Both genetic and non-genetic environmental factors are involved in the etiology of neural tube de... more Both genetic and non-genetic environmental factors are involved in the etiology of neural tube defects (NTD) which affect 0.5-2/1000 pregnancies worldwide. This study aimed to explore the risk factors for the development of NTD in Saudi population, and highlight identifiable and preventable causes. Similar studies are scarce in similar populations ofthe Arabian Peninsula and North Africa. This is an unmatched concurrent case-control study including NTD cases born at King Khalid University Hospital, Riyadh during a 4-year period (2002-2006). The case-control study included 25 cases and 125 controls (case: control ratio of 1:5). Years of formal education, employment, household environment (including availability of air conditioning) and rate of parental consanguinity did not differ between mothers of cases and controls. Significantly higher proportion of mothers of cases had history of stillbirth compared to control mothers (16% vs 4.1%, P=0.02). Also family history of hydrocephalus a...
The incidence of bradycardia during endoscopic third ventriculostomy (ETV) is unknown. In an atte... more The incidence of bradycardia during endoscopic third ventriculostomy (ETV) is unknown. In an attempt to determine that incidence, we studied 49 pediatric patients with obstructive hydrocephalus who underwent ETV during general anesthesia. The median age was 54.5 mo (range 1-108 mo) and the median weight was 12.2 kg (range 2.4-22 kg). The heart rate was measured continuously in which four stages were identified for data analysis. Stage A is the preoperative phase, stage B is 5 min before perforating the floor of the third ventricle, stage C during perforation, and stage D after perforating the floor of the third ventricle. Three readings were recorded at each stage, then averaged. The mean values of the heart rate at stages A, B, C, and D were 146 +/- 27, 151 +/- 26, 87 +/- 32, and 143 +/- 24 bpm respectively. A significant decrease in the heart rate was determined in stage C compared with stage B (P: < 0.05). The incidence of bradycardia was 41%. Alerting the surgeon to perforate the floor of the third ventricle or withdraw the scope away from it was sufficient to resolve the bradycardia. We concluded that serious bradycardia might occur during ETV, mostly because of mechanical factors and can be resolved without medications. The use of endoscopy for treating pediatric patients with increased intracranial pressure is a new surgical procedure. These patients require general anesthesia with continuous heart rate monitoring. We have observed a high incidence of decrease in heart rate. If a decrease in heart rate occurs, alerting the surgeon to speed the procedure would be an effective treatment.
Both genetic and non-genetic environmental factors are involved in the etiology of neural tube de... more Both genetic and non-genetic environmental factors are involved in the etiology of neural tube defects (NTD) which affect 0.5-2/1000 pregnancies worldwide. This study aimed to explore the risk factors for the development of NTD in Saudi population, and highlight identifiable and preventable causes. Similar studies are scarce in similar populations of the Arabian Peninsula and North Africa. This is an unmatched concurrent case-control study including NTD cases born at King Khalid University Hospital, Riyadh during a 4-year period (2002-2006). The case-control study included 25 cases and 125 controls (case: control ratio of 1:5). Years of formal education, employment, household environment (including availability of air conditioning) and rate of parental consanguinity did not differ between mothers of cases and controls. Significantly higher proportion of mothers of cases had history of stillbirth compared to control mothers (16% vs 4.1%, P=0.02). Also family history of hydrocephalus ...
Neural tube defects (NTDs) constitute a major health burden (0.5-2/1000 pregnancies worldwide), a... more Neural tube defects (NTDs) constitute a major health burden (0.5-2/1000 pregnancies worldwide), and remain a preventable cause of still birth, neonatal, and infant death, or significant lifelong handicaps. The malformations result from failure of the neural folds to fuse in the midline, and form the neural tube between the third and the fourth week of embryonic development. This review article discusses their classification, clinical features, and genetics. Most NTDs are sporadic and both genetic, and non-genetic environmental factors are involved in its etiology. Consanguinity was suggested to contribute to the high incidence of NTDs in several countries, including Saudi Arabia. Syndromes, often associated with chromosomal anomalies, account for <10% of all NTDs; but a higher proportion (20%) has been documented in Saudi Arabia. Genetic predisposition constitutes the major underlying risk factor, with a strong implication of genes that regulate folate one-carbon metabolism and p...
