Mustafa Ismail

University of Baghdad

Motivations for pornography use may vary across gender identities, sexual orientations, and geographical regions, warranting examination to promote individual and public health. The aims of this study were to validate the Pornography Use Motivations Scale (PUMS) in a diverse, multicultural sample, and develop a short form (PUMS-8) that can assess a...

Background Transorbital approaches represent a paradigm shift in skull base surgery, focusing on minimally invasive techniques that prioritize patient outcomes and surgical precision. The scientific community, recognizing the significance of these advances, necessitates a possible review and meta-analysis to encapsulate the collective efficacy, saf...

This chapter delves into the comprehensive management of CNS tumors, encompassing a wide array of strategies and considerations. It addresses the nuances of surgical approaches, radiation therapy, chemotherapy, and neurointerventional techniques. It also explores specific considerations in managing brain tumors during pregnancy; preoperative strate...

This chapter provides a detailed exploration of astrocytic tumors and gliomas other than those discussed in the previous chapter. It covers a range of tumor types, including pilocytic astrocytoma, pilomyxoid astrocytoma, subependymal giant cell astrocytoma, pleomorphic xanthoastrocytoma, anaplastic pleomorphic xanthoastrocytoma, chordoid glioma of...

This book is the first review book that uses the multiple-choice question format in neurosurgical oncology which mirrors the format of the majority of shelf and board examinations. The mission of the book is to help readers understand the content and maintain the knowledge, rather than merely finding answers for complicated questions. It provides...

Background. Depression and anxiety are among the most prevalent mental health issues experienced worldwide. However, whereas cross-cultural studies utilize psychometrically valid and reliable scales, fewer can meaningfully compare these conditions across different groups. To address this gap, the current study aimed to psychometrically assess the B...

Objectives: This study aimed to examine the psychometric properties of the P4 suicide screener in a multinational sample. The primary goal was to evaluate the reliability and validity of the scale and investigate its convergent validity by analyzing its correlation with depression, anxiety, and substance use. Study design: The study design is a cro...

Background The three-item Sexual Distress Scale (SDS-3) has been frequently used to assess distress related to sexuality in public health surveys and research on sexual wellbeing. However, its psychometric properties and measurement invariance across cultural, gender and sexual subgroups have not yet been examined. This multinational study aimed to...

Background Neuro-ophthalmology, bridging neurology and ophthalmology, highlights the nervous system’s crucial role in vision, encompassing afferent and efferent pathways. The evolution of this field has emphasized the importance of neuroanatomy for precise surgical interventions, presenting educational challenges in blending complex anatomical know...

Gravitational bullet injuries, prevalent in the Middle East, particularly in Iraq, are a critical public health concern, often resulting from celebratory gunfire. In our Neurosurgery Teaching Hospital in Baghdad, we've observed that these injuries differ significantly from high-velocity gunshot wounds, characterized by lower velocity and energy due...

Background Transcortical approaches, encompassing various surgical corridors, have been employed to treat an array of intraparenchymal or intraventricular brain pathologies, including tumors, vascular malformations, infections, intracerebral hematomas, and epileptic surgery. Designing cortical incisions relies on the lesion location and characteris...

Background and aims Problematic pornography use (PPU) is a common manifestation of the newly introduced Compulsive Sexual Behavior Disorder diagnosis in the 11th edition of the International Statistical Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems. Although cultural, gender‐ and sexual orientation‐related differences in sexual behaviors a...

This chapter meticulously details arachnoid cysts (ACs), emphasizing their characteristics, development, histopathology, radiological features, genetic associations, risks, and variations. It also discusses their prevalence in different locations and their associations with other conditions, symptoms, and syndromes like Dandy-Walker malformation (D...

This chapter provides a comprehensive discussion on bacterial meningitis, aseptic meningitis, encephalitis, and brain abscess. It outlines the definition, pathogenesis, clinical presentation, diagnosis, management, and treatment of each condition, highlighting the urgency and precision needed in handling these cases. It provides insights into the c...

