Prevalence of silent stroke in Kurdistan, Iraq.

Objectives: To measure the prevalence of silent strokes in the Iraqi Kurdish population, and to identify silent stroke risk factors.

Methods: This cross-sectional study was carried out in Rizgary Teaching Hospital, Erbil, Iraq from January to June 2009. A sample of 200 patients attending the outpatient clinic was taken.

Are left atrial abnormalities a risk for stroke?

Objectives: To show that echocardiographic left atrial enlargement (Echo-LAE) and electrocardiographic left atrial abnormalities (ECG-LAA) may be probable new risk factors for ischemic and hemorrhagic stroke.

Methods: This descriptive prospective case study included 140 CT or MRI-confirmed hemorrhagic and ischemic stroke patients, who were admitted to Rizgary Teaching Hospital, Erbil, Iraq from January 2008 to January 2009. Twelve lead ECG and 2-dimensional transthoracic Echo were performed for all patients.

Evaluation of neurogenic dysphagia in Iraqi patients with acute stroke.

Objectives: To clinically assess neurogenic dysphagia, and to correlate its presence with demographic features, different stroke risk factors, anatomical arterial territorial stroke types, and pathological stroke types.

Methods: Seventy-two stroke inpatients were studied between July 2007 and February 2008, at the Departments of Medicine and Neurology at Al-Yarmouk Teaching Hospital, Baghdad, and Rizgary Teaching Hospital, Erbil, Iraq. All patients were assessed using the Mann Assessment of Swallowing Ability score (MASA), Modified Rankin Scale, and the Stroke Risk Scorecard.

Precipitating and relieving factors of migraine headache in 200 iraqi kurdish patients.

Objectives: To study the precipitating and relieving factors of migraine headache in a group of Iraqi Kurdish patients including the effect of fasting in Ramadan, and to estimate the percentage of family history of migraine.

Methods: A series of 200 migraine cases from different parts of the Kurdistan region in the North of Iraq attending the out-patient Neurology clinic at Rizgary Teaching Hospital and a private Neurology clinic at Erbil City was carried out between October 2007 and May 2008 were reviewed. The precipitating factors and relieving factors for migraine headache were registered and tabulated to be compared with others.

Multiple sclerosis in Jordan and Iraq. Clinical and social overview.

Objectives: To verify clinical features of multiple sclerosis (MS) patients throughout the course of their illness and to study the socioeconomic status of MS patients in Jordan and Iraq.

Methods: Fifty-two patients were examined by 2 neurologists looking for the clinical and radiological features of MS at Al-Bashir Teaching Hospital, Amman, Jordan (35 patients), and Rezgary Teaching Hospital-Erbil, Kurdistan, Iraq (17 patients) from January 2004 to July 2007. The study design was based on full clinical examination of MS patients, investigate the signs, and symptoms, tabulating them, and show the percentage of their presence in all patients, and then comparing the results with other findings through systematic review of the available data from other reviews.

Multiple sclerosis in Jordan: A clinical and epidemiological study.

Objectives: To characterize the clinical, demographic and epidemiological features of multiple sclerosis (MS) in Jordan.

Methods: Data for consecutive Jordanian patients, fulfilling the McDonald criteria for clinically definite and clinically probable MS, during the time period 2004-2005 were collected and analyzed in the three major referral centers for MS in Jordan.

Results: We identified a total of 224 patients (165 females, 87%; 59 males, 13%).