This review article discusses the epidemiology, risk factors, prenatal screening, diagnosis, prev... more This review article discusses the epidemiology, risk factors, prenatal screening, diagnosis, prevention potentials, and epidemiologic impact of neural tube defects (NTDs). The average incidence of NTDs is 1/1000 births, with a marked geographic variation. In the developed countries, the incidence of NTDs has fallen over recent decades. However, it still remains high in the less-developed countries in Latin America, Africa, the Middle East, Asia, and the Far East (>1 to 11/1000 births). Recognized NTDs risks include maternal diabetes, obesity, lower socioeconomic status, hyperthermia, and exposure to certain teratogens during the periconceptional period. Periconceptional folic acid supplementation decreased the prevalence of NTDs by 50-70%, and an obligatory folic acid fortification of food was adopted in several countries to reach women with unplanned pregnancies and those facing social deprivation. Prevention of NTDs can be accelerated if more, especially low income countries, a...
Endoscopic third ventriculostomy (ETV) has become the standard surgical procedure for treatment o... more Endoscopic third ventriculostomy (ETV) has become the standard surgical procedure for treatment of non-communicating hydrocephalus. The aim of this study is to report our results over the past ten years with reference to perioperative complications of ETV with a review of some specific anesthetic issues. The computerized database (in the Department of Neurosurgery) and the medical records of 128 patients who underwent ETV between February 1998 and February 2007 at our Hospital, were reviewed. Data collected were, age, sex, weight, height, preoperative biochemical analysis, duration of the procedure, anesthetic drugs used, amount of irrigation fluid used, blood loss, postoperative biochemical analysis and perioperative complications. Preoperative biochemical analysis for all patients was within normal ranges. Normal saline 0.9% was used as irrigation fluid for all patients. The volume during the procedure used ranged from 2 to 6 L (mean 3 L). When correlating postoperative serum sodi...
JPMA. The Journal of the Pakistan Medical Association, 1993
A review of intraventricular haemorrhage (IVH) diagnosed in 103 preterm infants from 1983 to 1993... more A review of intraventricular haemorrhage (IVH) diagnosed in 103 preterm infants from 1983 to 1993 describes the presenting features and management of this condition. In this 10-year period, 37 infants with IVH developed post-haemorrhagic hydrocephalus (PHH), defined as ventriculomegaly, raised intracranial pressure and increasing head circumference. PHH was treated by external ventricular drainage and/or ventriculo-peritoneal shunting; but other drainage procedures like lumbar punctures and subcutaneous ventricular reservoir were used occasionally. Relative indications, merits and demerits of these various surgical options is discussed and results summarized. High incidence of neuro-developmental handicap and its correlation with the grade of haemorrhage and PHH is emphasized. External ventricular drainage (EVD) was found to be an effective and safe therapy for rapidly progressive PHH and increased intracranial pressure. Ultimate outcome depended mainly on the grade of haemorrhage, ...
To explore the hematologic risk factors for stroke in a cohort of Saudi children. We evaluated ch... more To explore the hematologic risk factors for stroke in a cohort of Saudi children. We evaluated children at the Division of Pediatric Neurology at King Khalid University Hospital, College of Medicine, King Saud University, Riyadh, during the periods July 1992 to February 2001 (retrospective study) and February 2001 to March 2003 (prospective study). Investigations for suspected cases included neuroimaging, transcranial Doppler (TCD) for cases of sickle cell disease (SCD), and Duplex scan. Hemostatic assays included coagulation screening tests, tests of thrombin generation and fibrinolysis, coagulation inhibitors, and activated protein C resistance. During the study period, 104 Saudi children (aged one month to 12 years) with stroke were seen. The mean age of the cohort was 27.1 months (SD = 39.3 months) and median was 6 months. Ischemic strokes accounted for the majority of cases (76%). A major risk factor was identified in 93 of 104 cases of stroke (89.4%). Hematologic disorders wer...
