Gender Differences in Medical Students' Perception of Neurosurgery: A Cross-Sectional Study from Pakistan.

BACKGROUND: Despite 15,000 annual medical graduates, few choose neurosurgery, especially women. The scarcity of female neurosurgeons is a global concern, particularly in resource-limited settings such as Pakistan. This study focuses on gender-based differences in medical student perceptions of neurosurgery in Pakistan. METHODS: A nationwide cross-sectional study was conducted from March 6 to April 20, 2023, using a Web-based survey. Data collectors were recruited through an ambassadorship program, distributed evenly across all provinces. A questionnaire was used after a pilot study. Data analysis was performed using SPSS version 26 and STATA 15. RESULTS: A total of 2353 medical students participated in the study, of which 63.4% were female and 36.5% were male. Around 40.3% of women strongly agreed to the existence of potential gender bias in neurosurgery, in contrast to their corresponding male students, at 17.3%. Some of the highlighted deterring factors in pursuing neurosurgery as a career according to women include longer training duration (44.6%), poor work-life balance (41%), limited residency slots (50.6%), and limited exposure to neurosurgery (45.1%). Other factors included the high-intensity nature of training (33.6%), perceived gender bias (31.4%), competitive work environment (29.1%), complex surgical skills (38.6%), required level of medical knowledge (29.6%), and financial burden (33.9%). CONCLUSIONS: Our study shows that female students are more likely to believe in the existence of potential gender bias in the field compared with their counterpart male participants, which highlights the graveness of the situation in view of the evident paucity of female neurosurgeons in the country.

Impact Of Media On Ocular Trauma In Our Setup.

Background: Ocular injuries are one of the most common causes of monocular visual impairment and blindness worldwide. However, surveys done in only hospitals underestimate the incidence of oculars trauma. Aim of the study was to draw the attention towards significant increase in eye injuries amongst, or by, the children in few months in our setup following the start of airing of the drama series Ertughral Ghazi on television. It is the need of the day to plan safety strategies for prevention of ocular injuries in children or by the children who view the drama series. Method: Case series study was done in Department of Ophthalmology, Ayub Medical and Teaching Institution, Abbottabad from 16thApril to 7th June 2021. Results: We had 10 patients with similar type of injuries but with different severity and extent due to wooden arrows while playing out the role of protagonists shown in the Ertughral Ghazi television series. Out of 10 eyes, 2 eyes got blind, 6 eyes were significantly damaged with profound visual loss and 1 eye had only lid laceration while1 eye had just conjunctival laceration near limbus. Conclusion: The current burden of several ocular traumas connected to the playacting by the children mimicking the TV drama has increased. Health education, information dissemination of and safety strategies should be planned and executed to prevent such injuries.

Sclerosing Encapsulating Carcinomatous Peritonitis: A Case Report.

Sclerosing encapsulating peritonitis (SEP) is a rare clinical condition characterized by the formation of a thick, fibrous membrane encasing the intestines, which may lead to intestinal obstruction. The pathogenesis is not completely understood, but various risk factors are well established. However, there are only few reported cases of SEP associated with peritoneal carcinomatosis. Herein, we report a case of a 69-year-old male patient who presented clinically with acute intestinal obstruction 2 years after undergoing a resection procedure for gastric cancer. An abdominal computed tomography revealed findings typical of SEP. Consequently, the patient underwent exploratory laparoscopy, which confirmed the diagnosis of SEP and established the etiology as peritoneal metastases. The patient was managed conservatively, and his symptoms showed some improvement. The patient was at an advanced stage of the disease, and thus remained on palliative care and passed away 1 month later. Although very rare, physicians should consider SEP in their differential diagnoses of intestinal obstruction in patients, particularly in those with a history of intra-abdominal malignancies.

Cesarean Scar - Unusual Site of Ectopic Pregnancy: A Case Report.

Ectopic pregnancy is a leading cause of maternal mortality in the first trimester. It may occur in different anatomic locations with fallopian tube being the most frequent. Cesarean-scar ectopic pregnancy is one of the rarest ectopic pregnancies. We report the case of a 44-year-old woman, gravida 5 para 4, who attended the antenatal clinic after her pregnancy was confirmed by positive urine testing. She underwent transvaginal ultrasound examination which identified the gestational sac with fetal pole and cardiac activity located in the anterior part of the lower uterine segment with empty uterine cavity. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scan had confirmed the diagnosis of cesarean scar ectopic pregnancy. After through discussion on the management options, the patient was treated with intra-gestational sac injection of methotrexate. Four days after the procedure, she developed profuse vaginal bleeding and her hemoglobin showed a drop of 4.9 g/dL. She underwent emergency laparotomy with excision of the ectopic pregnancy. The patient tolerated the procedure well without complications. The serum ß-human chorionic gonadotropin level was undetectable on the 35th day after the methotrexate injection. Caesarean scar pregnancy is an unusual form of ectopic pregnancy. However, clinicians should have a high index of suspicion for this condition as it may result in serious complications, unless promptly managed. MRI is recommended particularly when transvaginal ultrasound scan is inconclusive.