A multi-institutional meningioma MRI dataset for automated multi-sequence image segmentation.

Meningiomas are the most common primary intracranial tumors and can be associated with significant morbidity and mortality. Radiologists, neurosurgeons, neuro-oncologists, and radiation oncologists rely on brain MRI for diagnosis, treatment planning, and longitudinal treatment monitoring. However, automated, objective, and quantitative tools for non-invasive assessment of meningiomas on multi-sequence MR images are not available. Here we present the BraTS Pre-operative Meningioma Dataset, as the largest multi-institutional expert annotated multilabel meningioma multi-sequence MR image dataset to date. This dataset includes 1,141 multi-sequence MR images from six sites, each with four structural MRI sequences (T2-, T2/FLAIR-, pre-contrast T1-, and post-contrast T1-weighted) accompanied by expert manually refined segmentations of three distinct meningioma sub-compartments: enhancing tumor, non-enhancing tumor, and surrounding non-enhancing T2/FLAIR hyperintensity. Basic demographic data are provided including age at time of initial imaging, sex, and CNS WHO grade. The goal of releasing this dataset is to facilitate the development of automated computational methods for meningioma segmentation and expedite their incorporation into clinical practice, ultimately targeting improvement in the care of meningioma patients.

Diffuse Idiopathic calcinosis cutis: a case report in a 13-year-old Syrian boy.

Calcinosis cutis is characterized by the deposition of calcium salts in the skin and subcutaneous tissue. It is divided into the following subtypes: dystrophic, metastatic, iatrogenic, idiopathic and calciphylaxis. In this case, we report a 13-year-old Syrian boy with idiopathic calcinosis cutis, the lesions were unusually widespread, unlike the common condition which is usually localized to one area. The case was unrelated to any systemic or local disorders, and the patient had no complications, so no treatment was planned. As the best of our knowledge, there are very few cases of diffuse or widespread idiopathic calcinosis cutis. We analyzed the clinical, laboratory, radiographical and pathological characteristics of our patient, which helped us to reach the final diagnosis. We will discuss the pathogenesis, investigation and management of this disease.

The substantial awareness role of web-based and social media platforms in developing countries during a pandemic scenario: the example of COVID-19.

BACKGROUND: During the outbreak of coronavirus COVID-19, social media platforms have shown effectiveness in information dissemination. Delivering evidence-based medical knowledge and trustworthy recommendations is a difficult mission for classical entities, especially in a war-torn country with a fragile health system. In this context, the role of non-governmental scientific organizations was proven, filling the gap between original scientific sources and a non-English speaking population. METHODS: We reviewed an example of an organization named Syrian Researchers, which publishes based-on-reliable-sources of scientific content and has massive reachability across Middle East and beyond. RESULTS: We strongly believe that this model is a simple and suitable approach that may be helpful for other low-income or war-torn countries in the context of health-related disasters. CONCLUSIONS: This subject is of high importance and we believe that this approach may ameliorate public health knowledge, thus, participate in defying the COVID-19 consequences.

Ollier disease: the first report in Syria.

Ollier disease is a rare nonhereditary skeletal disorder, characterized by multiple enchondromas, which are noncancerous growth of cartilage. In this report, we present a case of Ollier disease in a 10-year-old Syrian boy. The patient presented with multiple boney masses on hands; he had a history of pathological fractures when he was 5, which caused crippling. We analyzed the clinical, radiographical and pathological characteristics of our patient, which helped us to reach the final diagnosis. Ollier disease is a benign bone tumor, but it has a risk of malignant transformation into chondrosarcoma. The aim of this report is to document the presence of Ollier disease in Syria to help other Syrian physicians considering this disease in the differential diagnosis if they face similar presentations.