To explore the role of and report on congenital and genetic cerebrovascular anomalies as risk fac... more To explore the role of and report on congenital and genetic cerebrovascular anomalies as risk factors for stroke in a prospective and retrospective cohort of Saudi children. Children with stroke were evaluated at the Division of Pediatric Neurology (DPN), or were seen as inpatients in the Pediatric Wards at King Khalid University Hospital (KKUH), Riyadh, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia during the periods July 1992 to February 2001 (retrospective study) and February 2001 to March 2003 (prospective study). Stroke work-up for each suspected case included hemostatic assays, serological, biochemical and neurophysiological tests. Neuroimaging modalities included routine skull x-rays, CT, MRI, magnetic resonance angiography (MRA) and conventional cerebral angiography. Of 104 children with stroke, congenital and genetic cerebrovascular anomalies were the underlying risk factor in 7 (6.7%). The patients were evaluated at the DPN at a mean age of 66 months (range = 8 months to 11 years, median = 6 ye...
To report on moyamoya syndrome (MMS) as a risk factor for stroke in a prospective and retrospecti... more To report on moyamoya syndrome (MMS) as a risk factor for stroke in a prospective and retrospective cohort of Saudi children. The usual and novel associations of MMS in this cohort will also be described. Children with stroke were evaluated at the Division of Pediatric Neurology at King Khalid University Hospital, College of Medicine, King Saud University, Riyadh, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia during the periods July 1992 to February 2001 (retrospective study) and February 2001 to March 2003 (prospective study). Investigations for suspected cases included hemostatic assays, biochemical, and serological tests. Neuroimaging included CT, MRI, magnetic resonance angiography (MRA), single photon computerized tomography (SPECT) brain scan and conventional cerebral angiography. Moyamoya syndrome was the underlying risk factor for stroke in 6 (5.8%) of the 104 children (aged one month to 12 years). They were 4 females and 2 males. Their first cerebral ischemic event occurred at a mean age of 45 m...
Both genetic and non-genetic environmental factors are involved in the etiology of neural tube de... more Both genetic and non-genetic environmental factors are involved in the etiology of neural tube defects (NTD) which affect 0.5-2/1000 pregnancies worldwide. This study aimed to explore the risk factors for the development of NTD in Saudi population, and highlight identifiable and preventable causes. Similar studies are scarce in similar populations ofthe Arabian Peninsula and North Africa. This is an unmatched concurrent case-control study including NTD cases born at King Khalid University Hospital, Riyadh during a 4-year period (2002-2006). The case-control study included 25 cases and 125 controls (case: control ratio of 1:5). Years of formal education, employment, household environment (including availability of air conditioning) and rate of parental consanguinity did not differ between mothers of cases and controls. Significantly higher proportion of mothers of cases had history of stillbirth compared to control mothers (16% vs 4.1%, P=0.02). Also family history of hydrocephalus a...
The incidence of bradycardia during endoscopic third ventriculostomy (ETV) is unknown. In an atte... more The incidence of bradycardia during endoscopic third ventriculostomy (ETV) is unknown. In an attempt to determine that incidence, we studied 49 pediatric patients with obstructive hydrocephalus who underwent ETV during general anesthesia. The median age was 54.5 mo (range 1-108 mo) and the median weight was 12.2 kg (range 2.4-22 kg). The heart rate was measured continuously in which four stages were identified for data analysis. Stage A is the preoperative phase, stage B is 5 min before perforating the floor of the third ventricle, stage C during perforation, and stage D after perforating the floor of the third ventricle. Three readings were recorded at each stage, then averaged. The mean values of the heart rate at stages A, B, C, and D were 146 +/- 27, 151 +/- 26, 87 +/- 32, and 143 +/- 24 bpm respectively. A significant decrease in the heart rate was determined in stage C compared with stage B (P: &lt; 0.05). The incidence of bradycardia was 41%. Alerting the surgeon to perforate the floor of the third ventricle or withdraw the scope away from it was sufficient to resolve the bradycardia. We concluded that serious bradycardia might occur during ETV, mostly because of mechanical factors and can be resolved without medications. The use of endoscopy for treating pediatric patients with increased intracranial pressure is a new surgical procedure. These patients require general anesthesia with continuous heart rate monitoring. We have observed a high incidence of decrease in heart rate. If a decrease in heart rate occurs, alerting the surgeon to speed the procedure would be an effective treatment.
