Anosmia in COVID-19 Patients: Can We Predict the Severity of Chest Manifestations?

Abstract Introduction Anosmia is one of the common symptoms of COVID-19, the link between severity of chest infection and anosmia was investigated by few studies. Objectives To find an association between anosmia and severity of chest infection. Methods An analysis of patients admitted to isolation hospital of our university with confirmed polymerase chain reaction positive testing for COVID-19, between March 2021 until September 2021. We called all patients who reported anosmia during their time of illness and asked them about anosmia. We examined their chest CT. A statistical analysis was done. Results A total of 140 patients completed the study; 65% were female and 56.4% had complete anosmia. Anosmia was significantly associated with loss of taste. Smell returned in 92.5% of anosmic patients. Duration of smell loss was ~ 2 weeks in 40.5%. The most common symptoms associated with anosmia were running nose, sore throat, fever, and cough. Loss of smell was significantly associated with mild chest disease. 73.4% of anosmic patients had mild chest infection, 21.5% of them had moderate infection, and 5.1% had severe chest infection. Conclusion The pattern of anosmia in COVID-19 patients has some common similarities in general; the way it starts, the associated symptoms, the time until smell returns and, the most important, the severity of chest infection. As anosmia is significantly associated with mild chest infection. the presence of anosmia could be an independent predictor of good COVID-19 outcome as reflected by a lower disease severity and less frequent ICU admissions.

Prenatal and Postnatal Developmental Changes of Testes of Albino Rats

Background: The testis is the primary reproductive organ in the male, it is an ovoid organ covered from outside inwards by, the tunica vaginalis, tunica albuginea and tunica vasculosa. Each testis is separated from its fellow by a fibrous median raphe, which is deficient superiorly. The testis consists of numerous lobules, about 250-400, each lobule contains from one to three, or more convoluted tubules. Objectives: The aim of this work was to study the prenatal and postnatal development of the albino rat testes considering its structure and maturation. Methods: 35 healthy, non-pregnant female and 18 male albino rats weighing (200-250 g) were obtained from the animalhouse, Faculty of Medicine, Zagazig University. After mating and pregnancy, the rat embryos and offsprings were divided into 3 groups and 9 subgroups; Group A (13th, 16th &18th day fetal rats), Group B (1st, 10th, 15th &21st postnatal days rats) and Group C (2 months and 6 months old rats). The fetal rats (13th and 16th) were fixed as whole, while the remaining prenatal, postnatal and adult rats were dissected to obtain testes, which were processed for light and electron microscopic examinations, morphometric and immunohistochemical studies. Results: Albino rats at prenatal day 13 (E13) showed the gonads were formed of genital ridges which were present on the posterior abdominal wall on both sides of the developing dorsal aorta. Albino rats at prenatal day 16 (E16) showed The sex cords were transformed into fetal seminiferous cords in the form of compact structures without lumen. The testes at prenatal day 18(E 18) showed the seminiferous cords form the main bulk of the testis and the interstitial tissue nearly completely differentiated with small amount of connective tissue in the spaces between seminiferous cords especially in the center. In postnatal day 1,10,15(D1,D10&D15) showed The parenchyma of testis was consisted of multiple rounded and elongated seminiferous cords. In postnatal day 21 (D21), The parenchyma of testis was consisted of multiple closely packed ovoid shaped seminiferous tubules, some of them still cords with no lumina. In adult group, The parenchyma of testis consisted of large multiple seminiferous tubules, separated by relatively narrow interstitial spaces and attained lumina containing sperms. Immunohistochemistry showed positive reaction to proliferative cell nuclear antigen (PCNA) at E13, E16 & E18. Also positive reaction to (PCNA) showed in postnatal and adult groups. Conclusion: Sexual differentiation of the gonads in albino rats starts after 13 days of gestation and the development of testes in albino rats is completed postnatally reaching full maturation at about age of two months.

Experimental demonstration of hepatitis C virus [HCV] in an Egyptian strain of Culex pipiens complex

Reverse transcriptase [RT] polymerase chain reaction [PCR] was used to detect hepatitis C virus [HCV] RNA among heads, guts, larvae and eggs of Culex pipiens complex. The mosquitos were trapped from homes of hepatitis C patients or among the same organs of symbiotic [normal gut bacteria] and aposymbiotic [without gut bacteria] mosquitos fed HCV positive blood by an artificial membrane feeder. The eggs and larvae resulted from symbiotic females fed HCV positive blood were tested for HCV-RNA. Hepatitis C virus RNA was detected only in the heads of symbiotic mosquitos collected from homes of HCV positive patients at 3 and 6 hours after feeding. The virus was detected at 3 and 8 days after being fed on HCV-RNA positive blood in guts of the same group. The virus was not detected in the eggs or larvae resulted from female mosquitos fed on HCV-RNA positive blood

overview of thyroid cancer management in Kuwait cancer control centre [1992-1998]

