Objective: To assess the effect of using a 3-D atlas on academic performance and compare it with the use of power point presentations during online lectures for gross anatomy of the head. Study Design: Comparative prospective study. Place and Duration of Study: Department of Anatomy, Dental College, Heavy Industries Taxila Education City Institute of Medical Sciences, Taxila Pakistan, from Jun to Jul 2020. Methodology: Forty-nine students from first year BDS were selected through nonprobability convenience sampling. They were assigned to two groups, A and B comprising of 25 and 24 students respectively. Group A was taught gross anatomy of head region via Zoom lectures employing a digital three-dimensional anatomy atlas application (Visual body, 2019). Group B was exposed to only two-dimensional pictures through presentations during their lectures. Ten teaching sessions were conducted with post session MCQ based assessments. One comprehensive assessment was conducted at the completion of the region. Results were compared for both groups. Results: The mean scores for three of the post session assessment tests were higher for group A (15.72 ± 2.03, 15.28 ± 2.79, 16.92 ± 2.13) as compared to that of group B (14.64 ± 3.42, 13.66 ± 3.00, 15.04 ± 3.01) (p<0.05). Similarly, the mean score for comprehensive assessment for group A (35.36 ± 6.02) was also more than that of group B (31.41 ± 6.88) (p<0.05). Conclusion: Three-dimensional viewing of structures led to better academic performance as compared to that of presentations with two dimensional pictures.

Objective: To find out the histopathological findings in appendectomy specimens, negative appendectomy rate (NAR) and the association of gender and age groups which underwent negative appendectomies in our set up. Study Design: Cross sectional study. Place and Duration of Study: POF Hospital, Wah Cantt, from Jan to Aug 2017. Methodology: The records of 1050 patients were assessed for the relevant clinical history, age, gender and date of their presentation in hospital. The appendectomy specimens were classified as positive specimens which contained fecoliths, worms, granulomatous inflammation, foreign body reaction, mucocele, or appendiceal tumors. All the data were entered and analyzed in SPSS-21. Results: Among the 1050 patients with suspicion of acute appendicitis, 458 (43.6%) were cases of acute appendicitis followed by acute suppurative appendicitis 100 (9.5%) and fecolith 79 (7.5%) in appendiceal lumen. The negative appendectomy rate was calculated as 248 (23.6%). A significant association of normal appendices was found with female gender (p=0.002) and young age group (p=0.02). Conclusion: Acute appendicitis was the most frequent histopathological finding in our study. The negative appendectomy rate was significantly associated with the females of young age.