Mature Solid Teratoma of the Retroperitoneum Presenting as Sigmoid Colon Polyp with Lower Gastrointestinal Bleeding: A Case Report

Background: Mature colonic teratomas are rare tumors and no case, to the best of our knowledge, has been reported from the African continent. In  addition, some pedunculated teratomas in the colon have been treated by endoscopic polypectomy and classified as primary teratoma of the  colon. We report a case of a distinct intra sigmoid pedunculated teratoma originating from the retroperitoneum of a 4-year-old African girl and we  highlight the potential for misclassification of primary origin of endoscopically removed polypoid teratomas in the colon. Case Presentation: A 4  year-old black African female child who presented with abdominal pain and hematochezia. On clinical assessment, she was found to be anaemic  and to have a sigmoid colon mass. At surgery, there was a mobile mass within the lumen of sigmoid colon and the mass was fixed to the  retroperitoneum by a stalk of tissue. Pathologist’s review of the resected sigmoid segment showed a pedunculated intra-sigmoid mass with the stalk  traversing the wall of the colon. The mass was histologically proven a mature solid teratoma. Conclusion: This, to the best of our knowledge,  is the first report of intra sigmoid teratoma from the African continent. It highlights the potential for misclassification of endoscopically resected  colonic teratomas.&nbsp

Colorectal polypectomy and endoscopic mucosal resection: European Society of Gastrointestinal Endoscopy Cascade Guideline

No abstract availabl

Schwannoma extending from the umbilical region to the mid-thigh, compressing the major vessels of the right leg: A case report and review of the literature

Schwannomas are benign, usually encapsulated, nerve sheath tumours derived from Schwann cells. They commonly arise from the cranial nerves as acoustic schwannomas and are extremely rare in the pelvis and retroperitoneal area (<0.5% of reported cases) unless they are combined with Von Recklinghausen disease (type 1 neurofibromatosis). We report the case of a 23-year-old woman with a mass extending from the umbilical region in the abdomen to the upper two-thirds of the thigh. As this tumour is so rare, and in order to ensure optimal treatment and survival for our patient, a computed tomography-guided biopsy was performed before en bloc tumour excision. Because of the possibility of malignancy, complete excision of the mass was performed, with pelvic blunt dissection. Histological examination showed a benign neoplasm, originating from the cells of peripheral nerve sheaths; the diagnosis was a schwannoma. Abdominal schwannomas are rare neoplasms that can be misdiagnosed. Laparoscopy is a safe and efficient option for approaching benign pelvic tumours and may offer the advantage of better visualisation of structures owing to the magnification in laparoscopic view, especially in narrow anatomical spaces. However, in our case laparoscopy was not considered owing to the size and anatomical location of the tumour

Dermoid cyst of the urinary bladder as a differential diagnosis of bladder calculus: a case report

Dermoid cysts are extremely rare in the urinary bladder and can pose a diagnostic dilemma to both the Urologist and the Histopathologist. Only a few cases were found documented and cited in PubMed. We present a case of dermoid cyst in the urinary bladder presenting as a bladder stone with a brief review of the literature

Burden of child mortality from malaria in high endemic areas: results from the CHAMPS Network using minimally invasive tissue sampling

Background Malaria is a leading cause of childhood mortality worldwide. However, accurate estimates of malaria prevalence and causality among patients who die at the country level are lacking due to the limited specificity of diagnostic tools used to attribute etiologies. Accurate estimates are crucial for prioritizing interventions and resources aimed at reducing malaria-related mortality. Methods Seven Child Health and Mortality Prevention Surveillance (CHAMPS) Network sites collected comprehensive data on stillbirths and children <5 years, using minimally invasive tissue sampling (MITS). A DeCoDe (Determination of Cause of Death) panel employed standardized protocols for assigning underlying, intermediate, and immediate causes of death, integrating sociodemographic, clinical, laboratory (including extensive microbiology, histopathology, and malaria testing), and verbal autopsy data. Analyses were conducted to ascertain the strength of evidence for cause of death (CoD), describe factors associated with malaria-related deaths, estimate malaria-specific mortality, and assess the proportion of preventable deaths. Findings Between December 3, 2016, and December 31, 2022, 2673 deaths underwent MITS and had a CoD attributed from four CHAMPS sites with at least 1 malaria-attributed death. No malaria-attributable deaths were documented among 891 stillbirths or 924 neonatal deaths, therefore this analysis concentrates on the remaining 858 deaths among children aged 1-59 months. Malaria was in the causal chain for 42.9% (126/294) of deaths from Sierra Leone, 31.4% (96/306) in Kenya, 18.2% (36/198) in Mozambique, 6.7% (4/60) in Mali, and 0.3% (1/292) in South Africa. Compared to non-malaria related deaths, malaria-related deaths skewed towards older infants and children (p<0.001), with 71.0% among ages 12-59 months. Malaria was the sole infecting pathogen in 184 (70.2%) of malaria-attributed deaths, whereas bacterial and viral co-infections were identified in the causal pathway in 24·0% and 12.2% of cases, respectively. Malnutrition was found at a similar level in the causal pathway of both malaria (26.7%) and non-malaria (30.7%, p=0.256) deaths. Less than two-thirds (164/262; 62.6%) of malaria deaths had received antimalarials prior to death. Nearly all (98·9%) malaria-related deaths were deemed preventable. Interpretation Malaria remains a significant cause of childhood mortality in the CHAMPS malaria-endemic sites. The high bacterial co-infection prevalence among malaria deaths underscores the potential benefits of antibiotics for severe malaria patients. Compared to non-malaria deaths, many of malaria-attributed deaths are preventable through accessible malaria control measures. Funding This work was supported by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation [OPP1126780]