This chapter explores pediatric neurosurgery, focusing extensively on encephaloceles. Encephaloceles are neural tube defects characterized by sac-like protrusions of the brain and the membranes that cover it through openings in the skull. The chapter utilizes a multiple-choice question format to discuss various aspects including incidence, associat...

This chapter focuses on Neurocutaneous syndromes and encompasses various disorders such as Neurofibromatosis types 1 and 2, Tuberous Sclerosis, Von Hippel-Lindau disease, and associated conditions. The authors delve into the intricacies of each syndrome, presenting factual statements to elucidate false narratives related to each disorder’s characte...

This chapter elucidates diverse facets of pediatric neuropathology, with a focus on various pediatric brain tumors. The chapter systematically presents the differences and characteristics of each tumor, their genetic profiles, clinical presentations, and the locational predominance. It includes medulloblastoma, diffuse midline glioma, high-grade gl...

Background The provision of healthcare services in Iraq has been negatively affected by a lack of resources, strained healthcare infrastructure, and low patient socioeconomic status. This paper describes a case of multiple intracranial aneurysms (MIAs) that highlight the challenges of practicing vascular neurosurgery in Iraq. Case Description A 57...

Objective We analyzed adult ADHD symptoms in a cross-cultural context, including investigating the occurrence and potential correlates of adult ADHD and psychometric examination of the Adult ADHD Self-Report Scale (ASRS) Screener. Method Our analysis is based on a large-scale research project involving 42 countries (International Sex Survey, N=72,...

This paper explores the potential impact of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) on patients' psychological states, focusing on reported mood changes post-procedure. Factors influencing the psychological state during an MRI, including claustrophobia, noise, scan duration, and fear of the unknown, are discussed. We also draw parallels with darkness ther...

Nanoneurosurgery, introduced in 2003, aims to revolutionize neurosurgery using nanotechnology. Despite early excitement, its development has been slower than expected. The field encompasses various neurosurgical domains, utilizing advanced technologies like femtosecond laser and nanoparticle-enhanced stem cell therapies. However, challenges such as...

Introduction. The supratrochlear artery (STA) is a small vessel with a relatively tiny and quite constant course. The literature describing the STA fails to provide a collective description of the anatomy and neurosurgical applications of the STA. Therefore, we are here to present an overview of anatomy, anatomical variability, and the clinical app...

Introduction: The posterior auricular artery (PAA) is the preterminal branch of the external carotid artery (ECA), arising superiorly to the occipital artery (OA). The PAA has quite a few anatomical variations and established neurosurgical applications. We conducted this study as an overview to illustrate all neurosurgical aspects regarding this ar...

A patient’s partner plays a significant role in providing care and support after an aneurysmal subarachnoid haemorrhage. After such events, it is observed that conjugal status tends to change, improving in some cases and worsening in others. Despite this, little research exists on its progression after subarachnoid haemorrhage. In this letter, we p...

Background: Neurosurgery's challenging area involves addressing intracranial aneurysms, given the high morbidity and mortality rates associated with them. Safe clipping, a technique that involves the intraoperative temporary occlusion of the arterial supply, is generally used. However, a focused review on the evolution of temporary clipping in intr...

Background Basal ganglia hemorrhage (BGH) is an intracerebral subtype of hemorrhage located in the caudate nucleus, putamen, globus pallidus, or adjacent structures such as the thalamus or internal capsule. Bilateral involvement of both basal ganglia is exceedingly infrequent. Herein, we report a case of a 2-year-old female who was discovered to ha...

Background Pericallosal tuberculoma, a rare form of intracranial tuberculoma, affects the corpus callosum and results from tuberculosis (TB), a bacterial infection that can cause a myriad of symptoms. Diagnosing this condition can be challenging but can be confirmed through imaging studies and biopsy. Treatment involves a combination of antitubercu...

This chapter meticulously explores the intricacies of hydrocephalus, detailing its pathological characteristics, manifestations, diagnostic techniques, differential diagnoses, and correlations with other medical conditions. It further investigates the role of the fourth ventricle in neurology, highlighting the intricate structure and relevance of c...

