Background:Image guided transthoracic needle biopsy (TTNB) has great diagnostic value for the definitive characterization of lung lesions and is an established primary procedure to diagnose pulmonary nodules. It is traditionally performed as an outpatient procedure. It is safe, accurate, sensitive, and can obviate surgical procedure.
Objective: to assess the accuracy and safety of CT-guided TTNB in Baghdad Teaching Hospital 
Patients & Methods: From December 2009 to September 2011, we conducted a prospective study of 43 consecutive outpatient and inpatient lung biopsies. An informed consent was obtained from the patients. No sedation is required. All biopsies were performed using CT guidance withou

Background: Accumulation of fluid in pleural space, which is malignant in nature, is secondary to lung, breast or ovarian tumors. Metastatic Adeno Ca is most commonly seen in male and breast Ca is most commonly seen in female. It indicates advanced disease and reduced survival.

Aim: Is to study prospectively thirty patients with malignant pleural effusion according to their clinical presentation, ways of diagnosis, and methods of chemical pleurodesis.

Patient and methods: Data of thirty patients with malignant pleural effusion collected and analyzed using a form to categorize them according to their age, gender, presenting features, imaging studies and

Background: Hypotonia is not a specific medical disorder, but a potential manifestation of many different diseases and disorders. The long-term effects of hypotonia on a child's development and later life depend primarily on the severity of the muscle weakness and the nature of the cause.
Patients &Methods: A prospective, cross sectional descriptive study in which 62 patients with hypotonia, age 3months to13 years, were evaluated in children welfare teaching hospital /Baghdad (a tertiary care center), over 4months Period (1st of January to 1st of May,2008 ) . Children were categorized into groups of central , peripheral& systemic hypotonia, and specific diagnosis of each of groups was made by clin

Background: Probiotics are defined as living microbial food supplements that beneficially affect the host by improving its intestinal balance. In recent years there is a great interest for viable microorganisms that promote or support a beneficial balance of microbial population of gastrointestinal tract. Probiotics may be consumed in different forms, comprising foods, mainly in fermented state and pharmaceutical products, mainly as capsules or in microencapsulated forms.
Methods: Twelve albino mice were divided into four groups designated as 1, 2, 3 and 4. Each group consists of 3 mice, and subject to the followings treatments: Group 1: This group was used as a control. Group 2: This group was dosed with

advancing age. The risk of cardiovascular disease in adults is lowest with systolic BP <120 mm Hg and diastolic BP < 80 mm Hg and increases progressively with higher systolic and diastolic blood pressures. Acupuncture (from the Latin word acus, “needle”, and pungere, meaning “prick”) is a technique in which the practitioner inserts fine needles into specific points on the patient’s body. Accupuncture could be used as a nonpharmacological way of controlling high readings of blood pressure among cases with essential hypertension. This study aimed to investigate the effects of acupuncture on essential hypertension.
Patients and Methods: 51 hypertensive patients of both genders and 30 normotensive control subjects were inv

Background: The morbidity and mortality of congenital diaphragmatic hernia is related to the severity of lung hypoplasia ,pulmonary hypertension and associated anomalies.
Patients and methods: fifty nine consecutive patients with surgically proved diaphragmatic hernia (excluding hiatal hernia) were included in this prospective study. All patients were seen at Al- Kadhymia hospital for children and Al-Mustansyria hospital, in the period from January 2003 to December 2009.Plain chest x-ray was done for all the patients understudy, but barium study was arranged for only nine patients.
Results: There were fifty nine child with congenital diaphragmatic hernia , Bochdalek hernia forms 81.4% of all congenital

Background: Metabolic syndrome is a cluster of risk factors for atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease caused by abdominal obesity, such as hyperglycemia, hypertension, dyslipidemia, and insulin resistance.Adiponectin is a protein hormone that modulates a number of metabolic processes, including glucose regulation and fatty acidcatabolism. Adiponectin is exclusively secreted from adipose tissue into the bloodstream. Leptin, a hormone synthesized by fat tissue had been noted to regulate energy balance and metabolism.In this study investigated the relationships of adiponectin/leptin ratio with metabolic syndrome in apparently healthy Iraqi male adults.
Objective: This study was designed to investigate the r

