A 12-year-old Somalian girl presented with chronic kidney disease and died as a result of female genital mutilation- A case report.

The tradition of female genital mutilation (FGM) is practiced in many African countries, including Somalia. FGM is responsible for several short and long-term complications that can negatively influence vital and functional prognosis. We present a case of a 12-year-old girl subjected to FGM who developed urethral meatus stenosis, exacerbated by chronic renal failure and urine infection, leading to her death from a combination of complications. FGM complications, sometimes fatal, remain in developing nations. The fight against these practices must be stepped up, supported by public awareness, education, and communication efforts.

Clinical characteristics and outcomes of patients hospitalized with measles during an outbreak in Somalia.

Objectives: Measles is a contagious disease associated with significant morbidity and mortality. This paper describes the clinical characteristics and outcomes of patients hospitalized with measles during an outbreak in Somalia from January 2018 to December 2021. Methods: This retrospective study was conducted at Mogadishu Somalia Turkey Recep Tayyip Erdogan Training and Research Hospital. Children aged 6 months to 17 years who were hospitalized with clinical signs and symptoms of measles and its complications were recruited. Results: In total, 110 participants were enrolled. The median age was 16 [interquartile range (IQR) 12-36] years, and 87 (79.1%) were male. All participants presented with fever, typical measles rash, cough and conjunctivitis, and 43 (39.1%) had received the measles vaccine. Overall, 104 (94.6%) participants were admitted with severe respiratory symptoms, and six (5.4%) were admitted due to poor feeding and/or significant dehydration. Overall, all-cause mortality was 1.8% (n=2). The median duration of hospitalization was longer among participants who died compared with those who survived [11 (IQR 8-14) vs 4 (IQR 2-6) days; P=0.046]. Unvaccinated participants were significantly younger than vaccinated participants [36 (IQR 24-72) vs 12 (IQR 9-16) months; P<0.001]. There was a trend towards higher mortality [0/43 (0%) vs 2/67 (3%); P=0.519] and longer length of hospitalization [3 (IQR 2-6) vs 4 (IQR 3-7) days; P=0.056] among unvaccinated participants compared with vaccinated participants. Both the median total leukocyte count [5.7 (IQR 3.9-8.5) vs 11.6 (IQR 5.9-46.3) x 109/L; P<0.001] and platelet count [239 (IQR 202-358) vs 308 (IQR 239-404) x 109/L; P=0.032] were significantly higher among unvaccinated participants compared with vaccinated participants. However, the median haemoglobin concentration was significantly higher among vaccinated participants compared with unvaccinated participants [11.1 (IQR 9.9-12.3) vs 10.1 (IQR 9.1-11.2) g/dL; P=0.006]. Conclusions: Patients with measles in Somalia have a short hospital stay, low mortality rate and low vaccination rate. Timely vaccination and the need for improved care of patients with measles, particularly vulnerable groups including children and those with undernutrition, are encouraged.

Spontaneous Rupture of Unscarred Uterus in a Term Primagravida with Lethal Skeletal Dysplasia Fetus (Thanatophoric dysplasia). A Case Report and Review of the Literature.

Background and Importance:  Spontaneous uterine rupture, especially in an unscarred uterus, is a rare pregnancy complication that can cause severe morbidity and mortality in both the mother and the fetus. The vast majority of uterine ruptures occur in the presence of a previous uterine scar, most commonly from a previous cesarean delivery. To our knowledge, here we reported the first case of spontaneous rupture of unscarred uterus in a term primigravida secondary to lethal skeletal dysplasia fetus (Type 1 Thanatophoric dysplasia) faced by a practicing clinician in an underdeveloped country (Somalia) with a successful outcome. Case Presentation:  The patient was 24 yrs. Old Primagravida, at 40 weeks gestation by LMP, presented with abdominal pain and active vaginal bleeding; she did not receive antenatal care during pregnancy; after initial abdominal ultrasonography and vaginal examination, laparotomy was performed due to high suspicion of uterine rupture. After dead fresh fetal extraction, the uterine defect was repaired successfully, and the patient was discharged home in good condition after several days. Conclusion:  Through this case, we would like to highlight the urgent need to focus on and recognize the importance of receiving antenatal care in the community so that the burden of thousands of lives lost each year can be reduced.