Within this chapter, tumors that affect the lateral ventricles are explored. These tumors include choroid plexus papilloma, choroid plexus carcinoma, ependymoma, subependymoma, subependymal giant cell astrocytoma, central neurocytoma, high-grade glioma, interventricular meningioma, and hemangiopericytoma.

Within this chapter, tumors that affect the fourth ventricle are explored. These tumors include medulloblastoma, ependymoma, hemangioblastoma, cerebellar astrocytoma, epidermoid cyst, brainstem glioma, and diffuse intrinsic pontine glioma.

This chapter explores various non-tumor pathologies that affect the lateral ventricles. These pathologies include congenital malformations, massa intermedia, arachnoidal cysts, cavernous malformations, cerebral aqueductal stenosis, endoscopic third ventriculostomy, anatomical variations of the liliequist membrane, and hypothalamic hamartomas.

This chapter discusses surgical procedures related to the lateral ventricles, encompassing the surgical anatomy, various surgical approaches, potential complications, and the intricacies involved in each approach.

This chapter covers essential information on the anatomical features of the lateral ventricles, including their surrounding structures. The chapter also explores the boundaries and various surgical approaches associated with this complex region.

This chapter provides a comprehensive guide on the midline suboccipital approach for fourth ventricle tumor surgeries, detailing critical steps and key considerations. It focuses on aspects such as surgical nuances, the management of preoperative hydrocephalus, potential complications like pneumocephalus, and postoperative considerations like shunt...

This chapter provides a detailed examination of the arterial and venous relationships within the ventricular and choroidal structures of the brain. It delves into the complexities of cerebral vasculature, focusing on the specific pathways and functions of various arteries and veins. Highlighted structures include the internal cerebral veins, basal...

This chapter provides comprehensive insights into various pathologies of the fourth ventricle and surrounding structures, offering false/true statements to challenge and deepen the reader’s understanding. It explores conditions like Blake’s Pouch Cyst, Dandy–Walker Malformation, Arachnoid cyst, and Epidermoid cyst, among others, discussing their pa...

This chapter examines the complexities of the blood–ependymal barrier and its role in preventing the invasion of certain pathogens into the central nervous system (CNS). It explores the nuances of various brain diseases such as ventriculitis and pyogenic ventriculitis, delving into their diagnostic measures, common misconceptions, and disease progr...

This chapter covers tumors that affect the third ventricle, including meningioma, colloid cyst, chordoid glioma, choroid plexus papilloma, hamartomas of the tuber cinereum, ependymomas, central neurocytoma, and subependymoma.

Introduction: Spetzler-Martin grade III arteriovenous malformation (AVM) located in the peri-Rolandic area involves the motor or sensory cortex. Its management is particularly controversial and requires a multimodal approach. Methods: From September 2018 to March 2022, we reviewed patients harboring grade III AVM located in peri-Rolandic areas tha...

Introduction: Despite being a widely used screening questionnaire, there is no consensus on the most appropriate measurement model for the Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT). Furthermore, there have been limited studies on its measurement invariance across cross-cultural subgroups, genders, and sexual orientations. Aims: The present...

The central sulcus is an important anatomical landmark the location of most of the anatomical structures and cortical lesions are described by their relation to the central sulcus. During direct observation of the cerebral cortex, it is not always easy to understand the cortical anatomy of the sulci and gyri due to the presence of arachnoid matter....

Mortality due to head trauma is common in developed countries in all age groups. Nonmissile penetrating skull base injuries (PSBIs) due to foreign bodies are quite rare, accounting for about 0.4%. PSBI carries a poor prognosis, and brainstem involvement is often fatal. We are reporting the first case of PSBI with a foreign body insertion site throu...

Background The supraorbital artery (SOA) originates from the ophthalmic artery in a superomedial aspect of the orbit, exiting through the supraorbital groove to emerge onto the forehead. The SOA has important neurosurgical considerations regarding different approaches and bypasses. The SOA is poorly described in the standard anatomical textbooks. T...