Both genetic and non-genetic environmental factors are involved in the etiology of neural tube de... more Both genetic and non-genetic environmental factors are involved in the etiology of neural tube defects (NTD) which affect 0.5-2/1000 pregnancies worldwide. This study aimed to explore the risk factors for the development of NTD in Saudi population, and highlight identifiable and preventable causes. Similar studies are scarce in similar populations of the Arabian Peninsula and North Africa. This is an unmatched concurrent case-control study including NTD cases born at King Khalid University Hospital, Riyadh during a 4-year period (2002-2006). The case-control study included 25 cases and 125 controls (case: control ratio of 1:5). Years of formal education, employment, household environment (including availability of air conditioning) and rate of parental consanguinity did not differ between mothers of cases and controls. Significantly higher proportion of mothers of cases had history of stillbirth compared to control mothers (16% vs 4.1%, P=0.02). Also family history of hydrocephalus ...
Neural tube defects (NTDs) constitute a major health burden (0.5-2/1000 pregnancies worldwide), a... more Neural tube defects (NTDs) constitute a major health burden (0.5-2/1000 pregnancies worldwide), and remain a preventable cause of still birth, neonatal, and infant death, or significant lifelong handicaps. The malformations result from failure of the neural folds to fuse in the midline, and form the neural tube between the third and the fourth week of embryonic development. This review article discusses their classification, clinical features, and genetics. Most NTDs are sporadic and both genetic, and non-genetic environmental factors are involved in its etiology. Consanguinity was suggested to contribute to the high incidence of NTDs in several countries, including Saudi Arabia. Syndromes, often associated with chromosomal anomalies, account for <10% of all NTDs; but a higher proportion (20%) has been documented in Saudi Arabia. Genetic predisposition constitutes the major underlying risk factor, with a strong implication of genes that regulate folate one-carbon metabolism and p...
This review article discusses the epidemiology, risk factors, prenatal screening, diagnosis, prev... more This review article discusses the epidemiology, risk factors, prenatal screening, diagnosis, prevention potentials, and epidemiologic impact of neural tube defects (NTDs). The average incidence of NTDs is 1/1000 births, with a marked geographic variation. In the developed countries, the incidence of NTDs has fallen over recent decades. However, it still remains high in the less-developed countries in Latin America, Africa, the Middle East, Asia, and the Far East (>1 to 11/1000 births). Recognized NTDs risks include maternal diabetes, obesity, lower socioeconomic status, hyperthermia, and exposure to certain teratogens during the periconceptional period. Periconceptional folic acid supplementation decreased the prevalence of NTDs by 50-70%, and an obligatory folic acid fortification of food was adopted in several countries to reach women with unplanned pregnancies and those facing social deprivation. Prevention of NTDs can be accelerated if more, especially low income countries, a...
Endoscopic third ventriculostomy (ETV) has become the standard surgical procedure for treatment o... more Endoscopic third ventriculostomy (ETV) has become the standard surgical procedure for treatment of non-communicating hydrocephalus. The aim of this study is to report our results over the past ten years with reference to perioperative complications of ETV with a review of some specific anesthetic issues. The computerized database (in the Department of Neurosurgery) and the medical records of 128 patients who underwent ETV between February 1998 and February 2007 at our Hospital, were reviewed. Data collected were, age, sex, weight, height, preoperative biochemical analysis, duration of the procedure, anesthetic drugs used, amount of irrigation fluid used, blood loss, postoperative biochemical analysis and perioperative complications. Preoperative biochemical analysis for all patients was within normal ranges. Normal saline 0.9% was used as irrigation fluid for all patients. The volume during the procedure used ranged from 2 to 6 L (mean 3 L). When correlating postoperative serum sodi...
