Publications by authors named "Ali Msheik"

Introduction: Intervertebral discs are part of the vertebral column and are considered the pads that help in cushioning and flexibility. These discs consist of nucleus pulposus, annulus fibrosus, and cartilage end plate and their major functions include spinal motion and loading. However, they are prone to numerous pathologies such as intradiscal hematoma and discal cyst formation that may significantly alter the biomechanics of the spine and hence the quality of life of the patient.

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Background: Multiple sclerosis (MS)-Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) relation is similar to doing a complicated puzzle: it consists of many pieces that become more and more clear as the issue is viewed from different sides. Based on the research findings, there is powerful evidence that EBV and MS have a strong relation where high levels of EBV DNA are able to be shown in all the spinal cord and the blood of the MS patients, but these are shown during disease relapses, and this implies a role in these illnesses. It kind of narrows the choices that you have to look for, just like how gathering evidence can lead to finding the missing person.

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Article Synopsis
  • - The text discusses sacral spinal gangliogliomas, rare tumors that can cause symptoms like lower back pain and bladder issues, and are treated primarily through surgical resection due to their location near critical nerves.
  • - A case study of a 66-year-old woman highlights the surgical challenges faced, where a misdiagnosis led to unexpected findings during surgery but ultimately resulted in successful near-total tumor removal and symptom relief.
  • - The conclusion emphasizes the need for accurate diagnosis and careful surgical planning to minimize neurological risks, and it calls for ongoing research to enhance treatment strategies for these tumors.
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Introduction And Importance: Facial nerve palsy is a common condition with various etiologies. However, compression due to a vessel loop is an exceptionally rare cause. This case report highlights the unusual presentation and management of facial nerve palsy caused by vascular compression, emphasizing the importance of considering rare etiologies in persistent cases.

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Article Synopsis
  • The pericardium protects the heart, but conditions like pericarditis and Tetralogy of Fallot (TOF) complicate diagnosis; CEIH is a rare but serious complication after TOF repair that needs awareness.
  • A 57-year-old man with a history of TOF repair showed symptoms like chest pain and low blood pressure, leading to the diagnosis of CEIH along with signs of right ventricular strain.
  • It’s crucial for healthcare providers to promptly identify CEIH in post-TOF patients presenting with chest pain, as quick intervention can prevent severe complications and enhance patient outcomes.
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Purpose: Disparities in cancer care have been exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic. The aim of this study is to establish how telehealth mitigated the effect of COVID-19 on the healthcare sector and to identify potential disparities in perception and experience with telehealth in cancer care during and after the pandemic.

Methods: We identified individuals with an established cancer diagnosis who received treatment at a comprehensive academic cancer center with a diverse patient population between 2019 and 2021, during the COVID-19 pandemic.

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This comprehensive literature review underscores the potential of stem cell transplantation (SCT) as a therapeutic intervention for multiple sclerosis (MS). By amalgamating evidence from various sources, including randomized controlled trials (RCTs), observational, retrospective, and comparative studies, this review offers a holistic understanding of SCT's effectiveness, safety, and feasibility in diverse contexts of MS management. SCT has shown promise in mitigating disease activity and progression, particularly in relapsing-remitting MS (RRMS).

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Article Synopsis
  • The occurrence of Down syndrome and Dandy-Walker syndrome together is rare, with only four documented cases, all involving very young children with poor outcomes.
  • This report presents a unique case of an 11-year-old male who had Dandy-Walker syndrome undiagnosed until he experienced acute intracranial hypertension, which was treated successfully.
  • The findings suggest that an asymptomatic young patient can have both conditions, and that effective treatments exist for managing complications like hydrocephalus associated with Dandy-Walker malformation.
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Facial palsy (FP) is a known consequence of head trauma, manifesting either immediately at the time of injury or with delayed onset, typically occurring 2 days or more post-trauma. Unilateral FP is the more common presentation and is often attributed to partial or complete transection of facial nerves or delayed onset edema. Conversely, bilateral facial palsy is a rare occurrence, reported in only a small number of cases, accounting for approximately 3% of patients presenting with bilateral weakness.