Background The occipital artery (OA) is a branch of the external carotid artery. It gives rise to several cutaneous, muscular, and meningeal branches to supply different anatomical areas. The implication of OA in the neurosurgical field is well-established in the literature. Our aim in this study is to draw a complete picture of the anatomical vari...

Neurosurgery's challenging area involves addressing intracranial aneurysms, giving the high morbidity and mortality rates associated with them. Safe clipping, a technique that involves the intraoperative temporary occlusion of the arterial supply, is generally used. However, a focused review on the evolution of temporary clipping in intracranial an...

Background: Giant middle cerebral artery (MCA) aneurysms are surgically challenging lesions. Because of the complexity and variability of these aneurysms, a customized surgical technique is often needed for each case. In this article, we present a modified clip reconstruction technique of a ruptured complex giant partially thrombosed middle cerebra...

The Nobel Prize, which has been highly esteemed since its establishment in 1901, carries significant status within the scientific community. The Nobel Prize in Physics, Chemistry, Medicine, and Economics has long been recognized for its recognition of significant scientific contributions. However, the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine holds a d...

Background and objectives: Access to the anterolateral pontine lesions can be achieved through the peritrigeminal and supratrigeminal safe entry zones using Kawase, retrosigmoid, or translabyrinthine approaches. However, these approaches entail shallow extensive dissection, tangential access, and compromise vestibulocochlear function. We aimed to...

Background: Mentorship programs are crucial for continuous medical education, improving personal confidence, knowledge, and skills, and have been associated with staff retention and overall career satisfaction. However, there are limited studies evaluating the effectiveness of mentorship programs in neurosurgery. The study aims to evaluate the eff...

Background: Hemostasis is crucial in preventing hemorrhage during cranial neurosurgical procedures and maintaining visualization of the surgical field. There is significant variation in the availability of hemostatic methods across different settings and hemostatic techniques are being continuously developed over the decades of practicing neurosurg...

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Introduction: Arteriovenous malformations of the corpus callosum (CC-AVMs) are rare and challenging lesions, accounting for 8–9% of all cerebral AVMs. They are associated with a high risk of recurrent hemorrhage and historically were considered inoperable. This case report describes the successful surgical resection of a high-grade CC-AVM following...

Introduction: Papaverine is a vasodilator commonly used to reduce the incidence of vasospasm following aneurysm clipping. In this paper, we review the literature on oculomotor nerve palsy (ONP) caused by intracisternal papaverine and report five exemplary cases. Methods: An online PubMed database search was conducted using the following search algo...

The Alcohol, Smoking and Substance Involvement Screening Test (ASSIST) is an instrument to screen substance use-related health risks. However, little is known whether the ASSIST could be further shortened while remaining psychometrically sound across different countries, languages, gender identities, and sexual orientation-based groups. The study a...

Background and aims: Despite its inclusion in the 11th revision of the International Classification of Diseases, there is a virtual paucity of high-quality scientific evidence about compulsive sexual behavior disorder (CSBD), especially in underrepresented and underserved populations. Therefore, we comprehensively examined CSBD across 42 countries,...

Background: Gyrus rectus arteriovenous malformation (AVM) is one of the intricate pathologies that can lead to gyrus rectus hematoma. However, there is a paucity of research on this topic. is case series aims to delineate the characteristics of gyrus rectus AVMs, their outcomes, and treatment strategies. Methods: We enrolled five cases of gyrus r...

Background. In cases of spontaneous subarachnoid haemorrhage (SAH) with multiple intracranial aneurysms (MIAs) detected on angiography, some radiological clues assist in determining the site of a ruptured aneurysm which is bleeding is quite beneficial for the selection of the best treatment strategy. Case description. We report a case of a 60 year...

Background. Penetrating spine injuries can cause catastrophic complications to the patient, and it demands immense medical care to minimize the insult. Mainly, it occurs in the military field; however, it has become more prevalent among civilians due to gun availability. The thoracic spine is the most affected part, followed by the cervical and lum...

