Implications of a background of Hashimoto's thyroiditis on the current conservative surgical trend towards papillary thyroid carcinoma.

The purpose is to delineate the clinico-pathologic features of papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC) occurring in a background of Hashimoto's thyroiditis (HT). A retrospective analysis of consecutive PTC patients who underwent surgery at an academic center between Jan. 2010 and Jan.

A mini-review of c-Met as a potential therapeutic target in melanoma.

Melanoma is the third highest rated cancer in prevalence. Surgery, radiotherapy and targeted/biological therapies in addition to chemotherapy are available options for management of this cancer. Met is an appealing target for management of this type of cancer, since it targets many cancer vital processors, such as angiogenesis, cell growth, scattering and differentiation.

Xanthogranulomatous cholecystitis in the laparoscopic era is still a challenging disease.

Background: Xanthogranulomatous cholecystitis is an unusual inflammatory process of the gallbladder which is difficult to diagnose and manage and may be confused with gallbladder cancer. Many surgeons and pathologists are not familiar with this condition. We aim to highlight this condition and to review the role of laparoscopy in its management.

Bouveret's Syndrome: An Overlooked Diagnosis. A Case Report and Review of Literature.

Bouveret's syndrome is a rare cause of gastric outlet obstruction. Its diagnosis is often delayed or overlooked. It is characterized by the passage of a large gall bladder stone through a bilio-duodenal fistula, which becomes lodged in the duodenum causing duodenal obstruction.

Acute appendicitis in the elderly: risk factors for perforation.

Background: Acute appendicitis is the most common surgical emergency and becomes serious when it perforates. Perforation is more frequent in the elderly patients. The aim of this study was to identify the risk factors of perforation in elderly patients who presented with acute appendicitis.

Patterns of anterior abdominal stab wounds and their management at Princess Basma teaching hospital, North of Jordan.

Background: With the progressive use of new diagnostic techniques, the management of penetrating abdominal stab wounds is changing. Most studies have been conducted in well-equipped trauma centers in developed countries, and there is a paucity of reports from general teaching hospitals with limited resources. We reviewed the assessment of anterior abdominal stab wounds in patients presenting to our hospital hoping to establish an evidence-based algorithm for managing such patients in busy general hospitals.

Laparoscopic cholecystectomy in the elderly and young: a comparative study.

Background/aims: To assess the safety and effectiveness of simple laparoscopic cholecystectomy in the elderly patients and to compare it with that in younger patients.

Methodology: All patients underwent laparoscopic cholecystectomy in a four year period in a university hospital were retrospectively studied. They were divided in two groups according to the age: group A (65 years and above) and group B (below 65 years).

Laparoscopic splenectomy: consensus and debatable points.

Introduction: The emergence of minimally invasive techniques has broadened interest in splenectomy for a variety of haematological illnesses. Laparoscopic splenectomy (LS) is currently considered the gold standard for the treatment of various haematological disorders.

Purpose: The literature was reviewed to highlight points of consensus and debatable points regarding best practice in LS, looking at issues such as bleeding and conversion, splenomegaly, splenic retrieval techniques, types of instruments used, hand-assisted LS (HALS), complications, approaches, accessory spleen and splenosis.

Incidental extirpation of the parathyroid glands at thyroid surgery: risk factors and post-operative hypocalcemia.

The objective of this study was to estimate the incidence of incidental extirpation of the parathyroid glands during thyroid operations, and to investigate possible risk factors and post-thyroidectomy complications using a descriptive design in a university hospital setting. Hospital records for all thyroidectomies performed in the period between 1st February 2004 and 31 January 2008 for Incidence of incidental extirpation of the parathyroid glands during thyroid operations and post-thyroidectomy hypocalcemia were reviewed. Results showed that incidental parathyroidectomy occurred in 8.

Laparoscopic diagnosis and management of an abdominal cocoon: a case report and literature review.

Abdominal cocoon is a rare cause of small bowel obstruction. It is characterized by the encasement of a variable length of the small intestine by a fibrous membrane. It occurs primarily in females with only few reported cases in males.

Vascular access infection among hemodialysis patients in Northern Jordan: incidence and risk factors.

Objectives: Vascular access infection (VAI) causes significant mortality and morbidity in hemodialysis patients. The aim of this prospective, descriptive, exploratory survey of end-stage renal disease patients was to explore the incidence and risk factors of VAI.

Methods: A total of 188 patients were included in the study from five different hospital/dialysis units in northern Jordan.