Corona-Associated Mucormycosis: Case Series Reports and Review of the Literature.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, a significant increase in cases of mucormycosis was observed in COVID-19 patients, especially in India, but not exclusively. The presented cases highlight the heterogeneous nature of mucormycosis, emphasizing the importance of recognizing predisposing factors, such as immunosuppression, due to comorbidities or medication. Diagnosing mucormycosis poses a challenge due to nonspecific clinical manifestations, requiring a multidisciplinary approach for accurate diagnosis. Treatment involves a multi-pronged approach centered around the early initiation of antifungal therapy alongside surgical intervention and the management of underlying conditions, with an emphasis on controlling immunosuppression. Understanding the relationship between COVID-19 and predisposing factors for mucormycosis is fundamental for developing prevention and treatment strategies.

B-Type Natriuretic Peptide-A Paradox in the Diagnosis of Acute Heart Failure with Preserved Ejection Fraction in Obese Patients.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: B-type natriuretic peptide (BNP) represents a clinical tool for the diagnosis and prognostic evaluation of acute and chronic heart failure patients. The purpose of this retrospective study was to evaluate BNP values in obese and non-obese patients with acute heart failure with preserved ejection fraction. MATERIALS AND METHODS: In this study, we enrolled 240 patients who presented to the emergency department complaining of acute shortness of breath and fatigue. The patients were divided into two groups according to their body mass index (BMI) values. The BMI was calculated as weight (kilograms) divided by height (square meters). The BNP testing was carried out in the emergency department. RESULTS: Group I included patients with a BMI of <30 kg/m2 and group II included patients with a BMI of ≥30 kg/m2. The average age of the patients was 60.05 ± 5.02 years. The patients in group II were significantly younger compared with those included in group I. Group II included a higher number of women compared to group I. Group I had fewer patients classified within New York Heart Association (NYHA) functional classes III and IV compared with group II. Echocardiography revealed an ejection fraction of ≥50% in all participants. Lower BNP levels were observed in patients from group II (median = 56, IQR = 53-67) in comparison to group I (median = 108.5, IQR = 106-112) (p < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: Obesity and heart failure are continuously rising worldwide. In this retrospective study, we have highlighted the necessity to lower the threshold of BNP levels in obese patients with acute heart failure and preserved ejection fraction.

Optimizing Atrial Fibrillation Care: Comparative Assessment of Anticoagulant Therapies and Risk Factors.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Atrial fibrillation (AF) is a common arrhythmia associated with various risk factors and significant morbidity and mortality. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This article presents findings from a study involving 345 patients with permanent AF. This study examined demographics, risk factors, associated pathologies, complications, and anticoagulant therapy over the course of a year. RESULTS: The results showed a slight predominance of AF in males (55%), with the highest incidence in individuals aged 75 and older (49%). Common risk factors included arterial hypertension (54%), dyslipidemia, diabetes mellitus type 2 (19.13%), and obesity (15.65%). Comorbidities such as congestive heart failure (35.6%), mitral valve regurgitation (60%), and dilated cardiomyopathy (32%) were prevalent among the patients. Major complications included congestive heart failure (32%), stroke (17%), and myocardial infarction (5%). Thromboembolic and bleeding risk assessment using CHA2DS2-VASc and HAS-BLED scores demonstrated a high thromboembolic risk in all patients. The majority of patients were receiving novel oral anticoagulants (NOACs) before admission (73%), while NOACs were also the most prescribed antithrombotic therapy at discharge (61%). CONCLUSIONS: This study highlights the importance of risk factor management and appropriate anticoagulant therapy in patients with AF, to reduce complications and improve outcomes. The results support the importance of tailored therapeutic schemes, for optimal care of patients with AF.

The Multisystem Impact of Long COVID: A Comprehensive Review.

