Penetrating Head Injury by a Hit of Rake in a Child: A Case Report and Literature Review.

Background: A penetrating head injury (PHI) refers to a situation where a projectile has breached the cranium but does not exit it. It constitutes about 0.4% of all head injuries. Several nonmissile materials inserting the skull have been reported. But to our knowledge, never before has any case of PHI caused by a hit of rake been reported. We report a first case of PHI caused by a rake in a child; then, we relate our experience with its management and discuss the relevant literature. Cases Description. A 5-year-old boy has been admitted with a rake embedded in his head. That occurred during a violent play with a neighbor. At presentation, the child was alert; there was no neurological deficit. The rake was embedded in the parietal regions on each side of the midline. The head Computed Tomography (CT) scan performed showed a biparietal hyperdensity from either side of the midline with a metal artifact. In the operating room, after a transversal incision joining the 2 tips of the object, we performed successively bone flaps; object extraction; debridement; duraplasty; and closing. The outcome was uneventful. Conclusion: This is the first case of PHI by a rake. The surgical management constitutes the main challenging point.

Unilateral Concomitant Antrochoanal Polyp and Fungus Ball in Maxillary Sinus: A Case Report.

Antrochoanal polyp (ACP) are benign lesions that arise from the maxillary sinus, grow into the maxillary sinus, and reach the choana, nasal obstruction being their main symptom. A fungal ball (FB) is a dense accumulation of extra mucosal fungal hyphae, usually within one sinus, most commonly the maxillary sinus. We describe a case of a 38-year-old male with a concomitant unilateral maxillary FB and ACP which was surgically excised by endoscopic sinus surgery.

Co-circulation of genotypes XIV.2 and XVIII.2 of avian paramyxovirus-1 (Newcastle disease virus) in backyard poultry in Niger.

The causative agent of Newcastle disease (ND) of poultry is the avian paramyxovirus-1, also commonly known as ND virus (NDV). Like in many developing countries, ND is endemic in Niger and has significant economic impact on commercial and backyard poultry production. NDVs were characterized in Niger between 2006 and 2008 and shown to belong to genotypes XIV.1 and XVII. In order to determine the current situation regarding the virus in Niger, tracheas (n = 384) were collected for the detection of NDV from both healthy (n = 335) and sick (n = 49) backyard poultry in 2019. Of these samples, 24 from sick chickens were positive for NDV by conventional RT-PCR. Sequencing of the fusion protein gene and phylogenetic analysis revealed that the viruses belonged to either genotype XIV.2 or XVIII.2. No NDVs of genotype XIV.1 or XVII were identified in the current study highlighting the dynamic nature of NDV circulation in Niger and the region.

Transboundary spread of equine influenza viruses (H3N8) in West and Central Africa: Molecular characterization of identified viruses during outbreaks in Niger and Senegal, in 2019.

Since November 2018, several countries in West and Central Africa have reported mortalities in donkeys and horses. Specifically, more than 66,000 horses and donkeys have succumbed to disease in Burkina Faso, Chad, Cameroon, The Gambia, Ghana, Mali, Niger, Nigeria, and Senegal. Strangles caused by Streptococcus equi subsp equi, African Horse Sickness (AHS) virus, and Equine influenza virus (EIV) were all suspected as potential causative agents. This study reports the identification of EIV in field samples collected in Niger and Senegal. Phylogenetic analysis of the hemagglutinin and neuraminidase genes revealed that the identified viruses belonged to clade 1 of the Florida sublineage and were very similar to viruses identified in Nigeria in 2019. Interestingly, they were also more similar to EIVs from recent outbreaks in South America than to those in Europe and the USA. This is one of the first reports providing detailed description and characterization of EIVs in West and Central Africa region.

Molecular epidemiology of peste des petits ruminants in Niger: An update.

Like many West African countries, outbreaks of peste des petits ruminants (PPR), an economically important disease of goats and sheep, are regularly reported in Niger. The causative virus, peste des petits ruminants virus (PPRV), can be differentiated into four genetically distinct lineages. A publication in 2018 identified three PPRV lineages circulating in the country in 2001 (lineages I and II) and 2013 (lineage IV), respectively. In this present study, more recent samples were collected from goats and sheep in locations throughout Niger between 2011 and 2017. Twelve PPRV-positive samples were characterized by sequencing of a segment of the nucleocapsid protein (N) gene. Phylogenetic analysis of the sequences identified viruses from lineages II and IV only. The analysis also indicated a shared origin of the viruses from Niger with PPRVs from neighbouring countries suggesting transboundary movement.

Does GastroPlus Support Similarity and Dissimilarity Factors of in vitro-in vivo Prediction in Biowaiver Studies? A Lower Strength Amlodipine As a Model Drug.

BACKGROUND: Many generic pharmaceutical products are currently available on the market place worldwide. Recently, there is a growing concern on the quality and efficacy of generic products. However, health care professionals such as physicians and pharmacists are in difficult situations to choose among alternatives. PURPOSE: The aim of this study is to assess the effectiveness of the in silico technique (Gastro Plus®) in the biowaiver study and whether similarity and dissimilarity factors (f 2 and f 1 respectively) are effective in this regard. METHOD: The concentration of amlodipine in the sample was calculated by comparing the absorbance of the sample with that of a previously prepared amlodipine standard solution using validated HPLC method. The dissolution profile for each product (brand and generics) was constructed. The similarity (f2) and dissimilarity (f 1) factors were calculated for the generic product according to equation 1 and 2. GastroPlus™ software (version 9.0, Simulations Plus Inc., Lancaster, CA, USA) was used to predict the absorption profiles of amlodipine from the generic product Amlovasc® and the reference Norvasc®. CONCLUSION: These results may provide a rationale for the interchangeability between the RLD and generic version based on in vitro release profiles in silico technique especially in a lower strength dose drug.

Extensive Chondrosarcoma of the Nasal Septum: Endoscopic Resection and Long-Term Follow-Up.

Chondrosarcoma of the nasal septum is extremely rare slow growing malignant tumor of nonepithelial origin. Preoperative differentiation between low-grade chondrosarcoma and benign cartilaginous tumors such as chondroma may be difficult. Surgical excision is the treatment of choice. Radiotherapy is reserved for residual or recurrent patients. Recent advance in endoscopic sinus surgery has allowed successful, noninvasive excision of many sinonasal tumors with low morbidity.The authors herein report, what we believe, the most extensive case of posterior nasal septal chondrosarcoma with the longest follow-up period that was completely excised endoscopically with no evidence of local or systemic recurrence after 5 years. The authors also discuss its relevant clinical presentation, diagnosis, and management.