Introduction. Intraoperative rupture (IOR) of an aneurysm is a frightful complication that causes significant morbidity and mortality worldwide. IOR can be attributed to various parameters, including hypertension, increased intracranial pressure (ICP), fragility of the vessels, and inadequate anaesthesia. IOR due to insufficient anaesthesia is scar...

Background. Intra-operative rupture (IOR) of intracranial aneurysms is a critical event affecting the operation course and the patient’s outcome. However, A rupture induced by an avulsion in the aneurysmal neck is exceedingly challenging, as sealing the neck tear by clip application might result in ischemic injury due to parent vessel occlusion. He...

Many cases of gravitational bullets are reported in developed and non-developed countries. However, few papers highlighted these cases in the literature. In our study, we present two cases of gravitational bullets that have an unusual coincidence in the injury characteristics through their ages, and gender, the site of the inlet.

Background: Paraclinoid aneurysms (PcAs) are challenging aneurysms due to the complexity of their relation to the surrounding bony and neurovascular structures. Although over the past decade, their management strategy has shifted from transcranial to endovascular approaches; here, we try to revolve around a subcategory to which minimal invasive sup...

Early surgical exposure increases the understanding of neurosurgery and affects the interest in neurosurgery as a career.[11] If medical students were given a chance to acquire and improve basic surgical skills early, they would be better equipped to gain confidence in their surgical internship.[5] e neurosurgery experience seemed to fulfill stude...

Background. The high mortality rate of a cranial bullet injury, the catastrophic damage of vital tissue, and the frequency of gunshot accidents made managing such cases highly effortful in neurosurgical trauma centres. One category of these injuries is the gravitational bullet injury, in which the bullet's movement depends on gravity after losing i...

Background. Cavernous carotid aneurysms (CCA) are rare aneurysms with a relatively benign natural history. The association between CCA aneurysm and ipsilateral Internal carotid artery (ICA) thrombosis or occlusion has not been described previously. The management of patients with these dual lesions is a challenging problem. Case description. In thi...

Background: Mortality due to head trauma is common in developed countries in all age groups. Nonmissile penetrating skull base injuries (PSBIs) due to foreign bodies are quite rare, accounting for about 0.4%. PSBI carries that a poor prognosis brainstem involvement usually is often fatal. We are reporting the first case of PSBI with a foreign body...

Background: Accurate assessment and evaluation of health interventions are crucial to evidence-based care. The use of outcome measures in neurosurgery grew with the introduction of the Glasgow Coma Scale. Since then, various outcome measures have appeared, some of which are disease-specific and others more generally. This article aims to address t...

Background: The interest in clinical research is growing worldwide, and the involvement of medical students in academic and clinical research is increasing. Medical students in Iraq have started to focus on academic activities. However, this trend is in its infancy due to limited resources and the war burden. Their interest in the field of Neurosur...

potentially dreadful consequences. Head trauma as a predisposing element for this phenomenon is extremely rare. Few reports address the diagnosis and management of trauma-related rupture of ICD. However, there is a pronounced knowledge gap related to the long-term follow-up and the fate of the leaking contents. Here, we present a unique case of tra...

Background: Transorbital (Orbito-cranial) injuries are uncommon, but they are among the most debilitating types of traumatic brain injury (TBI), mainly caused by high-velocity gunshot wounds. In addition, the management of transorbital TBI is well documented in the literature. In contrast, the cranio-orbital migration of a bullet following TBI is r...

Heart transplantation is the treatment of choice for patients with end-stage heart failure who remain symptomatic despite optimal medical therapy after trying other surgical options. The pathological changes will be described in multiple aspects like morphological, cellular, molecular, structural, and hemodynamic changes.KeywordsTransplantationHear...

A pure posteriorly posterior communicating artery (PCoA) aneurysm represents a surgical challenge. This is mainly when there is a need for good exposure of the aneurysmal neck, sac, PCoA, and anterior choroidal arteries. Ruptured pure posteriorly directed PCoA aneurysm imposes significantly extra challenge as the surgeon undergoes dissection throug...

