Validation of postnatal growth and retinopathy of prematurity (G-ROP) screening guidelines in a tertiary care hospital of Pakistan: A report from low-middle income country.

Retinopathy of Prematurity (ROP) significantly contributes to childhood blindness globally, with a disproportionately high burden in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) due to improved neonatal care alongside inadequate ROP screening and treatment facilities. This study aims to validate the performance of Postnatal Growth and Retinopathy of Prematurity (G-ROP) screening criteria in a cohort of premature infants presenting at a tertiary care setting in Pakistan. This cross-sectional study utilized retrospective chart review of neonates admitted to the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) at The Aga Khan University Hospital, Pakistan from January 2018 to February 2022. The complete G-ROP criteria were applied as prediction tool for infants with type 1 ROP, type 2 ROP, and no ROP outcomes. Out of the 166 cases, 125 cases were included in the final analysis, and remaining cases were excluded due to incomplete data. ROP of any stage developed in 83 infants (66.4%), of whom 55 (44%) developed type 1 ROP, 28 (22.4%) developed type 2 ROP, and 19 (15.2%) were treated for ROP. The median BW was 1060 gm (IQR = 910 to 1240 gm) and the median gestational age was 29 wk (IQR = 27 to 30 wk). The G-ROP criteria demonstrated a sensitivity of 98.18% (95% CI: 90.28-99.95%) for triggering an alarm for type 1 ROP. The G-ROP criteria achieved 100% sensitivity (95% CI: 87.66 to 100%) for type 2 ROP. The overall sensitivity of G-ROP criteria to trigger an alarm for any type of ROP was 98.8% (95% CI: 93.47 to 99.97%). Thus, the G-ROP screening model is highly sensitive in detecting at-risk infants for ROP in a Pakistani tertiary care setting, supporting its use in LMICs where standard screening criteria may not suffice.

Role of Fine Needle Aspiration Cytology in the Diagnosis of Parotid Gland Tumors: Analysis of 193 Cases

Abstract Introduction Parotid gland tumors include a wide variety of inflammatory and neoplastic diseases. The majority of these tumors are benign (80%), which usually require superficial parotidectomy, while the incidence of malignant tumors is lower (20%), requiring more radical surgery with or without neck dissection. The diagnosis cannot be established on the basis of clinical history and simple physical examination and requires complementary diagnostic methods. Fine needle aspiration cytology (FNAC) guided by ultrasound is a widely used diagnostic tool to evaluate parotid swellings. Objective To determine the sensitivity, specificity, positive and negative predictive values and diagnostic accuracy of FNAC in the diagnosis of parotid gland tumors. Methods A retrospective chart review of 193 patients who underwent preoperative FNAC and parotidectomy at the Aga Khan University Hospital, Karachi, Pakistan, from the period of January 2000 to December 2015 was performed. Results Out of 193 patients undergoing parotidectomy, 110 (57%) were males and 83 (43%) were females, the mean age being 48.21 and 43.76 years old, respectively. The mean duration of the symptoms was 41.33 months, and the most common symptom was preauricular swelling present in all patients, followed by pain, which was present in 29 patients (15%) and facial nerve weakness in 6 patients (3.1%). Fine needle aspiration cytology was performed preoperatively and the results were compared with the final histopathology, which showed sensitivity of 88.9%, specificity of 97.9%, positive predictive value of 93%, negative predictive value of 96.7% and diagnostic accuracy of 95.8%. Conclusion Our results suggest that FNAC is relatively an accurate method for preoperative diagnosis of parotid swelling and can prove to be a valuable tool for preoperative counseling of the nature of the disease and prognosis.

Factors Associated with Drain Output in Patients Undergoing to Parotidectomy

Abstract Introduction Tumors of the parotid gland are heterogeneous. The purpose of the drain placement is to evacuate fluid that has a potential to accumulate in the dead space and cause infection after parotidectomy. Objectives To evaluate the factors associated with drain output among patients submitted to parotidectomy. Methods A retrospective cohort study was conducted in the Department of Otolaryngology/Head and Neck Surgery at the Aga Khan University Hospital, Karachi, from January 1994 to December 2014. Patients who underwent parotidectomy were included in the study. Linear regression analysis was used to determine the factors associated with drain output. Results A total of 193 patients were included in the study. The mean age of the patients was 46.3 years, and 57% of them were male. Length of surgery (β coefficient = 24.2; 95% confidence interval [95%CI]: 4.94-85.26), type of neck dissection (modified radical neck dissection: β = 93.9; 95% CI: 30.47-157.38; selective neck dissection: β = 79.9; 95%CI: 29.04-126.85), and type of parotidectomy (total β = 45.1; 95%CI: 4.94-85.26) were factors that significantly influenced drain output in patients submitted to parotidectomy with or without neck dissection. Conclusion Neck dissection, total parotidectomy and length of surgery were predictors of postoperative neck drainage in our cohort. These factors can help predict postoperative neck drain output and help in patient counselling.