RESUMO
Background This study aimed to analyze the health and demographic characteristics of blood donors in Makkah, Saudi Arabia, and assess the prevalence and correlation of two markers related to hepatitis B infection: hepatitis B virus surface antigen (HBsAg) and anti-hepatitis B virus surface antibody (HBsAb). Materials and methods The study used a retrospective design and collected data from the Central Blood Bank in Makkah, Saudi Arabia, in 2022. The sample size was 7,875 blood donors. The study used various methods, such as serological testing, nucleic acid testing (NAT), and statistical analysis. The data were analyzed using Pearson correlation to examine the relationships between different variables. Results The predominant age group was 29-39 years, accounting for 46.9% of the total donors. In terms of blood types, O+ve was the most common, representing 40.3% of the donors. The investigation into infectious markers revealed overall low levels of reactivity among donors. For HBsAg, a marker of active hepatitis B infection, only 0.36% of the units were reactive. Conversely, the anti-HBsAb, which indicates immunity to hepatitis B, was reactive in 6.83% of the units. The correlation analysis illuminated some critical relationships. The total number of units tested had a statistically significant, albeit weak, positive relationship with HBsAg reactivity, shown by a Pearson correlation coefficient of 0.030 and a p-value of 0.008. Conversely, the total number of units tested and anti-HBsAb reactivity showed a moderate negative correlation, with a Pearson correlation coefficient of -0.437 and a p-value of less than 0.001. However, no significant correlation was identified between HBsAg and anti-HBsAb reactivity, indicating that active infection and immunity status might not be directly linked. Conclusion This extensive study provides in-depth insights into the sociodemographic characteristics of blood donors and the prevalence of key infectious markers within this population. It underlines the imperative of rigorous screening of blood units, particularly given the low immunity levels to hepatitis B identified. Also, the study showed the importance of screening blood units and vaccinating people against hepatitis B. It also suggested the need for more research on blood safety and infection-immunity relationships.
RESUMO
Background: Paraganglioma of the urinary bladder (PUB) is exceedingly rare, accounting for <0.1% of all urinary bladder tumors. Various challenging treatment options are available. Case Presentation: A 67-year-old female presented with malignant hypertension on four medications for which investigation was done. An observation of having functioning PUB was noted. She was admitted and laparoscopic partial cystectomy was done with the guidance of flexible cystoscopy. She had a smooth postoperative course and was discharged home, then catheter was removed after cystogram. Histopathology confirmed the diagnosis of a bladder paraganglioma. Finally, during the last follow-up, the patient was asymptomatic with controlled blood pressure and normalized catecholamine levels with no evidence of recurrence. Conclusion: PUB is an exceedingly rare tumor that can be managed with minimally invasive techniques such as laparoscopic partial cystectomy with cystoscopy guidance.
