The histopathological pattern of cutaneous vascular tumours; an institution based study

Background: The skin is a typical site for vascular tumours. Researches on primary cutaneous vascular tumours as a sub group of cutaneous soft tissue tumours are virtually non-existence in our environment in particular and Nigeria in general. The aim of this study is to elucidate the histopathological types of primary cutaneous vascular tumours as well as their age and sex distribution at the University of Benin Teaching Hospital.Methods: It was a 10 year retrospective study that covered the period from 1st of January 2004 to 31st of December 2013. The archived records of the Department of Morbid Anatomy were consulted for all cases of histologically diagnosed cutaneous vascular tumours. The data generated was analysed using Statistical Package for Social Sciences, version 16.Result: One hundred four cases (104) of cutaneous vascular tumours were encountered during the period of study under review. The mean age of cases with cutaneous vascular tumours was in the 4th decade while a slight female predilection was observed. Kaposi's sarcoma accounted for 73.08% of cases while the haemangiomas and angiosarcomas accounted for 25% and 1.92% of cutaneous vascular tumours respectively. Sexual predilection was slightly in favour of the females with Kaposi's sarcomas and haemangiomas. The mean ages for haemangioma, Kaposi's sarcoma and angiosarcoma were in the 3rd, 4th and 7th decades respectively.Conclusion: Kaposi sarcoma was the most common cutaneous vascular tumour followed by haemangioma, while the least is the rare angiosarcoma. Cases with haemangiomas have the least mean age.Keywords: Kaposi sarcoma, cutaneous vascular tumour

Congenital anomalies in low- and middle-income countries: the unborn child of global surgery.

Surgically correctable congenital anomalies cause a substantial burden of global morbidity and mortality. These anomalies disproportionately affect children in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) due to sociocultural, economic, and structural factors that limit the accessibility and quality of pediatric surgery. While data from LMICs are sparse, available evidence suggests that the true human and financial cost of congenital anomalies is grossly underestimated and that pediatric surgery is a cost-effective intervention with the potential to avert significant premature mortality and lifelong disability

Liver injury after commencing haart and the effect of baseline CD4 cell count

Background: During treatment of HIV disease, a number of factors may influence the effect of the medications used: the presence and/or treatment of viral hepatitides, opportunistic infections, alcoholism, the use of various recreational drugs, immune reconstitution and/or the presence or emergence of diabetes and dyslipidemia which can adversely affect liver injury. The effect of CD4 cell count on liver injury after commencing HAART varies between cohorts. This study aims to determine the type of liver injury after commencing HAART in HIV infected patients and the effect of baseline CD4 cell count. Method: This study was carried out on patients with HIV on HAART attending infectious disease clinic, gastroenterology clinic or admitted into the medical wards of the University of Benin Teaching Hospital. Patients with HIV but not on HAART were used as controls. A clinical evaluation and relevant laboratory investigations were done. Hepatotoxicity was defined using a standardized toxicity grade scale. Results: A total of 84 cases and 42 controls were studied. The mean ages were 35.2΁ 9.9years and 35.5΁9.0years for the cases and the controls respectively. Over 70% of the study population and controls were females. The overall incidence of hepatotoxicity was 17.9% and severe hepatotoxicity occurred in 10.7% of the patients. Liver injury after commencing HAART in this study was 100% cytotoxic and was not affected by baseline CD4 Cell Count. Conclusion: This study shows that Liver injury associated with usa of HAART in HIV patients is cytotoxic and unaffected by baseline CD4 Cell Count

Outcome of bronchoscopic biopsies in the University of Benin Teaching Hospital

Aim: Our study was done to evaluate our bronchoscopic techniques, sizes and diagnostic yield. Materials and Methods: This was a retrospective study comprising all cases of bronchial biopsies done in the University of Benin Teaching Hospital from 2007 to 2011. All patients who had flexible bronchoscopy under general anaesthesia during the period under review where enrolled in the study. Results: There were a total of 16 patients: Nine males and seven females, with a mean age of 46.9 years. The main indications were cough (87.5%), weight loss (62.5%), X-ray findings of a chest lesion (87.5%), chest pain (62.5%), difficulty with breathing (31.3%) and massive haemoptysis (25%). Histology results showed inadequate amples in six and Bronchogenic carcinoma in four patients. The histology was pivotal in eight patients. Conclusion: Bronchoscopic biopsies are fraught with problems and other clinical investigative tools would certainly be important in improving the results.Keywords: Biopsy, flexible bronchoscopy, outcomeNigerian Medical Journal | Vol. 54 | Issue 3 | May-June | 201

Pattern of presentation of diseases at the university of Benin teaching hospital gastroenterology out patients’ clinic.