49-years-old women with unusual presentation of severe hypokalemia mimicking Guillain-Barré Syndrome: A rare case report.

Acute neuromuscular weakness with associated subsequent developing respiratory failure is common neurological emergency in all emergency departments worldwide. Guillain-Barré Syndrome (GBS) remains the most common cause of acute ascending quadriplegia presents with ascending muscle weakness associated with paresthesia and loss of deep tendon reflexes and usually preceeded by diarrheal illness or upper airway infection. Here we report 49-year-old female presented with rapidly progressing, ascending quadraparesis for 48 hours duration with subsequently complicated by respiratory paralysis due to severe hypokalemia.

Determinants of Disagreement with Female Genital Mutilation Among Mothers.

Aim: Female genital mutilation (FGM) is widely practiced in Somalia. Limited data are available on the attitude of the Somalia community regarding FGM. The present study aimed to explore the attitude of mothers toward the practice of FGM. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted from March to July 2021 among mothers attending outpatient clinics at a tertiary referral hospital in Mogadishu, Somalia. Results: A total of 247 participants were included, 65.2% of whom believed this practice should be continued. The most cited reason reported regarding FGM was a requirement for religion (90.7%). About 73.9% of mothers stated that the most cited reason reported regarding the abandonment of FGM was health complications. About 59.8% of the study participants thought that FGM could be stopped through education. The results revealed that women who graduated from primary school (OR: 2.21; 95% CI: 1.090-4.51), who had no social media account (OR: 2.305; 95% CI: 1.147-4.633), and women who were circumcised by a traditional birth attendant (OR: 4.55; 95% CI: 1.57-13.22) were more likely to think that FGM should be continued compare with their counterparts. Conclusions: We found that mothers who were less educated, had no social account and those circumcised by a traditional birth attendant had more positive attitudes toward FGM.

Correct Patient Centering Increases Image Quality without Concomitant Increase of Radiation Dose during Adult Intracranial Computed Tomography.

PURPOSE: To evaluate the impact of patient centering and radiation dose during intracranial computed tomography (ICT) on quantitative and qualitative image quality. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A total of 500 consecutive patients who underwent ICT were retrospectively reviewed using a 128-slice CT scanner (Definition AS+, Siemens, Germany). Patients were subjected in equal numbers to one of two positioning protocols: group A, poorly centered; and group B involved accurate centering before imaging. Gray-white matter (GWM) conspicuity, contrast-to-noise ratio (CNR), and signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) in each group were calculated. Qualitative image quality in terms of GWM differentiation, distinctness of posterior fossa contents, and overall diagnostic acceptability were evaluated by 2 neuroradiologists. The dose length product, CNR, SNR, and noise were measured between each group and data generated were compared using Mann-Whitney U nonparametric statistics. Visual grading characteristic and Kappa analyses were performed. RESULTS: The mean noise index was significantly lower in group B (2.61 ± 0.29) compared with A (2.66 ± 0.21; P < .02). The mean attenuation of GWM, SNR, and CNR in the frontal lobe (A, 1:0.77, 0.84, 8.70 ± 1.36; and B, 1:0.65, 0.85, 15.32 ± 1.21; P < .02), occipital lobe (A, 1:1.10, 1.18, 10.79±2.11; and B, 1:0.94, 0.64, 14.41 ± 3.09; P < .04), and cerebellum (A, 1:0.79, 0.90, 12.56 ± 4.08; and B, 1:0.82, 0.87, 14.07 ± 2.28; P < .04) were significantly higher in group B compared with A, while the globus pallidus, caudate nucleus, and optic track in the basal ganglia demonstrated no difference in each group (P > .05). Mean dose length product demonstrated no significance between each group (A, 1312.03 ± 133.92; B, 1298.11 ± 130.61). The qualitative analyses demonstrated significant increases in visual grading characteristic for each reader (P < .02) and interobserver agreement was significantly increased in protocol B (k = 0.81) compared with A (k = 0.62). CONCLUSIONS: Correct patient centering increases the CNR and SNR in both GWM in the left and right hemispheres of the brain during ICT.

Extragenital gonorrhea and chlamydia testing and infection among men who have sex with men--STD Surveillance Network, United States, 2010-2012.

