Background: A number of different types of fluid may accumulate in the pleural space, the most common being transudate, exudate (thin or thick), blood and chyle. All types of pleural effusion are radio graphically identical, though historical, clinical and other radiological features may help limit the diagnostic possibilities. Sometimes, also CT and MRI can help to specify the diagnosis.
Objective: To determine the accuracy of computed tomography (CT) in enabling differentiation of pleural exudates from transudates.
Patients and methods: forty three consecutive patients (43 effusions) underwent contrast-enhanced CT. Thoracocentesis was performed to measure pleural and serum total protein values. Effusions were classified as exudat

Background: Pleural effusion is a common clinical
problem.
Objective: The aim of the study was to evaluate the
diagnostic utility of Carcino embryonic antigen
(CEA), CA 15- 3, and alpha-feto protein ( AFP ) as
a tumor markers in serum and pleural effusion and
evaluate the value of combining them as a diagnostic
tools that are complementary to cytology in the
diagnosis of malignancies .
Methods: Forty patients (18 malignant and 22 benign
pleural effusion) were included in this study .The
serum and effusion levels of CEA, CA 15 – 3 and
AFP were measured using immunoradiometric assay
Results: from the 40 effusions studied 26 were
exudates and 14 were transudates. The level of
pleural effusions

Seventy exudative lymphocytic pleural fluid specimens of patients with suspected tuberculous pleural effusion submitted to the National Reference Laboratory of tuberculosis/Baghdad from October 2012 to February 2013. These effusions were due to tuberculosis pleuritis (n=12) and non-tuberculosis pleuritis (n=58). The following parameters were analyzed: protein concentration, glucose concentration, lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) concentration and adenosine deaminase activity (ADA). As a result, the protein concentration was higher in TPE patients (8.80 ± 0.89 g/dl) than it's concentration in non-TPE patients (7.61 ± 0.54 g/dl), as well as LDH concentration was (3366.58 ± 284.28 U/L) in TPE patients and (3024.12 ± 116.84 U/L) in non-TPE pa

Background: malignant pleural mesothelioma (MPM) is uncommon neoplasm arising from mesothelial cells of the pleura. The most important etiologic agent is typically related to exposure to minerals fibers such as asbestos and erionite. Computed tomography (CT) plays essential role in characterization, diagnosis and staging of MPM.
Objectives: to determine the value of CT scan in characterization of MPM and its impact on diagnosis, and staging of the disease with histopathological correlation.
Patients and methods: the CT scan of 27 patients who had diagnosed of MPM were retrospectively evaluated, additionally CT findings of histopathological subtypes were compared and determine staging of the disease according to their documented CT

Background: urethrocutaneous fistula after hypospadias surgery repair is the most common complication and remains a frustrating problem for surgeon and the patient. The problem is exacerbated because the urethrocutaneous fistula may recur which adds more demands surgery.
Objectives: The purpose of this study is to evaluate of the use of oral mucosal graft for management of recurrent urethrocutaneous fistula after hypospadias repair.
Patients and Methods: twelfth patients with age ranging from 4 year to 15 years were presented with history of recurrent fistula. Most of fistula were located in proximal penile and penoscrotal region (58.3%) . those patients were repaired by using oral mucosal graft with mean postoperative follow up pe

Background: Myringoplasty is a procedure used to seal(reconstruct) a perforated tympanic membrane using a graft material by underlay or overlay techniques . Temporalis fascia is the commonly used graft material.
Aim of study: to evaluate the difference in outcome of myringoplasty in cases of active and inactive chronic otitis media without cholesteatoma.
Patients and Methods: a prospective study of 54 cases of myringoplasty in adult age group whom age ranges from (20-40 years) and the duration of the disease ranges from (6-24 months). All patients were complaining of chronic otitis media without cholesteatoma assessed clinically, audiologically and radiologically, all cases operated under general anest

Background: Otitis media with effusion is characterized by accumulation of fluid in the middle ear in absence of acute inflammation and  it is the most common cause of  acquired hearing loss in children, and may  negatively affect language development failure of medical treatment of middle ear effusion frequently require myringotomy and tympanostomy tube insertion.

Objectives: To determine tympanostomy tube complications of tube in children with chronic otitis media with effusion who were treated with Shah Grommet tube insertion.

Methods: The Medical records of 162 ears of 87 children (52 male and 35 female) were reviewed respectively, the patients ages wer

Background: Thyroid nodules are very common in clinical practice. Although most of thyroid nodules are benign, it is crucial to checkout which nodules are more likely to be malignant. Ultrasound is a major diagnostic tool for screening and evaluating thyroid diseases because it is safe, non-invasive, non-radioactive and effective.
Objective: The aim is to identify the role of ultrasound in assessing thyroid nodules and to review various ultrasound criteria predicting malignancy.
Patients and methods: A case series study conducted during the period from January 2015 to February 2016 at the First Surgical Unit, Department of Surgery, Baghdad Teaching Hospital by a team of surgeons. One hundred eighty Patients who underwent surgical i

background

Background: Cytology is one of the important diagnostic tests done on effusion fluid. It can detect malignant cells in up to 60% of malignant cases. The most important benign cell present in these effusions is the mesothelial cell. Mesothelial atypia can be striking andmay simulate metastatic carcinoma. Many clinical conditions may produce such a reactive atypical cells as in anemia,SLE, liver cirrhosis and many other conditions. Recently many studies showed the value of computerized image analysis in differentiating atypical cells from malignant adenocarcinoma cells in effusion smears. Other studies support the reliability of the quantitative analysisand morphometric features and proved that they are objective prognostic indices. Method