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Incidentaloma, a term that embodies the detection of certain problems during the performance of unreasonable investigations, resonates in the medical field. Retroaortic coronary sign is a recently recognized echocardiographic feature of the anomalous coronary artery. It is typically associated with anomalies of the left coronary artery, especially the left circumflex artery.

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Chronic subdural hematoma (cSDH) is a common condition that typically requires surgical intervention. Middle meningeal artery embolization (MMAE) has emerged as a potential alternative treatment option, although the choice of embolization material remains a topic of debate. In this case series, we report on the outcomes of 10 patients with cSDH who underwent MMAE.

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Spinal Dural Arteriovenous Fistula (SDAVF) is a rare and complex vascular condition with significant neurological consequences if left untreated. We present a case of SDAVF in a 46-year-old male who presented with progressive myelopathy. The patient presented with a three-month history of progressive lower extremity weakness, numbness, urinary retention, constipation, and gait disturbance.

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Introduction And Importance: Early clinical presentations of spinal processes involving the epidural space are often vague and can mimic other spinal nerve impingements. Patients with NHLs frequently experience neurological problems due to metastatic spinal cord compression (MSCC).

Case Presentation: In this case report, we present a 66-year-old female patient who was diagnosed with diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLCBL) of the sacral spine after a recurrence of cauda equine syndrome.

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Neural tube defects are a group of birth defects that affect the development of the spinal cord and brain. Myelomeningocele is a type of neural tube defect that results in the protrusion of the spinal cord and meninges through a defect in the vertebral column. While myelomeningocele is a relatively rare condition, cervical myelomeningocele is extremely uncommon.

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Gliomas are among the most common primary tumors of the brain. Discrimination among tumors of more than one focus has segregated the latter into two groups: multifocal gliomas and multicentric gliomas (MCGs). In this case series, outcomes among three patients are described and discussed in light of the findings present in the literature.

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Results: The majority of participants were between the ages of 25 and 35, and the gender distribution of the demographic distribution was comparable. The prevalence of pain was 86.8% (97/342 dentists).

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Background Early epidural steroid injections are currently widely used for patients experiencing lumbago. However, there is uncertainty about their efficacy, such as the limitation of continuous drug infusion and the need for well-trained physicians on this technique. The main objective of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of early epidural steroid injections in treating patients with acute sciatica in the lower back in terms of symptom relief and recurrence rate.

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Background: This is a literature review aiming to provide an update about the recent findings related to the efficacy of middle meningeal artery embolization (MMAE) in the treatment of chronic subdural hematomas (cSDHs), comparison with conventional therapy and deduction of the current recommendations and indications.

Methods: The literature is reviewed using a search through the PubMed index using keywords. Studies are then screened, skimmed, and thoroughly read.

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Background Chronic low back pain (CLBP) is one of the most common complaints affecting the population worldwide including in Lebanon. Until 15 years ago, surgery was the treatment of choice. However, conservative measures are now preferred because of the large number of post-surgical complications, in addition to the many conditions where surgery cannot be performed.

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Musculoskeletal disorders (MSD), notably neck pain, are important occupational health issues in the field of dentistry. Many studies were done worldwide to gather data about neck and back pain. They used different characteristics and risk factors.

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Idiopathic intracranial hypertension (IIH), called pseudotumor cerebri, could cause postpartum headaches. Generally, this diagnosis is idiopathic and treatment is mainly medical to avoid serious complications of possible vision loss. In this paper, we report the case of a 24-year-old lady who developed a similar constellation of symptoms and was diagnosed with this condition.

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Introduction In the past three years, Lebanon, a country located in the Middle East, has faced a severe financial crisis. This crisis had many effects on several sectors in Lebanon, including the healthcare sector. The authors expected an increase in the rate of complicated appendicitis after the crisis due to the shortage of medical supplies.

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Objective: Being the second most common cancer in men, prostate cancer detection relies on laboratory tests, imaging, and surgical procedures, although biopsy remains the mainstay in diagnosis of prostate cancer. No clear cut-off of prostate specific antigen density (PSAD) for suspecting prostate cancer has been established in the Lebanese population. Our primary objective was to evaluate the diagnostic strength of the PSAD value versus total prostate specific antigen (tPSA) level in the Lebanese men in correlation with biopsy outcome to avoid unnecessary prostate biopsy.

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