thyroid cancer in Kuwait is the second most common malignant neoplasm after breast cancer in females. This retrospective single-institution study aims at assessing the different surgical treatment options offered to thyroid cancer patients presenting to Kuwait Cancer Control Centre [KCCC] between March 1992 and June 1998 and evaluating patients outcome. Patients and a total of 197 consecutive patients with clinicaly suspicious thyroid nodules were primarily treated by surgery at KCCC in the above mentioned period; 86 [44%] patients were proved have thyroid malignancy. Clinical characteristics, histological features, prognostic factors, the impact of various surgical procedures on patient outcome along with treatment-related morbidities were all analysed. fifty-nine patients were females and 27 males. The majority of our patients were below the age of 45 years, while 25 were at the age of 45 or above. The mean age was 40 years. Sixty-two [72%] patients presented with true solitary thyroid nodules. Eleven [13%] patients had distant metastasis at presentation. In this series, there was no underlying toxic goitre of Hashimoto's disease. Adequate information for cancer staging, according to the Internation Union Against Cancer [UICC-TNM] classification, was available in 54 [63%] patients. The most common histological type was papillary carcinoma, documented in 74 [86%] patients. The type and extent of thyroid surgery were planned according to the age at the time of initial diagnosis, histological tumour type, size and presence of extra-thyroid invasion, sixty-five [76%] patients had total extracapsular thyroidectomy, 12 [14%] near total thyroidectomy, 7 [8%] ipsilateral total lobectomy and isthmectomy and 2 [2%] contralateral thyroid lobetomy. Different types of therapeutic neck dissections were carried out in 48 [56%] cases. Following surgery, 4 [5%] patients had chronic shoulder pain syndrome, 5 [6%] patients had transient hypocalcaemia, 3 [3%] permanent hypocalcaemia, and 5 [6%] unilateral temporary paresis of the recurrent laryngeal nerve [RLN]; in one patient, the RLN was sacrificed on one side due to an extensive tumour growth. total thyroidectomy remains the treatment of choice for patient with differentiated thyroid carcinoma, due to its excellent local control with a minimal morbidity rate. However, ipsilateral thyroid lobectomy and isthmectomy can be recommended for young, low-risk patients. Patients with palpable medullary thyroid carcinoma should have an aggressive surgical treatment in the form of total thyroidectomy with routine central lymph node clearance and bilateral functional neck dissections

role of cervical lymph node dissection in the management of thyroid cancer

The aim of this study is to establish the frequency, pattern and location of cervical lymph node metastases from thyroid cancer and to recommend the appropriate type and extent of neck dissection. Patients and The medica records of 86 patients operated upon for primary thyroid cancer at Kuwait Cancer Control Centre [KCCC] between March 1992 and June 1998 were retrospectively analysed; 48 patients had therapeutic cervical lymph node dissection [TCLND], either during the primary thyroid surgery [immediate] or at a later data [delayed]. The different forms of TCLND employed were functional, radical, central and selective. The pattern and level of lymph node metastasis were the main consideration deciding the type and extent of neck dissection. Forty-sis neck dissections were done synchronously with the primary thyroid surgery, while 2 had the neck dissection at a separate session. Twenty male and 28 female patients were offered TCLND. The age at initial presentation ranged from 11 to 88 years, with a mean age of 42 years. The primary lesions were papillary and medullary thyroid carcinomas in 43 and 5 patients, respectively. Ipsilateral functional neck dissection was carried out in 21 patients, while central neck clearance radical neck clearance was performed in 6 cases; 14 patients were offered and 5 had selective neck dissection; only patients had bilateral functional block. Forty-one patients were followed up for a period ranging from 3 to 9 years, with a mean of 3.2 years. The commonest postoperative complication was shoulder disability syndrome in 4 patients; one patient died on the third postoperative day due to cerebral haemorrhage. Recurrence of the disease following neck dissection was noted in 3 patients. A well-done functional neck dissection, concomitantly performed at the time of the initial thyroid cancer patients [mainly papillary carcinomas], having clinically suspicious and histological involved neck nodes by metastatic disease. On the other hand, for all patients with palpable medullary carcinoma, routine central and bilateral functional neck dissections should be considered. This aggressive approach reduces subsequent recurrences and the need for repeated surgeries and prevents the increasing morbidity of multiple operations for recurrent nodal disease

1 and, 25-Dihydroxyvitamin D3 in acute leukaemias and lymphomas

1,25[OH]2 D3 was estimated, using a sensitive radioimmunoassay technique, in sera from 40 patients with recently diagnosed hematologic malignancies [10 [AML], 10 [ALL], 10 [NHL] and 10 [HD]] and 10 normal controls for comparison. All patients showed normal liver and kidney functions with normal serum calcium, phosphorus, PTH and calcitonin. Serum concentrations of 1,25 [OH]2 D3 were significantly lower than that for the control group [AML [16.1 pg/ml], ALL [18.1 pg/ml], NHL [19.6 pg/ml] and HD [21.5 pg/ml] versus 28.2 pg/ml for the control]. Moreover, the least serum concentrations of 1,25 [OH]2D3 were found in AML and ALL groups. No significant correlations were detected between serum calcium and 1,25[OH]2 D3 in any of the studied groups