Post-Traumatic Cilia Remaining Inert in the Posterior Chamber for 50 Years.

Intraocular foreign body injuries (IOFB) can lead to a number of intraocular pathologies; the visual results depend on the mechanism of the injury, the type of foreign body and the subsequent complications. The presence of intraocular cilia (eye lashes) following penetrating injury or surgical intervention is uncommon. In the present paper, we present a case of a 58-year-old woman with a history of eye trauma and a perforated corneal wound in the left eye that occurred 50 years ago. On the ophthalmological exam we noticed in the anterior chamber a straight linear extension, resembling cilia, extending behind the iris. The patient reports that it appeared during COVID-19 infection, after repeated episodes of coughing. After a follow-up period, we decided to remove the eyelash; 24 h after surgery, the patient complained of severe eye pain. Intraocular pressure (IOP) in LE was 54 mmHg. The slit-lamp examination showed perikeratic congestion, corneal edema and mydriasis. Eye hypotensive treatment was started immediately and the patient's general condition slightly improved. Intraocular cilia can be tolerated for many years without causing any ocular reaction. The decision for surgical intervention must be taken according to the individual needs of the patient and his ocular characteristics with careful pre- and post-operative follow up.

Respiratory Nasal Mucosa in Chronic Rhinosinusitis with Nasal Polyps versus COVID-19: Histopathology, Electron Microscopy Analysis and Assessing of Tissue Interleukin-33.

(1) Background: Chronic rhinosinusitis with nasal polyps (CRSwNP) is one of the most studied rhinological disorders. Modifications of the respiratory nasal mucosa in COVID-19 patients are so far unknown. This paper presents a comparative morphological characterization of the respiratory nasal mucosa in CRSwNP versus COVID-19 and tissue interleukin (IL)-33 concentration. (2) Methods: We analyzed CRSwNP and COVID-19 samples through histopathology, scanning and transmission electron microscopy and performed proteomic determination of IL-33. (3) Results: Histopathologically, stromal edema (p < 0.0001) and basal membrane thickening (p = 0.0768) were found more frequently in CRSwNP than in COVID-19. Inflammatory infiltrate was mainly eosinophil-dominant in CRSwNP and lymphocyte-dominant in COVID-19 (p = 0.3666). A viral cytopathic effect was identified in COVID-19. Scanning electron microscopy detected biofilms only in CRSwNP, while most COVID-19 samples showed microbial aggregates (p = 0.0148) and immune cells (p = 0.1452). Transmission electron microscopy of CRSwNP samples identified biofilms, mucous cell hyperplasia (p = 0.0011), eosinophils, fibrocytes, mastocytes, and collagen fibers. Extracellular suggestive structures for SARS-CoV-2 and multiple Golgi apparatus in epithelial cells were detected in COVID-19 samples. The tissue IL-33 concentration in CRSwNP (210.0 pg/7 µg total protein) was higher than in COVID-19 (52.77 pg/7 µg total protein) (p < 0.0001), also suggesting a different inflammatory pattern. (4) Conclusions: The inflammatory pattern is different in each of these disorders. Results suggested the presence of nasal dysbiosis in both conditions, which could be a determining factor in CRSwNP and a secondary factor in COVID-19.

Assessment of STI screening in Romania using a multiplex PCR technique.

INTRODUCTION: Most sexually transmitted infections (STIs) are curable, but inappropriate treatment can lead to serious complications. The importance of setting up STI screening programs has been highlighted in various studies, the absence of such national programs accounting for the lack of STI statistics in Romania. The purpose of our study was to evaluate multiplex PCR as a screening method for the most common 6 STIs and establish their frequency in a group of symptomatic and asymptomatic patients. We aimed to highlight STI associations and correlations between STI pathogens and symptomatology, demographic status, antecedents or sexual partners. METHODOLOGY: A total of 249 patients, both symptomatic and asymptomatic, were included in this study. Chlamydia trachomatis (CT), Neisseia gonorrhoeae (NG), Trichomonas vaginalis (TV), Ureaplasma urealyticum (UU), Mycoplasma hominis (MH) and Mycoplasma genitalium (MG) were all identified in urine samples via multiplex Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR). The SPSS IBM program was employed for statistical analysis. RESULTS: 32.12% of the patients were found positive, some presenting multiple infections. The results are representative for the Romanian male population. 107 STI pathogens were identified, most frequent being CT, UU and NG. Several statistical correlations between patient characteristics and the presence of STIs have been demonstrated. CONCLUSIONS: The results suggest that multiplex PCR meets all the prerequisites for a screening method, allowing the use of multiple specimens and enabling simultaneous detection of multiple pathogens in a short period of time. STI identification via multiplex PCR proved to be an effective method for quantifying their frequency in Romania.