Post-COVID-19 syndrome among healthcare workers in Jordan.

Background: Post-COVID-19 syndrome covers a wide range of new, recurring or ongoing health conditions, which can occur in anyone who has recovered from COVID-19. The condition may affect multiple systems and organs. Aims: To evaluate the frequency and nature of persistent COVID-19 symptoms among healthcare providers in Jordan. Methods: Post-COVID-19 syndrome refers to symptoms extending beyond 4-12 weeks. We conducted a historical cohort study among 140 healthcare staff employed at the National Center for Diabetes, Endocrinology and Genetics, Amman, Jordan. All of them had been infected with COVID-19 virus during March 2020 to February 2022. Data were collected through face-to-face interviews using a structured questionnaire. Results: Some 59.3% of the study population reported more than 1 persisting COVID-19 symptom, and among them 97.5%, 62.6% and 40.9% reported more than 1 COVID-19 symptom at 1-3, 3-6 and 6-12 months, respectively, after the acute phase of the infection. Post-COVID-19 syndrome was more prevalent among females than males (79.5% vs 20.5%) (P = 0.006). The most frequent reported symptom was fatigue. Females scored higher on the Fatigue Assessment Scale than males [23.26, standard deviation (SD) 8.00 vs 17.53, SD 5.40] (P < 0.001). No significant cognitive impairment was detected using the Mini-Mental State Examination and the Montreal Cognitive Assessment scales. Conclusion: More than half (59.3%) of the healthcare workers in our study reported post-COVID-19 syndrome. Further studies are needed to better understand the frequency and severity of the syndrome among different population groups.

Breast cancer with scalp metastases: a case report.

BACKGROUND: While breast cancer is the most common cancer in women, cutaneous metastases are rare in breast cancer. Additionally, scalp involvement in breast cancer metastasis is extremely rare. That being said, scalp lesions should always be thoroughly investigated to distinguish metastatic lesions from other neoplasms. CASE PRESENTATION: A 47-year-old female Middle-Eastern patient presented with metastatic breast cancer in the lungs, bone, liver, and brain with no signs of multiple organ failure, in addition to cutaneous metastases, including the scalp. Between 2017 and 2022, she was managed through modified radical mastectomy, radiotherapy, and several lines of chemotherapy. She presented in September of 2022 with enlarging scalp nodules, which started developing 2 months prior to her presentation. Physical examination revealed firm, non-tender, and immobile skin lesions. Magnetic resonance imaging scan of the head showed soft tissue nodules in different sequences. A punch biopsy was taken from the largest scalp lesion and showed metastatic invasive ductal carcinoma. A panel of immunohistochemistry stains was applied, because a single specific marker for differentiating primary cutaneous adnexal tumors or other malignant neoplasms from breast cancer has not yet been identified. The panel showed positive estrogen receptor 95%, progesterone receptor 5%, negative human epidermal growth factor receptor 2, positive GATA binding protein 3, positive cytokeratin-7, negative P63, and negative KIT (CD117). CONCLUSION: Breast cancer metastases to the scalp are extremely uncommon. When a scalp metastasis is present, it might be the only symptomatic sign of disease progression or widespread metastatic lesions. However, such lesions warrant a comprehensive radiologic and pathologic workup to rule out other possibilities of skin pathologies, such as sebaceous skin adenocarcinoma as it effects the management plan.

Dyslipidemia among patients with type 2 diabetes in Jordan: Prevalence, pattern, and associated factors.

Objectives: To determine the prevalence and patterns of dyslipidemia and its associated risk factors among patients with type 2 diabetes attending the National Center for Diabetes, Endocrinology, and Genetics (NCDEG). Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted at the NCDEG in Amman, Jordan. A total of 971 patients with type 2 diabetes were included during the period September- December 2021. The socio-demographic data were collected through face-to-face interview questionnaire and anthropometric and clinical data were abstracted from medical records. The last three readings of lipid profile and HbA1C were abstracted from the medical records. Results: The overall prevalence of dyslipidemia among type 2 diabetic patients was 95.4%. The most common type of dyslipidemia was combined dyslipidemia (37.1%), with high triglycerides and low HDL-c (19.0%) being the most frequent type. Factors associated with hypercholesterolemia were diabetes duration ≤ 10 years, poor compliance to a statin, and HbA1c level (7-8%) (P-values: 0.008, 0.001, 0.021, respectively). Moreover, smoking and poor compliance with statin therapy were associated with high LDL-c level (P-values: 0.046 and 0.001, respectively). The presence of hypertension, high waist circumference, HbA1c level >8%, and diabetes duration ≤ 10 years were all associated with high triglyceride level (P-values: 0.008, 0.016, 0.011, and 0.018, respectively). Hypertension and HbA1c level >8% were associated with low HDL-c level (P-values: 0.010 and 0.011, respectively). Conclusion: The combination of high triglyceride and low HDL-c is the commonest lipid abnormality detected in patients with type 2 diabetes. An educational program that emphasizes the importance of adherence to a healthy lifestyle is strongly recommended. Further studies are needed to capture a wide range of factors that might influence dyslipidemia and glycemic control.