Diagnostic Accuracy of Fine-Needle Aspiration Cytology in Cervical Lymphadenopathies at a Tertiary Care Center in the Kingdom of Bahrain.

Introduction  Fine-needle aspiration cytology (FNAC) has become widely used as a first-line diagnostic tool in the evaluation of cervical lymphadenopathies (LADs). However, there are conflicting reports regarding its accuracy in differentiating between malignant and benign pathologies. In this study, we aim to determine the reliability of FNAC in distinguishing between benign and malignant pathologies causing cervical LAD. Methods This is a cross-sectional study reviewing the electronic medical records of all patients who underwent both FNAC and excisional biopsy of cervical LADs between January 2016 and December 2023 at a tertiary care center in the Kingdom of Bahrain. A comparison was conducted between the cytopathological results obtained by FNAC and the histopathological results obtained by excisional biopsy to determine the diagnostic accuracy of FNAC. Results In the study period, 83 patient records were reviewed and included in the data analysis. Fine-needle aspiration cytology yielded a sensitivity of 89.3%, a specificity of 55.6%, a positive predictive value (PPV) of 72.4%, a negative predictive value (NPV) of 80.0%, and an overall accuracy of 74.7% in diagnosing cervical LADs. Conclusion Despite FNAC being accessible, convenient, and cost-effective, it has certain limitations that can restrict its accuracy in diagnosing lymphomas. We recommend further studies to research these limitations and the possible tools, such as ancillary testing, that may be useful in overcoming them.

Atypical squamous cells of undetermined significance cervical cytology in Bahrain: Reporting rates, high-risk HPV testing, and cytologic and histopathologic follow-up findings.

Objective: Atypical squamous cells of undetermined significance cytology (ASC-US) is a challenging and equivocal diagnosis for pathologists in cervical Pap smears. The data on ASC-US cervical cytology in Bahrain are deficient. This study reviewed and identified the reporting rates, high-risk human papillomavirus (HPV) testing results, histopathologic follow-up findings, and the cytologic progression of patients diagnosed with ASC-US in Bahrain. Material and Methods: A retrospective chart review was conducted on the medical records of 23,888 women who had Pap smear test results between January 2019 and March 2022 at the main referral tertiary hospital in Bahrain to identify the ASC-US cases. High-risk HPV (hrHPV) genotype was identified, and the histopathological results of the cervical biopsy was recorded. In addition, cytologic follow-up Pap smear tests conducted within 1 year of ASC-US diagnosis were tracked to monitor the progression or regression of ASC-US. Results: In this study, 259 out of 23,888 women reported to have ASC-UC cytology results with a reporting rate of 1.1%. The mean age of the ASC-US cases was 43 ± 11.6. Thirty percent of the ASC-US cases tested positive for hrHPV, and they were predominantly infected with the other hrHPV genotype (75%). When the histopathological changes of the cervix were analyzed, 82.1% had normal histopathologic findings. However, low-grade cervical intraepithelial neoplasia-1 was reported in 2 cases (7.1%), and high-grade cervical lesions (cervical intraepithelial neoplasia-2 and higher) were reported in 3 cases (10.7%). Regarding the cytologic follow-up, most of the ASC-US cases were negative for intraepithelial lesion or malignancy (NILM) (73.8%) or had persistent ASC-US (17.9%). The remaining minority of cases progressed into either low-grade squamous intraepithelial lesions (6%) or high-grade squamous intraepithelial lesions (2.4%). There was a statistically significant and relatively strong association between the cytology follow-up findings and the hrHPV test results (χ2 [2] = 8.869, P < 0.012, Cramer's V = 0.417). Conclusion: This is the first and largest study to characterize the ASC-US cytology cases in Bahrain. The reporting rates of ASC-US fell within the worldwide reported range. Although most of the ASC-US cases regressed into NILM, ASC-US showed progression into more advanced cervical cytologic diagnoses or contributed to the malignant transformation of cervical tissue, especially in the presence of hrHPV infection which was positive in 30% of the ASC-US cases. This emphasizes the role of cotesting (combination of hrHPV genotyping and Pap smear test) and the importance of colposcopic evaluation of those women with cytologic follow-up tests at 1 year of diagnosis. Implementing these recommendations in the cervical cancer screening practice in Bahrain will help in having a better management plan for women diagnosed with ASC-US cervical cytology.

Safety and efficacy of COVID-19 prime-boost vaccinations: Homologous BBIBP-CorV versus heterologous BNT162b2 boosters in BBIBP-CorV-primed individuals.