BACKGROUND: Gonorrhea (GC) and chlamydia (CT) are the most commonly reported notifiable diseases in the United States. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends that men who have sex with men (MSM) be screened for urogenital GC/CT, rectal GC/CT, and pharyngeal GC. We describe extragenital GC/CT testing and infections among MSM attending sexually transmitted disease (STD) clinics. METHODS: The STD Surveillance Network collects patient data from 42 STD clinics. We assessed the proportion of MSM attending these clinics during July 2011-June 2012 who were tested and positive for extragenital GC/CT at their most recent visit or in the preceding 12 months and the number of extragenital infections that would have remained undetected with urethral screening alone. RESULTS: Of 21 994 MSM, 83.9% were tested for urogenital GC, 65.9% for pharyngeal GC, 50.4% for rectal GC, 81.4% for urogenital CT, 31.7% for pharyngeal CT, and 45.9% for rectal CT. Of MSM tested, 11.1% tested positive for urogenital GC, 7.9% for pharyngeal GC, 10.2% for rectal GC, 8.4% for urogenital CT, 2.9% for pharyngeal CT, and 14.1% for rectal CT. More than 70% of extragenital GC infections and 85% of extragenital CT infections were associated with negative urethral tests at the same visit and would not have been detected with urethral screening alone. CONCLUSIONS: Extragenital GC/CT was common among MSM attending STD clinics, but many MSM were not tested. Most extragenital infections would not have been identified, and likely would have remained untreated, with urethral screening alone. Efforts are needed to facilitate implementation of extragenital GC/CT screening recommendations for MSM.

HIV testing among patients infected with Neisseria gonorrhoeae: STD Surveillance Network, United States, 2009-2010.

We used data from the STD Surveillance Network to estimate HIV testing among patients being tested or treated for gonorrhea. Of 1,845 gonorrhea-infected patients identified through nationally notifiable disease data, only 51% were tested for HIV when they were tested or treated for gonorrhea. Among the 10 geographic sites in this analysis, the percentage of patients tested for HIV ranged from 22-63% for men and 20-79% for women. Nearly 33% of the un-tested patients had never been previously HIV-tested. STD clinic patients were more likely to be HIV-tested than those in other practice settings.

Epidemiology of schistosomiasis in Gezira area Central Sudan and analysis of cytokine profiles

OBJECTIVE@#To determine and compare anti-schistosoma IgG, interleukin-10 (IL-10) and interferon-γ(IFN-γ) levels in the serum of patients and endemic controls and to investigate the epidemiological situation of Al-Hebaika village in the northern part of Gezira Agricultural Irrigation Scheme in 2005.@*METHODS@#During 2005 survey, serum were collected from 118 villagers. Sixty eight were parasitological positive (patients), and 50 were negative (endemic controls). Indirect ELISA was used to measure and compare the levels of immunoglobulin G (IgG) against Schistsoma mansoni (S. mansoni) soluble worm antigen (SWA) in the patients and endemic control groups from the village and compared with 20 healthy non endemic controls. Sandwich ELISA was also used to measure and compare IL-10 and IFN-γ in the serum of the selected groups.@*RESULTS@#The overall prevalence of S. haematobium was 20.0% and 0.9% in the first and the second surveys respectively, while the intensity of infection was the same in the two surveys 1.38 [geometric mean egg count (GMFC)]. The overall prevalence of S. mansoni infection was 68.5% and 15.4%, while the intensity of infection was 2.75 (GMEC) and 1.70 (GMEC) in the two surveys respectively. IgG reactivity against SWA showed no significant difference between Schistosoma positive patients and endemic controls. However, there were high significant differences between each of these two groups and the non endemic control group (P= 0,000). Schistosoma patients and exposed controls had significantly higher IL-10 concentration compared with non endemic controls. While endemic controls showed significantly higher IFN-γ concentration than patients (P = 0.000). Also there was very significant difference between IFN-γ levels of each of patients endemic controls and that of the non endemic controls (P = 0.003).@*CONCLUSIONS@#The study concluded that IFN-γ has a role in the natural resistant to schistosoma mansoni infection. The prevalence and intensity of S. mansoni in the Gezira Irrigation Scheme was greatly reduced. S. haematobium has disappeared from the area.