Background: Cardiovascular diseases are among the most common cause of death in Developed countries. In addition to traditional risk factors for cardiovascular disease, nowadays, accumulating evidence indicates that a variety of infectious agents may contribute to pathogenesis of ischemic heart disease. 
Patients and methods: 125 patients (25 females and 100 males) attending the department of cardiology, Baghdad, teaching hospital over the period December 2008- June 2009were enrolled. Their age range  between (39-75 years) compared with 50 healthy individuation (Age & sex matched). The sera were tested for H. pylori antibodies using enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA).
Results: 80% of pa

pancreatic islets in which a process of programmed cell death (apoptosis) is elicited in the β-cells by interaction of activated T-cells and proinflammatory cytokines in the immune infiltrate. Interleukin-6 (IL-6) is a pleiotropic cytokine with a key impact on both immunoregulation and nonimmune events in many cell types .
Objective: to assess the level of serum IL-6 as an inflammatory marker in type 1 diabetic children, with correlation to FBG and HbA1c.
Subjects and methods: 45 type 1 diabetic child (20 males and 25 females), mean age 10.9± 3.4 years who attended the National Diabetic Center, Al-Mustansiria university were included in this study. 45 apparently healthy controls matched for age and sex were participated in this s

Background: Alcohol remains the single most significant cause of liver disease throughout the Western world, responsible for between 40 and 80% of cases of cirrhosis in different countries. There are no characteristic sonographic features of ALD. Many of the factors underlying the development of alcoholic liver injury remain unknown, and significant questions remain about the value of even very basic therapeutic strategies.
Patients and Methods: A total number of 50 patients with ALD were studied. Abdominal Doppler ultrasonography to determine the ratio of the left to right portal vein (PV) was done. They were compared with 50 healthy persons (control) and 50 patients with comparable CLD due to other causes.
Results: The diameter o

Background:

Foreign body inhalation is a life threating event in children and it is common in our country ,which is  a daily practice of Thoracic .It  can lead to morbidity even mortality in the hands of untrained or not well- trained doctors.

Aim:

Is to report a case of missed foreign body inhaled 15-years back, which is uncommonly reported in the literatures and to compare it with other studies reporting similar cases.

Methods:

The details, presentation, clinical findings, radiological appearance and the successful removal by a rigid bronchoscope under general

Background: Diabetes is a chronic illness that requires continuing medical care to prevent acute complications and to reduce the risk of long-term complication. Eye
diseases are the most feared complication of diabetes. The main disorders include diabetic retinopathy, cataracts and glaucoma. Early detection of these conditions is
important to avoid risk of vision affection or even blindness.
Objectives: This study aimed to assess the prevalence and risk factors for eye problems among 20-65 years old diabetics' patients.
Methods: We studied 2540 diabetic patients selected from the Specialized Center for Endocrinology & Diabetes and the National Center for Treatment & Research of
Diabetes in Al-Mu

Background: There is a need for a periodic review of acute bacterial meningitis (ABM) since the pathogens responsible for infection vary with time, geography and patient's age. This study was carried out to describe the epidemiology of different types of meningitis and variables affecting the outcome (improvement, complication and death).
Patients and Methods: All the cases of meningitis diagnosed and treated at Ibn- Al-Khateeb Teaching Hospital for the period Jan. 1993 to Dec. 1998 were included in this study. The collected data were age, sex, occupation, date of admission, date of discharge, type of meningitis and outcome of the disease.
Results: Out of the total cases, 73.3% were ABM. High rate of A

Background: Dysentery is an important cause of morbidity and mortality associated with diarrhea. About 10% of all diarrheal episodes in children less than 5 years are dysenteric, but these cause about 15% of all deaths attributed to diarrhea.
Objective : To demonstrate the most common pathogens causing bloody diarrhea in children between 2 months and 5 years old, to describe some of the associated factors accompanying bloody diarrhea and to highlight the most important clinical features.
Patients and methods: A descriptive study of 82 children, between the age of 2 months to 5 years with bloody diarrhea, who were admitted to the Children Welfare Teaching Hospital/ Medical City/Baghdad during the period betw

Background: The diagnosis of Toxoplasma gondii infection in human can be determined by variable immunological and molecular methods.

