Assessing the prevalence and patterns of COVID-19 vaccine side effects among Syrian adults: A cross-sectional study.

Aim: This study aimed to assess the prevalence and patterns of COVID-19 vaccine side effects among Syrian adults, with a focus on the AstraZeneca and Sputnik Light vaccines, in light of the low vaccination rate in Syria (below 18%) attributed to fear of side effects. Method: A cross-sectional study was conducted between January and May 2022, using probability-based and convenient sampling strategies. Data was collected through online, paper, and face-to-face questionnaires that included demographic and vaccine-related questions. Result: Out of 3,766 participants, the majority were female (56.7 %) and aged 18-24 years (53.3 %). Most participants had a university-level qualification (71.2 %) and were related to the medical sector (53.2 %). A significant proportion (47.0 %) received AstraZeneca, Sputnik Light (22.1 %) and Sinopharm (14.7 %). Common side effects included sleepiness and lethargy (50.0 %), fever and chills (45.0 %), and pain/swelling at the injection site (35.9 %). Multivariate logistic regression analysis revealed that male (OR: 0.57, CI: 0.48-0.68) and participants aged 45-65 years (OR: 0.53, CI: 0.40-0.70) were less likely to experience side effects. Participants who believed COVID-19 posed a high threat to their personal life had higher odds of side effects (OR: 1.74, CI: 1.22-2.46). Vaccine type was also associated with side effects, with Sputnik Light (OR: 2.52, CI: 1.85-3.46) and AstraZeneca (OR: 1.61, CI: 1.26-2.05) having increased odds. Conclusion: Our study found that COVID-19 vaccines are well tolerated among the Syrian population, with short-term side effects that typically resolve within three days. These findings are expected to bolster vaccination rates through enhanced public confidence and acceptance.

Coexistence of a huge Brenner's tumour and mucinous cystadenoma in a 62-year-old female: a case report from Syria.

The coexistence of a benign Brenner tumour and a mucinous cystadenoma is rare, and their relationship and origin are still enigmatic and challenging. Case presentation: In this manuscript, the authors report a case of a 62-year-old nulliparous Syrian woman who presented with severe abdominal distension, which was followed by laparotomy and the excision of a 25×20 cm-cyst; its pathological examination confirmed a benign Brenner's tumour and mucinous cystadenoma. Clinical discussion: Ovarian Brenner and mucinous are usually benign and can rarely grow asymptomatically to very big sizes. Herein, the authors aim to emphasize the importance of excluding malignancy by pathology examination. Conclusion: Walthard cell nests undergo metaplasia to give rise to different kinds of Brenner and mucinous neoplasm formations according to their genetic alterations. This paper adds to the available literature, which is still poor, by providing evidence of the first case of this rare combination from Syria with a review of different theories of origin and differential diagnoses. More studies directed towards exploring this combination's genetic origin are needed to boost our understanding of ovarian tumours in general.

Late recurrence of chromophobe renal cell carcinoma to unusual sites after 12 years of radical nephrectomy and radiotherapy: a rare case report from Syria.

In 2020, renal cell carcinoma (RCC) had an incidence of 73 750 new cases. This cancer is well known for its ability to give early and late metastases to some usual and unusual sites. The term 'late recurrence' is widely used to indicate a period exceeding 10 years from curative nephrectomy. This not-understood behaviour is almost specific to RCC, and it happens in a range between 4.3 and 11% of cases of RCC. Case Presentation: We report a case of a 67-year-old nonalcoholic smoker Syrian male presented with a 2-month painful mass located at the left upper posterolateral abdominal wall's region. He has had a history of left chromophobe cell RCC treated with radical nephrectomy with adjuvant radiotherapy for 12 years. In light of computed tomography's findings, a surgical biopsy was performed, and a pathological and immunohistochemical examination confirmed the diagnosis of chromophobe RCC. Clinical Discussion: Malignant cells seeding the surgical cut path and staying dormant for 12 years is the best theory of many to explain our case. Conclusion: We reported evidence for the potential of a relatively indolent histologic type of RCC (i.e. chromophobe cell carcinoma) to cause late recurrence after 12 years to a very rare site (i.e. abdominal wall's superficial muscles). Research should focus on addressing late recurrence to determine the best surveillance protocols; investigating malignant cells seeding during surgery to improve surgical oncology's outcomes; and studying late recurrence's genetics to boost our targeted therapy options.

Fears and misconceptions toward COVID-19 vaccination among Syrian population: A cross-sectional study.

Background and Aims: Despite the significant milestone of vaccine discovery, the spread of misinformation and pseudoscientific claims has resulted in an increasing number of people refusing vaccination in Syria. In this study, we aimed to explore fears and misconceptions towards COVID-19 vaccines among the Syrian population. Methods: We conducted a nationwide cross-sectional study between January and May 2022, using a convenience sample of 10,006 participants aged at least 18 years and living in Syria. We administered a validated online/paper questionnaire and conducted face-to-face interviews. We used SPSS software (version 26) for statistical analysis, assessing our data using frequency and χ 2 tests, with p < 0.05 considered statistically significant. Results: The majority of the participants were female 6048 (60.4%), university degree holders 7304 (73%), and from urban areas 8015 (80.1%). Approximately half of the participants 5021 (50.2%) belonged to the medical sector (49% had concerns about the vaccine). Females, university degree holders, and participants with a history of symptomatic COVID-19 were more likely to have fears about the vaccines. The main concerns about the vaccines were the rapid development, fears of blood clots, and common side effects. The prevalence of some misconceptions was relatively high, such as the belief that the vaccine is an experiment or a secret plan to reduce the population. Reliable sources are crucial to fight misleading information on social media. Conclusion: COVID-19 vaccine is key to controlling the spread, but acceptance rate is critical. High variability in vaccine acceptance and high vaccine hesitancy can affect the efforts to terminate the COVID-19 pandemic. Addressing the barriers associated with the acceptance of COVID-19 vaccination will be the cornerstone to achieving maximum vaccination coverage. It is important to consider the reasons for refusing the COVID-19 vaccine when interpreting the results of any study on vaccine attitudes among the Syrian population.

Breast cancer awareness among women in the Syrian Coast: a cross-sectional study.

Breast cancer is the most common malignancy in women and represents a leading cause of cancer-related mortalities. Females' awareness toward breast cancer is essential for the early diagnosis and detection especially in low and middle-income countries. This study aims to assess the awareness of breast cancer risk factors among females in the Syrian Coast. Methodology: An online cross-sectional survey was conducted among Syrian females during the COVID-19 pandemic. The questionnaire used in the study was derived from the Cancer Research UK questionnaire and modified to fit the perspective of the study. Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) was used for data analysis. The independent samples t-test and the one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) were applied to determine whether there is statistical evidence or any statistically significant differences between the variables. Results: A total of 1305 females participated in the study. The majority aged between 18 and 25, (28.8%) of the participants obtained their information related to breast cancer from internet, (36.7%) of were smokers and (82.8%) had a family member with breast cancer. These results suggested a significant correlation between smoking, family history of cancer, marital status, and breast cancer awareness. Conclusion: This study showed which factors are significantly related to women's awareness of breast cancer risk factors. These results can contribute in the implementation of awareness programs and campaigns, thus raising the level of awareness among women.