Cystic hydatid disease is responsible for the loss of 1 to 3 million disability-adjusted life years every year. Infestation of the heart, though rare, can result in serious complications if left untreated. We retrospectively collected information on 19 patients with cardiac hydatid cyst admitted at the Center for Cardiac Surgery of Ibn Al-Bitar Hospital in Baghdad from July 2007 to July 2011 who were either in need of a cardiac surgery for treating hydatid cysts or presented with emergency conditions. Nine (47%) patients presented with left-sided heart failure and mitral valve dysfunction, 5 (26%) patients had hydatid cysts in the pericardium, 3 (16%) patients had hydatid cyst in the right ventricle and presented with right-sided heart failure, and 2 (11%) patients who presented with cardiac arrhythmias had infestation in the interventricular septum. Removal of cysts following open-heart surgery was successful and was followed by the use of mebendazole or albendazole for 5 years. We conclude that cardiac hydatid cyst that leads to various cardiac symptoms can be successfully managed and should be considered as a diagnostic possibility in patients with cardiac symptoms in endemic areas.

Background: The rapid spread of COVID-19 disease in Iraq has been a daunting challenge. Given the overwhelmed Iraqi healthcare system, healthcare directors struggled to manage this unprecedented crisis. The role of telemedicine during the coronavirus pandemic has evolved to allow for social distancing while providing appropriate health care to the community at large. Telemedicine emerged as a reasonable solution to deliver appropriate care to COVID-19 and non-COVID-19 patients in the era of the COVID-19 pandemic. Objectives: This study explores the role of telemedicine using the “WhatsApp” application between doctors and patients at home in the “Al-Anbar” province west of Iraq. Patients and Methods: All patients diagnosed with COVID-19 disease who were managed by a group of physicians willing to offer telemedicine service in many cities of the ”Al-Anbar” province west of Iraq were included in this study. Patients’ demographics included age, gender, disease severity, and mortality rate. All patients were followed until they were declared cured of the disease or otherwise. The telemedicine service was provided using the “WhatsApp” platform. The data were entered into a digital database for final analysis. Results: from April through July 2020, at the beginning of the disease in Iraq, 716 patients were managed inclusive of diagnosis, treatment, and follow-up using telemedicine services. Of these, 414 (57.8%) were male, and 302 (42.2%) were female. Of the males, 12 patients succumbed to the disease, resulting in a survival rate of 97.10%, whereas of the females, nine patients succumbed to the disease, resulting in a survival rate of 97.02%. Most COVID-19 patients contracted mild-to-moderate disease with a reported mortality rate of 1.2%. Those with severe disease had a higher mortality rate of 17.5%. There was a statistically significant association between the mortality rate and increasing age and COVID-19 disease severity. Conclusions: We believe that our experience using telemedicine in its most basic form proved effective in managing COVID-19 patients in areas where resources are scarce. It provided essential health care while minimizing the risk of disease spread among healthcare workers, patients, and their families.

Background: Tuberculosis is endemic disease in Iraq with rising its incidence, prevalence and abnormal presentation in many systems as primary and secondary presentation, so it is common nowadays.Aim: This study was undertaken to elucidate abnormal presentation of tuberculosis as anthropological presentation, like economically good patients have no co-morbidity, good nutrition, healthy active ages and HIV negative.Patients and methods: All patients are complaining of many clinical presentations of tuberculosis like pleural effusion, ascetic, etc. attend private clinics doctors they did investigations in Lagash private medical laboratory in Baghdad investigated for tuberculosis by Acid Fast stain( AFB), TB. Media culture, Interferon Gama release assay (IGRA) test and PCR study for TB. All data over three years collected and analysed for this paper.Results: All patients are of different ages with maximum years affected from adulthood till the age of sixty years. Male were 68(44.4%) patients and female were 85 (55.6%) total 153 patients (100%). All are good socioeconomic status, no any associated comorbidity, and HIV study was negative. Conclusion:Tuberculosis is according to this study is presented abnormally in healthy wealthy patients who had no risk factor for the infection. It infects productive active age, which is not suitable for general concept of TB. Infection.

An abscess is a common disease worldwide and its diagnosis is usually straightforward. However, pelvic abscess is rarely seen in daily clinical practice. Besides, it is a challenge for the surgeon to diagnose abscesses in unusual location, including the pelvis. A 41-year-old housewife lady had a history of poorly controlled insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus with recurrent vaginitis, cervicitis, and recurrent urinary tract infection. She presented with bilateral hip joint pain and limitation in her movement, with diabetic ketoacidosis. She was admitted to the hospital for the treatment of diabetic ketoacidosis. A physical examination revealed a high-grade fever, unwell, and there is a pelvic mass. Laboratory tests showed leukocytosis and a low hemoglobin level. Ultrasonography and computerized tomography revealed a 5 × 5 pelvic mass, which was located anterior to the bladder, with a high suspicion of an abscess formation. The patient was admitted to the surgical ward and drainage of the abscess under general anesthesia with antibiotic cover was performed. The patient was discharged two weeks postoperatively with an improvement in all presenting features. Bilateral insidious hip joint pain with limitation of movement should orient the clinician to a pelvic abscess as one of the differential diagnoses of these symptoms.