Introduction. Tangential gunshot wounds (TGSW) to the head is the high-velocity bullet that does not penetrate the cranium but passes through the tissue adjoining the cranial cavity, creating a “gutter” wound and indirectly causing cerebral injury. This article presents a reporting case of TGSW to the head, discusses the mechanism underlying this t...

Background Pneumocephalus (PNC) is a well-described consequence in postoperative settings and skull fractures that is usually self-limiting. It can get complicated into tension PNC on some rare occasions, leading to an intracranial mass effect. PNC was also reported after unintentional dural puncture throughout the epidural anesthesia process. Howe...

The battle against SARS-COV-2 is rising and the hope in the safety and effectiveness of immunization against this virus is growing up, even though serious and severe adverse events are scarcely observed. In this article, we report a case of mRNA vaccine induced an autoimmune dermatomyositis with features of severity that are managed by immunosuppre...

Background Rectus gyrus hematoma (RGH) is a localized intracerebral hemorrhage involving the most medial part of the orbital surface of the frontal lobe. It can be an imaging finding in the setting of a ruptured anterior communicating artery aneurysm; however, other differentials are rarely reported in the literature. In this paper, we opt to prese...

Background Anterior communicating artery (Acom) aneurysm has an association with many types of intracranial lesions. However, its association with meningioma can be challenging, which is not well addressed in the literature. Herein, we described a literature review focused on the association between Acom aneurysm and meningioma, explicitly highligh...

Background Anterior communicating artery (AcomA) aneurysms are considered one of the most common intracranial aneurysms, contributing to approximately 40% of the subarachnoid hemorrhages related to aneurysmal rupture. Aneurysms of the anterior circulation are commonly present with visual defects varying in their nature according to the aneurysmal s...

Background Penetrating traumatic brain injury (TBI) caused by a low-velocity object is a rare entity with a potential range of critical complications. Case Description We report a unique case of a 30-year-old male presenting with penetrating TBI caused by a rifle’s cleaning rod. The rod passes through the left nostril to reach the frontal lobe aft...

Background: Nonmissile penetrating spine injury (NMPSI) represents a small percent of spinal cord injuries (SCIs), estimated at 0.8% in Western countries. Regarding the causes, an NMPSI injury caused by a screwdriver is rare. This study reports a case of a retained double-headed screwdriver in a 37-year-old man who sustained a stab injury to the ba...

In summary, multiple factors contribute to decision-making in medical careers, and they vary from person to person. In general, it is difficult to make such decisions. However, it is more complicated when it comes to a stressful profession and a delicate specialty like neurosurgery. In our experience, with the correct orientation, students will rea...

Background: Cerebral arteriovenous malformations (CAVMs) are either clinically silent or symptomatic. The most common presentation in more than half of all CAVMs presenting patients is hemorrhage which is accompanied by long-standing neurological morbidity and mortality. This report presents a case of an atypical large, slow-flow paramedian AVM wit...

Background: Flow diverters are becoming one of the main endovascular procedures used to treat aneurysms. Flow diverter devices (FDDs) have multiple types approved for endovascular procedure use. Although their indications are not well described, they are usually used for large or giant, wide-necked, and recurrent aneurysms. Multiple FDDs can be dep...

Background: The German Anatomist Hubert Von Luschka first described the foramina of Luschka (FOL) in 1855 as lateral holes in the fourth ventricle. By his discovery, he refuted previous beliefs about the lateral recess as blind ends of the fourth ventricle, proving the continuity of the ventricular system with the central canal of the spinal cord....

Background: Fibromuscular dysplasia (FMD) is a noninflammatory and nonatherosclerotic arteriopathy that is characterized by irregular cellular proliferation and deformed construction of the arterial wall that causes segmentation, constriction, or aneurysm in the intermediate-sized arteries. The incidence of FMD is 0.42–3.4%, and the unilateral occu...

Background The right-sided aortic arch (RAA) is an uncommon anatomical anomaly found in <0.1% of the adult population. In this article, we report a case of RAA anomaly with an aberrant left subclavian artery (ALSA) and Kommerell’s diverticulum associated with aneurysmal dilation of the ascending aorta, left carotid artery (CCA) stenosis, and pancak...