THE ANATOMY OF TEACHING ANATOMY

Anatomy as a medical and clinical science is in a downward spiral. In the past, anatomical skills and knowledge were gained through didactic lectures and complete dissection of the body via personal tuition. This approach has been modernised by the addition of special study modules, problem-based workshops, computers, plastic models and other teaching tools. Evidence suggests that, in some centres, dissected cadaver-based anatomy is no longer a priority. The present trend is likely to undermine the vital role of anatomy in life sciences and medical practice. Modern medical curricula are giving less importance to anatomy education and to the acknowledged value of dissection. Universities have even abandoned dissection completely in favor of user-friendly multimedia, alternative teaching approaches, and newly deûned priorities in clinical practice. Anatomy curriculum is undergoing international reformation but the current framework lacks uniformity among institutions. Optimal learning content can be categorized into the following modalities: (1) dissection/prosection, (2) interactive multimedia, (3) procedural anatomy, (4) surface and clinical anatomy, and (5) imaging. Abstract The aim of this study was to determine the position of the conus medullaris, dural sac, Tuffier’s line, and conus medullaris-Tuffier’s line distance using imaging technique and to evaluate their relation to age and to the type of the lumbosacral junction Methods. The study was cross-sectional of 120 adult participants, who underwent MR imaging of lumbosacral spine. Each vertebra was divided into 3 equal segments (upper, middle, and lower), and intervertebral disc space was also assumed as one segment. All segments from S3 lower to T12 upper segment were numbered consecutively. The position of the conus medullaris, dural sac and Tuffier’s line was determined by the vertebral segment or intervertebral disc space at the same level. Patients were stratified into high/low conus medullaris position (cutpoint: L1 middle segment, high/low dural sac position (cutpoint: S2 middle segment) and short/long conus-Tuffier’s distance (cutpoint: 14 segments). Results. Low conus was more frequent in individuals older than 50 years than in individuals younger than 50 years (69% in >50years versus 59.7% in d”50years), whereas short conus-Tuffier’s line distance was more frequent among >50 years old (72.4% in >50 years versus 53.2% in d”50 years; p < .05). There was a larger number of individuals with high conus among patients with sacralization than among patients with lumbarization (50% with high conus in sacralization versus 25% in lumbarization). Similarly there was a significantly smaller number of patients with low dural sac among patients with sacralization than among patients with lumbarization (50% with low dural sac in sacralization versus 100% with low dural sac in lumbarization; p<0.05). Conclusion. In conclusion, precaution should be considered in using the Tuffier’s line as a landmark during lumbar puncture and spinal block in older individuals. Low position of the dural sac in lumbarization should be relevant to the dural sac puncture and requires more caution during caudal epidural anesthesia. Abstract The aim of the study was to evaluate dermatoglyphic patterns found in patients with psoriasis and to detect differencies compared to the control group of healthy examinees. We studied the frequencies of various types of skin ridges on the first phalanx in patients with psoriasis. In order to explore hands’dermatoglyphic changes in psoriatic patients we examined hands of 60 psoriatic patients and 60 healthy controls. Prints were taken by the printing Cummin’s and Midlo method. The results showed that the most present patterns were loops, with an increased number of whorls and a decreased number of arches in patients compared to controls. There were no significant differences regarding the side and no sex specific patterns found in patients and in the control group. Although there are some differences in present dermatoglyphics in patients with psoriasis, further investigations are planned to confirm them. Abstract The aim of this study was to evaluate sex-specific differences of anthropometric parameters in Macedonian adolescents at the age 16. This study included 200 adolescent students (110 males and 90 females) at the age of 16 from the city of Skopje. Twelve anthropometric parameters were measured which define longitudinal, circular and transversal measures of skeleton using standard equipment and measurement technique. The following nutritional indicators were calculated: weight–for-age (BW), height-for-age (BH), BMI (kg/m 2 ). Two skin-folds were measured: triceps and subscapular. The majority of anthropometric parameters were with higher mean values in boys. We found a significant sex-specific difference in body height, body weight, elbow and knee diameter, waist circumference, mid-upper-arm circumference in favour of males and triceps and subscapular skin-fold in favour of females. Values of the 50 th percentile were: 70 kg for BW, 175 cm for BH, 22.27 kg/m 2 for BMI in males and 58 kg for BW, 162 cm for BH and 21.84 kg/m 2 for BMI in females.The found values are recommended to be applied for evaluation of deviations in growth and nutrition in 16-years-old Macedonian adolescents. Abstract Urinary bladder neoplasms are disease with a variety of pathologic features.Primary urinary bladder neoplasms represents 7% of all malignant diseases in men, and 2% of the total number of such in women. Ninety-five percent of bladder neoplasms arise from the epithelium,and mesenchymal tumors represent the remaining 5%. We present 183 patints who underwent CT and MR imaging with final diagnose of tumor in the urinary bladder. From the CT and MR features most of the tumors, over 173 were diagnosed as urotelial tumors, there were some tumors with more specific findings - 2 were specified as squamous cell carcinomas, 7 as adeno-carcinomas and 1 as a leiomyosarcoma. Cystoscopy with transuretral resection of the bladder tumor (TURBt) was performed to all patients for histopatological diagnosis and it proved one leiomyosarcoma,one new squamous cell carcinoma (total 3) and diagnosed 11 adenocarcinomas.