This study set out to assess the pattern of presentation of diseases in the gastroenterology outpatients’ clinic of the University of Benin Teaching Hospital, Benin City, Nigeria.Method: The Gastroenterology clinic records of the hospital for a period of one year were reviewed retrospectively and the relevant data extracted from them and analyzed.Results: A total of 1232 patients were seen during the study period of which 675 (54.8%) of the patients seen were female, while 557 (45.2%) were male. The ages of majority of the patients ranged from 21 to 70 years. The most common condition encountered in the clinic was peptic ulcer disease (33.9%), followed by chronic liver disease (15.4%), then acute hepatitis (9.6%), gastroesophageal reflux disease (6.7%), hepatocellular carcinoma (5.9%), and then chronic hepatitis (5.2%)

Influence of Rubber Effluent and NPK Fertilizer on the Performance and Fruit Quality of Snake Tomato (Trichosanthes cucumerina L. Haines) in a Three and Four Years Old (An Existing) Rubber Plantation

Small holder rubber farmer that account for over 75% of rubber production in Nigeria has withdrawn from production as a result of income gap created by the long gestation period of rubber amidst other agronomic challenges, hence the need to create an agronomic system that will incorporate other compactable short duration to generate additional and early source of income and take care of other agronomic challenges. An experiment was conducted in 2018 and 2019 cropping seasons to evaluate the influence of rubber effluent and NPK fertilizer on the performance and fruit quality of snake tomato in a three and four year old (an existing) rubber plantation. The treatments include sole rubber, sole snake tomato and their intercrop combinations with rubber effluent and NPK laid out in randomized complete block design replicated thrice. Data were collected on vine length, vine girth, number of leaves, leaf area, fruit yield and its components, nutrient content and uptake. Growth parameters measured increased with increase in rubber effluent application however NPK fertilized plants were superior to rubber effluent treated plant at increased dosage as there was no marked difference between plants treated with effluent at 70kgN-1 rubber effluent and NPK treated plants, it was also observed that the fourth year plant were higher than the third year. Nutrient content was observed to increase with fertilizer application as non fertilized had the lowest nutrient content, the least uptake was observed in the non fertilized plants

Receptor-defined subtypes of breast cancer in indigenous populations in Africa: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: Breast cancer is the most common female cancer in Africa. Receptor-defined subtypes are a major determinant of treatment options and disease outcomes but there is considerable uncertainty regarding the frequency of poor prognosis estrogen receptor (ER) negative subtypes in Africa. We systematically reviewed publications reporting on the frequency of breast cancer receptor-defined subtypes in indigenous populations in Africa. METHODS AND FINDINGS: Medline, Embase, and Global Health were searched for studies published between 1st January 1980 and 15th April 2014. Reported proportions of ER positive (ER+), progesterone receptor positive (PR+), and human epidermal growth factor receptor-2 positive (HER2+) disease were extracted and 95% CI calculated. Random effects meta-analyses were used to pool estimates. Fifty-four studies from North Africa (n=12,284 women with breast cancer) and 26 from sub-Saharan Africa (n=4,737) were eligible. There was marked between-study heterogeneity in the ER+ estimates in both regions (I2>90%), with the majority reporting proportions between 0.40 and 0.80 in North Africa and between 0.20 and 0.70 in sub-Saharan Africa. Similarly, large between-study heterogeneity was observed for PR+ and HER2+ estimates (I2>80%, in all instances). Meta-regression analyses showed that the proportion of ER+ disease was 10% (4%-17%) lower for studies based on archived tumor blocks rather than prospectively collected specimens, and 9% (2%-17%) lower for those with ≥ 40% versus those with <40% grade 3 tumors. For prospectively collected samples, the pooled proportions for ER+ and triple negative tumors were 0.59 (0.56-0.62) and 0.21 (0.17-0.25), respectively, regardless of region. Limitations of the study include the lack of standardized procedures across the various studies; the low methodological quality of many studies in terms of the representativeness of their case series and the quality of the procedures for collection, fixation, and receptor testing; and the possibility that women with breast cancer may have contributed to more than one study. CONCLUSIONS: The published data from the more appropriate prospectively measured specimens are consistent with the majority of breast cancers in Africa being ER+. As no single subtype dominates in the continent availability of receptor testing should be a priority, especially for young women with early stage disease where appropriate receptor-specific treatment modalities offer the greatest potential for reducing years of life lost. Please see later in the article for the Editors' Summary