Clinicopathological review of surgically removed appendix in Central Nigeria

AbstractBackgroundAcute appendicitis is a disease of the young presenting in children and early adolescents although no age group is exempt. It is the most common cause of acute surgical abdomen worldwide. This clinicopathological study aims to determine the various lesions of the surgically removed appendix in our centre and if any, changing trend in this lesion in our environment.MethodA retrospective study was undertaken to review the histopathology reports of all appendicectomy specimens submitted to the Department of Pathology of the Asokoro District Hospital, Abuja; Nigeria from November 2009 to October 2012 Patient’s biodata, clinical signs and symptoms were extracted from the request form.ResultA total of 293 appendices were received during the 3-year study period constituting about 10% of total specimens. The male to female ratio was 1:1.3 with a mean age of 26.33±11.39years. Acute appendicitis was found in 81.2% of our cases while other lesions constitute 14.7% and negative appendectomy occurred in 4.1% of the cases. No mortality was recorded.ConclusionThe findings in this study compared favourably with those of our environment and in the developed world although acute appendicitis in this study showed slight female preponderance

Synchronous rhabdomyosarcoma of the testis and kidney: A case report and review of the literature

Rhabdomyosarcoma is the commonest soft tissue sarcoma in both children and adolescents representing 40% of such tumours in North America and more than 50% in Africa. The involvement of the paratesticular tissue, testis and the kidney are generally rare and more so when it is occurring synchronously. We present a case of 22 year old male with inguinoscrotal swelling, fever and abdominal distention who was diagnosed as having obstructed left inguinoscrotal hernia and a right renal mass. The patient had surgery, and a diagnosis of synchronous rhabdomyosarcoma of the left testis, paratesticular tissue and right kidney was made by histology and immunohistochemistry

Analysis of p21 expression in cervical carcinoma at a tertiary institution in Ghana: An immunohistochemical study

Background: Cervical cancer is one of the leading causes of female mortality worldwide. About 85% occur in low-income countries with 13.8% incidence and 14% death in Ghana. p21 has been overexpressed in many cancers. Its overexpression in cervical cancer is linked to tumor growth and a bad prognosis. Aim: The expression profile of p21 in our setting is largely unknown, therefore, the necessity to evaluate p21 expression in cervical cancer. Materials and Methods: A retrospective and descriptive study design was employed to investigate p21 expression in association with demographic and clinicopathological features on formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded cervical cancer tissues. The age, histologic type, and tumor grade of patients were abstracted from the hospital records between January 1, 2015, and December 31, 2016. Tissue microarray of suitable blocks was constructed, and immunohistochemistry was performed. Data were analyzed using the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) version 26. Results: One hundred and thirty-five cases were used for the study with an age range of 31–115 years and mean age of 58.93 years (standard deviation ± 17.88). Majority of the cases were postmenopausal (40–59 years). Squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) was the most common histological type (96.3%) with the nonkeratinizing variant having the highest frequency (53.1%). Majority of the cases were high grade; Grade 2 (33.3%) and Grade 3 (49.6%). Majority of the cases (66.7%) stained positive for p21 antibody. The associations between p21 and the clinicopathological characteristics were not statistically significant (P > 0.05). p21 was more overexpressed in SCC (64.8%) than adenocarcinoma. Conclusion: An overexpression of p21 in this study suggests that it may contribute to antiapoptosis in cervical cancer leading to tumor progression, aggressive behavior, and poor prognosis