Hepatitis C Virus Among Health Care Workers And The Risk Factors Contributing For Its Infection

Back ground: Hepatitis C Virus (HCV) infection is one of the leading causes of morbidity and mortality in under-developed countries like Yemen. According to an estimate, 2.0 % of Yemeni's total population suffers from HCV infection which makes a total of 600,000 people. Hepatitis C has emerged as a big challenge for Yemen. Health care workers are at increased risk of being infected due to tremendous exposure. Objective: The purpose of this study was to nd the prevalence of hepatitis C, its risk factors contributing for infection among health care Workers at Sana'a City. Methods: Across sectional survey conducted among 345 health care workers in the main general hospitals and health centers in Sana'a City. Blood samples were collected, and HCV antibodies were measured by using both Enzyme Immunoassay (EIA) and Recombinant ImmunoBlot Assay (RIBA) Results:The prevalence rate of Hepatitis C virus among HCWs was 4.1%. Those who used needle cupping, needle stick injury, surgical operation, the rate was (8.7%), (4.9%) and (4.2%) respectively. Conclusion: The frequency of HCV among health care workers is high. Awareness programs, training and continuing education should be mandatory and establishment of a national policy roadmap to increase knowledge about hepatitis C prevention. It will decrease the incidence of hepatitis C infection among health care workers.

Immunohistochemical expression and correlation of mammaglobin with the grading system of breast carcinoma.

Objectives: In this study it was intended to study mammaglobin expression as a marker for the detection of breast cancer and correlate it with the Bloom-Richardson grading system of breast carcinoma. Materials and Methods: The study was conducted from May 2007 to May 2008. Tissue samples were collected from 50 patients of breast cancer in the various stages of their disease and correlated histologically with the Bloom-Richardson grading system for breast carcinoma. The clinical data of the patients were obtained from their respective files. Results: Positive immunostaining for mammaglobin was seen in 84% of breast carcinoma cases. This immunoreactivity did not correlate with histological and nuclear grades of the tumors, yet it varied according to the histological type of the tumor with ductal carcinoma showing stronger and diffuse staining than other varieties. Conclusion: These results elicit that mammaglobin is overexpressed in carcinoma breast as compared to the normal breast epithelium. This mammaglobin expression can act as a useful tool in the diagnosis of women with breast cancer.

diagnostic accuracy of fine needle aspiration cytology versus core needle biopsy for palpable breast lump

Breast lump is one of the most common surgical problems in females. Surgical biopsy of palpable breast lump was considered the gold standard for the diagnosis of breast lump[s]. Emphasis has been placed on improving method for establishing a definitive diagnosis of breast mass prior to surgery. Our aim was to compare the diagnostic accuracy of fine needle aspiration cytology [FNAC] and core needle biopsy [CNB] in patients with palpable breast masses. Prospective randomized controlled clinical trial included 296 Female patients with breast lumps, presented to Al-Thawra Teaching Hospital, Sanaa, Yemen between May 1998 - May 2002. All the patients submitted either to FNAC or CNB equally. The results were then compared with the final diagnosis by histopathology. The patient age ranged from 15-74 years with a mean of 33.77 +/- 11.91 years. Married patients were 69.3% and the most common presentation was breast lump[s] [88.5%]. The mean size of the tumor was 3.47 +/- 1.43 cm in diameter. The FNAC sensitivity was 66.66%, 81.8% specificity, 75.7% accuracy, positive predictive value [PPV] 100% and negative predictive value [NPV] 90%, while in core needle breast biopsy sensitivity was 92.3%, 94.8% specificity, 93.4% accuracy, PPV 100% and NPV 100%. The diagnostic accuracy of CNB was higher than the FNAC, which was statistically significant [p<0.05]. Both procedures are simple, easy, safe, cheap and reliable, but CNB is more accurate than the FNAC

Vitamin B12 neuropathy in an Arab with unsuspected pernicious anaemia

Contrary to the previous notion that pernicious anaemia is a disease of elderly white people of Northern European origin, it is now recognized in virtually all racial and ethnic groups. However, reports of Arab patients with pernicious anaemia and its complications are scarce in the medical literature. In this article we describe the case of an Arab with unsuspected pernicious anaemia who developed florid vitamin B-12 neuropathy affecting the brain, optic nerves and peripheral nerves following self medication with folic acid. He was also known to be heterozygous for Hb S. We beleive this to be the first report of such a case in an Arab and draw attention to the potentially disastrous sequelae of folic acid intake in cases of pernicious anaemia

Choledochal cyst: case report and literature review

A case of Choledochal cyst in a 3-year-old girl presenting with acute abdominal pain and jaundice is described. The abdominal mass was only felt during the attack; ultrasound scan suggested the diagnosis. This is the first case reported from this area. Theories regarding the aetiology, clinical presentation, and current treatment are outlined