SQU student's research wins top regional honour
By OUR CORRESPONDENT
Muscat – Malak bint Khalid al Ismaili, a final-year student at College of Medicine and Health Sciences of Sultan Qaboos University (SQU), has been awarded the Clinical Excellence Award in Research at the 21st Regional Meeting of Eastern Mediterranean Medical Students' Associations (EMR21). She was feted for her research on 'Abdominal Pseudocyst Post Ventriculoperitoneal Shunt.'
The EMR21 conference, organised by International Federation of Medical Students' Associations, concluded on February 10 in Muscat, bringing together over 450 students from 18 countries.
Malak's research examined over 200 cases, presenting a systematic review spanning over 50 years (1969–2022) of abdominal pseudocyst cases – a rare complication of ventriculoperitoneal shunts used to treat hydrocephalus, which is a buildup of fluid in cavities called ventricles deep within the brain.
Her research analysed data from 208 patients – the majority children (62.8%). It identified infection and inflammation as primary contributors to these complications.
Her research findings revealed that diagnoses were predominantly made using CT scans (65.38%). Treatment approaches varied from surgery to shunt rerouting, resulting in a success rate of 71.2% and relapse in 9.1% cases. Kaplan-Meier analysis indicated that patients undergoing repeated shunt revisions had a higher likelihood of developing abdominal pseudocysts sooner. Age and initial surgery did not significantly impact the speed of onset.
Malak's research underscores the importance of early screening and continuous monitoring, particularly for patients undergoing repeated revisions, to enable early diagnosis and reduce the risks of these rare complications.
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