JPMA. The Journal of the Pakistan Medical Association, 1993
A review of intraventricular haemorrhage (IVH) diagnosed in 103 preterm infants from 1983 to 1993... more A review of intraventricular haemorrhage (IVH) diagnosed in 103 preterm infants from 1983 to 1993 describes the presenting features and management of this condition. In this 10-year period, 37 infants with IVH developed post-haemorrhagic hydrocephalus (PHH), defined as ventriculomegaly, raised intracranial pressure and increasing head circumference. PHH was treated by external ventricular drainage and/or ventriculo-peritoneal shunting; but other drainage procedures like lumbar punctures and subcutaneous ventricular reservoir were used occasionally. Relative indications, merits and demerits of these various surgical options is discussed and results summarized. High incidence of neuro-developmental handicap and its correlation with the grade of haemorrhage and PHH is emphasized. External ventricular drainage (EVD) was found to be an effective and safe therapy for rapidly progressive PHH and increased intracranial pressure. Ultimate outcome depended mainly on the grade of haemorrhage, ...
To explore the hematologic risk factors for stroke in a cohort of Saudi children. We evaluated ch... more To explore the hematologic risk factors for stroke in a cohort of Saudi children. We evaluated children at the Division of Pediatric Neurology at King Khalid University Hospital, College of Medicine, King Saud University, Riyadh, during the periods July 1992 to February 2001 (retrospective study) and February 2001 to March 2003 (prospective study). Investigations for suspected cases included neuroimaging, transcranial Doppler (TCD) for cases of sickle cell disease (SCD), and Duplex scan. Hemostatic assays included coagulation screening tests, tests of thrombin generation and fibrinolysis, coagulation inhibitors, and activated protein C resistance. During the study period, 104 Saudi children (aged one month to 12 years) with stroke were seen. The mean age of the cohort was 27.1 months (SD = 39.3 months) and median was 6 months. Ischemic strokes accounted for the majority of cases (76%). A major risk factor was identified in 93 of 104 cases of stroke (89.4%). Hematologic disorders wer...
To explore the role of and report on congenital and genetic cerebrovascular anomalies as risk fac... more To explore the role of and report on congenital and genetic cerebrovascular anomalies as risk factors for stroke in a prospective and retrospective cohort of Saudi children. Children with stroke were evaluated at the Division of Pediatric Neurology (DPN), or were seen as inpatients in the Pediatric Wards at King Khalid University Hospital (KKUH), Riyadh, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia during the periods July 1992 to February 2001 (retrospective study) and February 2001 to March 2003 (prospective study). Stroke work-up for each suspected case included hemostatic assays, serological, biochemical and neurophysiological tests. Neuroimaging modalities included routine skull x-rays, CT, MRI, magnetic resonance angiography (MRA) and conventional cerebral angiography. Of 104 children with stroke, congenital and genetic cerebrovascular anomalies were the underlying risk factor in 7 (6.7%). The patients were evaluated at the DPN at a mean age of 66 months (range = 8 months to 11 years, median = 6 ye...
To report on moyamoya syndrome (MMS) as a risk factor for stroke in a prospective and retrospecti... more To report on moyamoya syndrome (MMS) as a risk factor for stroke in a prospective and retrospective cohort of Saudi children. The usual and novel associations of MMS in this cohort will also be described. Children with stroke were evaluated at the Division of Pediatric Neurology at King Khalid University Hospital, College of Medicine, King Saud University, Riyadh, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia during the periods July 1992 to February 2001 (retrospective study) and February 2001 to March 2003 (prospective study). Investigations for suspected cases included hemostatic assays, biochemical, and serological tests. Neuroimaging included CT, MRI, magnetic resonance angiography (MRA), single photon computerized tomography (SPECT) brain scan and conventional cerebral angiography. Moyamoya syndrome was the underlying risk factor for stroke in 6 (5.8%) of the 104 children (aged one month to 12 years). They were 4 females and 2 males. Their first cerebral ischemic event occurred at a mean age of 45 m...
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