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Aga Khan University
(AKU) was the venue for the first Neuroscience Telemedicine Conference
in Pakistan in October 2002. Members from AKU Neuroscience Group
and the Department of Neurosurgery, Fujita Health University, Japan,
exchanged research and clinical experience in the field of neuroscience
with scientific presentations and discussions.
Dr. Shahid Baig, Head of
Neurology Section at AKU, presented his research on tuberculosis of the nervous
system. He showed brain images of patients with various forms of nervous system
tuberculosis and informed the participants that brain tuberculosis can be present
in the form of tuberculosis meningitis, tuberculosis abscesses and tuberculomas
of the brain. He said that a patient might also develop spinal cord abscesses
and be unable to walk. Dr. Baig said that a form of brain tuberculosis could
even exhibit conditions such as headache, weakness in one half of the body and
progressive blindness. Dr. Baig emphasised the need for early recognition of
the signs and symptoms of brain tuberculosis to enable a prompt start of treatment.
He highlighted that delay in getting treatment increased the likelihood of developing
complications from the disease.
Professor Rashid Jooma,
Head of Neurosurgery, Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre, showed a video of
unusual forms of epilepsy and recovery after surgery. He also highlighted the
role of surgery in intractable epilepsy. Dr. Ahsan Bari, Consultant Neurosurgeon,
AKU, highlighted the role of endoscopic surgery in patients with brain tumours
and said that it was a cost effective option in treating certain tumours. The
neurosurgeons and neuroscientists from Fujita University, Japan, demonstrated
new techniques in CT angiography by video presentation. They highlighted the
importance of high resolution three dimensional CT angiography, a non-invasive
procedure with excellent results. The Japanese group also showed a video presentation
of an endoscopic microdissectomy procedure, which is highly effective in disc
surgery. Professor Kannu, Head of Neurosurgery Department at Fujita University,
emphasized the need for exchanging scientific knowledge and experience between
both universities and hoped that such conferences would onwards be held on an
annual basis.
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