BACKGROUND: Booster vaccine doses against SARS-CoV-2 have been advocated to address evidence of waning immunity, breakthrough infection, and the emergence of immune-evasive variants. A heterologous prime-boost vaccine strategy may offer advantages over a homologous approach, but the safety and efficacy of this approach with the mRNA vaccine BNT162b2 (BNT: Pfizer) and inactivated BBIBP-CorV (BBIBT: Sinopharm) vaccines have not been studied. METHODS: We conducted a non-randomized, non-blinded phase II observational community trial acrossBahrain, investigating the reactogenic and immunogenic responseof participants who had previously received two doses of BBIBP, followed by a third booster dose of either BBIBP (homologous booster) or BNT (heterologous booster). Immunogenicity through serological statuswas determined at baseline and on the following 8thweek. Reactogenicity data (safety and adverse events) were collected throughout study period, in addition to participant-led electronic journaling. RESULTS: 305 participants (152 BBIBP and 153 BNT booster) were enrolled in the study,with 246 (127 BBIBP and 119 BNT booster) included in the final analysis. There was a significant increase in anti-SARS-CoV-2 antibody levels post booster administration in both groups; however, the heterologous BNT arm demonstrated a significantly larger mean increase in the level of spike (S) antigen-specific antibodies (32.7-fold increase versus 2.6, p < 0.0001) and sVNT neutralising antibodies (3.4-fold increase versus 1.8, p < 0.0001), whereas the homologous arm demonstrated a significant increase in the levels of nucleocapsid (N) antigen-specific antibodies (3.8-fold increase versus none). Non-serious adverse events (injection site pain, fever, and fatigue) were more commonly reported in the heterologous arm, but no serious adverse events occurred. CONCLUSION: Heterologous prime-boost vaccination with the mRNA BNT162b2 (Pfizer) vaccine in those who had received two doses of inactivated virus BBIBP-CorV (Sinopharm) vaccine demonstrated a more robust immune response against SARS-CoV-2 than the homologous BBIBP booster and appears safe and well tolerated. Clinical Trial Registry Number (ClinicalTrials.gov): NCT04993560.

Palisaded Neutrophilic and Granulomatous Dermatitis in a Patient With Churg-Strauss Syndrome: A Case Report and Literature Review.

Palisaded neutrophilic and granulomatous dermatitis (PNGD) is a rare reaction pattern that is frequently linked to several systemic diseases, including autoimmune disease, inflammatory bowel disease, and vasculitis. Churg-Strauss syndrome (CSS) is an uncommon systemic condition that occurs exclusively in patients with asthma or a history of atopy. It is characterized by extravascular necrotizing granuloma and hypereosinophilia. This case report describes an illustrative case of a 61-year-old Bahraini female who had been diagnosed with CSS and presented with PNGD. The PNGD appeared a few weeks after her oral corticosteroid medication was discontinued. The present case report aims to assist in accurately diagnosing PNGD, as rarely manifested in this case, thus aiding clinicians in improving patient care.

Lung Cancer in Bahrain: Histological and Molecular Features.

OBJECTIVES: To define the histological types of primary lung cancer in Bahrain and to determine prevalence of EGFR and ALK mutation in patients with non-small cell lung carcinoma. METHODS: Data regarding Bahraini patients diagnosed with primary lung cancer between January 2013 and December 2018 were collected from the lab information system in Salmaniya medical complex, Manama, Bahrain. RESULTS: One hundred and forty-three Bahraini patients were diagnosed with lung cancer in the study period. 67.1% of the patients were male. The mean age at diagnosis was 68 years. The most common histological type was adenocarcinoma (58%), followed by squamous cell carcinoma (19%). EGFR mutation was found in 21.5% of non-small cell lung cancer cases with predominance of exon 19 deletions (29%) and exon 21 nucleic acid changes (21%). ALK mutation was found in 10.5% of EGFR negative patients. CONCLUSION: Adenocarcinoma is the most common primary lung cancer in Bahrain. Genetic mutations of EGFR and ALK genes were found in 21.5% and 10.5% of adenocarcinoma cases, respectively.

Splenic lymphangioma in an adult.

Splenic lymphangiomas are exceedingly rare benign neoplasms that occur mainly in children. They are commonly seen in the neck and axillary region. Abdominal lymphangiomas accounts for less than 5% of cases. So far, fewer than 100 cases of spleen lymphangiomas have been reported in the literature. In this paper, we present one case of solitary splenic lymphangioma in a 34-year-old woman who presented with abdominal pain and weight loss for one month. The patient underwent splenectomy and diagnosis was confirmed by histopathology and immunohistochemistry studies. There was no clinical or radiological evidence of diffuse lymphangiomatosis syndrome. This case indicates that splenic lymphangiomas should be considered in the differential diagnosis of splenic cystic masses, even in adults, and should be managed with splenectomy once diagnosed to prevent complications.