Background: In recent years, bone marrow angiogenesis was reported to be involved in the pathogenesis and progression of certain hematological malignancies like multiple myeloma, leukemias, and lymphomas. Recent studies have suggested that bone marrow angiogenesis plays an important role in the pathogenesis and prognosis of multiple myeloma.
Objectives: at the present study, bone marrow angiogenesis in multiple myeloma was examined using immunohistochemical staining for CD34, and correlated with various pathological and clinical parameters.
Patients and methods: This is a retrospective study; where by archival paraffin-embedded tissue blocks along with the clinical and hematological records of fifty-two patients with multiple myelo

Back ground: Hirschsprung`s disease is a common problem among pediatric population, many procedures had been implemented in the treatment with different results. In the last decades one stage transanal endorectal pullthrough (TEPT) had come into the stage as a minimal invasive choice for such condition with good results.
Objectives: To evaluate the feasibility and safety of TEPT procedure among pediatrics in a tertiary pediatric surgery center in Iraq.
Patients and Methods: A prospective study was conducted on 11 patients with Hirschsprung’s disease, attending Central Teaching Hospital of Pediatrics for the period from March 2007 till August 2014. Their ages were ranging from 1 month - 12 years. All cases had diverting colostomy

Background: Bronchiolitis is the most common disease of the lower respiratory tract during the first year of life. Which is usually caused by respiratory syncytial virus. The treatment is usually supportive, so epidemiology, clinical, laboratory, and radiologic findings might facilitate early diagnosis and treatment of bronchiolitis cases.

Objectives: The aim of our study was to evaluate the clinical characteristics and laboratory findings of children hospitalized due to bronchiolitis.

Patients and Methods: In this cross sectional study 143 patients with bronchiolitis were selected who age 1-24 months old who were admitted to the Fallujah teaching hospital for women and c

Background: Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer deaths and its incidence is rising. The determination of histopathology and stage of primary lung carcinoma is crucial to develop appropriate treatment approach that affects morbidity and mortality. Fiber optic bronchoscope techniques for early detection of lung cancer are a promising tool as they might allow visualizing changes of early lung cancer and also permitting sampling for histological confirmation.
Objective: This study was intended to compare the fiber optic bronchoscopy findings and their anatomical locations with the histopathology types in patients with lung cancer.
Patient and Methods: A cross section study was conducted during the period

Background: Transitional cell carcinomas (TCC) of the bladder are a major health problem. Recently, some studies link high risk Human papilloma viruses' type 16 and type 18 with bladder carcinoma.
Materials and methods: Fifty formalin fixed, paraffin embedded tissues with TCC of the bladder from Specialized Surgical Hospital in Baghdad were included in this study. In addition, ten
apparently normal bladder autopsies were collected from the Forensic Medicine Institute Archives and used as control group. Tissue blocks were sectioned and sticked on charged slides and used for the detection of HPV-16 and HPV-18.
Results: The expression of HPV-16 and HPV-18 DNA signals in TCC of the bladder tissues in the&nbs

CT scan features of Malignant Meningioma
Objective: Meningioma which is a common benign Brain tumor can be malignant, but the final decision is by biopsy. However CT. Scan features can help to evaluate malignancy of a lesion.

The aim of this retrospective study is to look for the malignant features of a malignant meningioma .
Patients and Methods: This is a retrospective study of 50 malignant meningiomas in the neurosurgical unit in the specialized surgical hospital (previously AL-Shaheed Adnan hospital), for the period from March 1992 to March 2007. We search specially for Malignant features on the CT scan study of the patients.
Results: 94%of the patients had different features of malignant men

Background: Heart failure is a complex clinical syndrome caused by any functional or structural cardiac disease that reduces the ventricle's ability to fill or pump blood. Anemia is frequent in patient with heart failure and is associated with deterioration through the activation of neuro-hormonal pathways. Dapagliflozin is a selective and reversible inhibitor of Sodium-glucose co-transporter-2 (SGLT2). Dapagliflozin increases hemoglobin level through different mechanisms such increasing plasma concentration by diuresis or increasing Erythropoietin synthesis.

Objective: To evaluate the effect of additional dapagliflozin into conventional therapy on hemoglobin in heart failure patients with chronic

Background: Cervical spondylosis is a degenerative disease of the cervical spine and can occur at any age but mostly after 5th decade.

Objectives:  is to focus a light on the clinical features, radiological findings and the result of the surgical treatment with comparison to the global results in the same field.

