-quality health systems. Sustainable domestic neurosurgery training is critical to developing a local neurosurgical workforce in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). This study evaluated how neurosurgical training is delivered in Ethiopia, provides a historical narrative of neurosurgery training in the nation, and proposes future educational opportunities.

Prospective Study of Surgery for Traumatic Brain Injury in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia: Surgical Procedures, Complications, and Postoperative Outcomes.

Background: Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is an important cause of trauma-related mortality and morbidity in Ethiopia. There are significant resource limitations along the entire continuum of care, and little is known about the neurosurgical activity and patient outcomes.

Methods: All surgically treated TBI patients at the 4 teaching hospitals in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia were prospectively registered from October 2012 to December 2016.

Prospective Study of Surgery for Traumatic Brain Injury in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia: Trauma Causes, Injury Types, and Clinical Presentation.

Background: Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is a public health problem in Ethiopia. More knowledge about the epidemiology and neurosurgical management of TBI patients is needed to identify possible focus areas for quality improvement and preventive efforts.

Methods: This prospective cross-sectional study (2012-2016) was performed at the 4 teaching hospitals in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

Outcome of Chronic Subdural Hematoma Treated with Single Burr Hole Under Local Anesthesia.

Background: Chronic subdural hematoma (CSDH) is a common condition encountered in daily neurosurgical practice usually affecting the elderly population. Various surgical procedures have been used for the evacuation of hematoma in patients with CSDH. The objective of this paper was to study the postoperative outcome of patients who were operated for CSDH and to describe the easy, safest and effective procedure that can be performed at primary level hospitals.

Efficiency of blood utilization in elective surgical patients.

Background: Requesting blood prior to a surgical procedure for perioperative transfusion is a common practice in surgical patients. More unit of blood is requested than used by anticipating the patient will be transfused to provide a safety margin in an event of unexpected haemorrhage. Over requesting with minimal utilization results in significant wastage of blood, reagents and human resource.

Traumatic Retroclival Subdural Hematoma in a Child with Hemophilia.

Background: Retroclival hematomas are a rare entity and may occur in 3 compartments, namely the epidural, subdural, and subarachnoid spaces. They are frequently secondary to trauma. Hemophilia is a clinical syndrome affecting usually men and characterized by the inherited tendency to bleed excessively after slight injury.

Clinical Outcome of Operated Intracranial Meningiomas: An Ethiopian Experience.

Background: Intracranial meningioma is the most common brain tumor operated in the 2 teaching hospitals in Ethiopia. This study reviews the clinical outcome of intracranial meningiomas in a resource-limited setup.

Methods: This is a retrospective study undertaken at 2 neurosurgical teaching hospitals: Black Lion Specialized Hospital and Myungsung Christian Medical Center.

One Hundred Skull Base Meningiomas Operated at Black Lion Specialized Hospital, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

Objective: After 10 years of training in their home country, neurosurgeons at Black Lion Specialized Hospital (Addis Ababa, Ethiopia) operated on skull base meningiomas independent of their external teachers. The present study used a retrospective design of an in-hospital series with short-term follow-up.

Methods: A total of 100 patients (mean age, 40.

An Ethiopian Training Program in Neurosurgery with Norwegian Support.

After a 4-year planning period, a joint Ethiopian/Norwegian training program in neurosurgery was started in June 2006. The collaborating partners were Addis Ababa University; Department of Surgery, Tikur Anbessa Specialized Hospital; University of Bergen; Haukeland University Hospital; and Myungsung Christian Medical Center, a Korean missionary hospital in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. A memorandum of understanding was signed at dean/chief executive officer levels.

Spinal cord compression secondary to vertebral echinococcosis.

We describe a patient with progressive lower limb weakness and paresthesia 3 days after falling from a considerable height. Magnetic resonance imaging and computed tomography revealed collapsed Th2 and Th3 vertebrae. A tuberculous (TB) spondylitis was suspected, and anti-TB medication was started however with no clinical improvement.

Parasitic twin--a supernumerary limb associated with spinal malformations. A case report.

We describe a case of rachipagus parasitic twin with spinal cord malformations (lipomyelomeningocele and tethered cord) in a 7-month-old Ethiopian infant. The parasitic mass had a well-formed foot, ankle and lower leg and a small sinus that resembled an anus. Magnetic resonance imaging scans revealed spinal malformations including a distal syringohydromyelia.