Patients and method: This is a prospective study of 50 patients with cervical spondylosis managed with surgery at surgical specialty hospital in the medical city, Baghdad, from the period from Jun. 2011 till Jan. 2012. The clinical, radiological, neurophysiological studies together with surgical outcome were all reviewed and included in the study.

Background: Multiple sclerosis is a devastating central nervous system autoimmune disorder that is characterized by a series of inflammations, demyelinations, and neurodegenerations that affect the brain and spinal cord. The epigenetic studies specially micro Ribonucleic acid expression represent an important field of researches that probably uncover the obscurities behind the multiple sclerosis pathogenesis.
Objectives: to study the expression of micro Ribonucleic acids (20a, 146a, 155, and 145) in multiple sclerosis patients by the use of real time polymerase chain reaction.
Patients and Methods: A case-control study was performed using real time polymerase chain reaction technique to measure the relative expression of micro Ribo

Background: Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is an autoimmune disease that results in a chronic, systemic inflammatory disorder that may affect many tissues and organs, but principally attacks flexible (synovial) joints. Many cases are believed to result from an interaction between genetic factors and environmental exposures. Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) is associated with several autoimmune diseases, such as systemic lupus erythematosus, rheumatoid arthritis and multip

Background:
tuberculosis is an endemic disease in Yemen. Abdominal Tuberculosis (AT) is the most common extra pulmonary manifestation of the disease.The clinical picture
can be non specific.Laparoscopy is the most accurate diagnostic method but has its limitation depending on presentation.
The aim of this study was to present the common clinical manifestation and the different type of Abdominal TB,the surgical procedure used,the morbidity and
mortality of the disease.
 Patient and Methods:
This is a prospective study of 48 patients with Abdominal TB who were admitted to Kuwait University hospital in Sana'a-Yemen between Jan 2002-Dec
2004.fourteen patients (29%) were treated medically with Ant

Background: Strain imaging assessing regional myocardial deformation and can be used to quantify regional myocardial function and differentiate between ischemic and non ischemic myocardium.

Objectives: to assess sensitivity and specificity of strain imaging in detection of coronary artery disease in comparison with coronary angiography.
Patients and Methods: ninety six patients were referred to Ibn albitar center for cardiac surgery, Baghdad, Iraq with symptoms of coronary artery disease for a period between June 2014 and April 2015, all of whom were evaluated by two dimensional echocardiography and all were found to have good left ventricular systolic function with no regiona

Background: Retinoblastoma is the most common intraocular tumor affecting young children.

Patients and Methods: A review of 32 children with retinoblastoma, diagnosed and treated at the Oncology Unit, Children Welfare Teaching Hospital, Medical City, Baghdad from 1999 to 2006.

Objectives: To review the clinical presentation and treatment outcome of retinoblastoma in children treated at the Children Welfare Teaching Hospital, Baghdad.

Results: Among 32 patients, 56.25% were males and 43.75% were females with a median age of 34.5 months. Unilateral disease was observed in 19 patients. Leukocoria was the most common presenting feature. Advanced s

Background: Cerebrospinal fluid leak is a relatively common problem ranging from 0.5% to 18% with traumatic or incidental injury to the Dura intra-operatively^{1, 2}. Traumatic injury mostly occurs due to mechanical trauma with subsequent thecal sac laceration mainly in the thoracolumbar region. Incidental Dural injury commonly happens in patients undergoing spinal surgery for any reason.

Objective: Introduce a maneuver to be used during operations when the patients have either traumatic or iatrogenic injury to the Dura which would prevent CSF leak post-operatively.

Method: A case series study conducted in Baghdad, medical city, between June 2014 an

Background: Hepatitis B is a potentially life-threatening liver infection which is caused by the hepatitis B virus. Universal testing of hepatitis B virus of pregnant women already occurs in many parts of the world, but still suboptimal in resource-limited settings.
Objectives: To find the seroprevalence of hepatitis B s antigen in pregnant women visiting primary health care centers in Baghdad Al-Jadeda health sector that belongs to Baghdad Al-Rusafa health directorate and to determine the effect of some social and obstetrical factors in the infected women.
Patients and Methods: A retrospective cross-sectional study carried on 6975 records of pregnant women visited primary health care centers from 1st of January 2016 to 30th of Jun