(1) Background: COVID-19 was responsible for the latest pandemic, shaking and reshaping healthcare systems worldwide. Its late clinical manifestations make it linger in medical memory as a debilitating illness over extended periods. (2) Methods: the recent literature was systematically analyzed to categorize and examine the symptomatology and pathophysiology of Long COVID across various bodily systems, including pulmonary, cardiovascular, gastrointestinal, neuropsychiatric, dermatological, renal, hematological, and endocrinological aspects. (3) Results: The review outlines the diverse clinical manifestations of Long COVID across multiple systems, emphasizing its complexity and challenges in diagnosis and treatment. Factors such as pre-existing conditions, initial COVID-19 severity, vaccination status, gender, and age were identified as influential in the manifestation and persistence of Long COVID symptoms. This condition is highlighted as a debilitating disease capable of enduring over an extended period and presenting new symptoms over time. (4) Conclusions: Long COVID emerges as a condition with intricate multi-systemic involvement, complicating its diagnosis and treatment. The findings underscore the necessity for a nuanced understanding of its diverse manifestations to effectively manage and address the evolving nature of this condition over time.

Prevalence and Risk Factors of Metabolic Syndrome: A Prospective Study on Cardiovascular Health.

Background and objectives: This article highlights the relationship between metabolic syndrome and cardiovascular disease, providing a comprehensive overview of its risk factors and prevalence. Metabolic syndrome, characterized by a cluster of interconnected risk factors, significantly increases the risk of developing cardiovascular disease and type II diabetes. Materials and methods: This study, conducted over a one-year period, involved 117 patients aged between 30 and 79 years old. Various parameters were analyzed, such as gender, age, education level, provenance from urban or rural environment, smoking, alcohol consumption, dietary aspects, physical activity, and their contribution to the appearance of metabolic syndrome. Central adiposity and high blood pressure emerged as prominent elements of the condition. Results: The findings underscore the importance of a healthy lifestyle in the prevention and management of metabolic syndrome. Encouraging regular physical activity, maintaining a balanced diet, rich in fresh vegetables and fruits, and avoiding harmful behaviors, such as smoking or alcohol consumption, are essential in reducing the risk of metabolic syndrome and its associated cardiovascular complications. Conclusions: The study highlights the need for public health initiatives, as well as individualized preventive strategies to combat the rising prevalence of metabolic syndrome. Through promoting awareness of its risk factors and implementing effective interventions, healthcare professionals can contribute to better cardiovascular health worldwide. Further research in this area will continue to enhance our understanding of metabolic syndrome and refine preventive and therapeutic approaches for its management.

The Importance of Psychometric and Physical Scales for the Evaluation of the Consequences of Scars-A Literature Review.

BACKGROUND: Scars affect patients after trauma, burns, or surgical procedures and can generate both physical and psychosocial changes. The aesthetic damage represents the modification of a person's physical appearance, in its bodily integrity, causing numerous sufferings and determining social or economic consequences. The aim of this research is to evaluate the advantages and disadvantages offered by the available psychosocial and physical scar scales in assessing the physical, aesthetic, psychosocial, and juridical consequences of scars. This will aid to inform medical examiners about the most valued existing scales to allow them to select the most appropriate instrument to manage their patient. METHODS: A broad search of relevant scientific studies on the psychosocial determinants of post-traumatic and surgical scars was conducted by using the following international database tools: PsycINFO, MedLine Social Science Index, Scopus, Web of Science, published from 1960 until 2022. RESULTS: We analyzed 63 scientific studies to assess the advantages and limits of several psychometric and physical scar evaluation scales. CONCLUSIONS: The researchers analyzed in this review highlight the advantages and limitation of existing instruments, evidencing the demand for future scar evaluation instruments and a scar-assessing algorithm that takes into account the physical, aesthetic, psychosocial, and legal consequences of scars.

Prevalence of Cardiovascular Comorbidities in Patients with Rheumatoid Arthritis.

Background and Objectives: The risk of developing cardiovascular diseases (CVD) in patients suffering from rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is two times higher compared to the general population. The objective of this retrospective study was to determine which cardiovascular complications can appear in men vs. women with rheumatoid arthritis. Early diagnosis and initiation of therapeutic measures to reduce the progression rate of rheumatoid arthritis, while also maintaining an active lifestyle, are the most important problems in young patients. Materials and Methods: We included a number of 200 patients, divided into two groups according to gender (124 women and 76 men) with rheumatoid arthritis, presenting various stages of disease concomitant with cardiovascular complications. We assessed traditional and non-traditional risk factors, as well as electrocardiographic and echocardiographic findings in both groups. Results: All patients presented an atherogenic coefficient over two, indicating a significant risk of atherogenesis. Men had elevated levels of total cholesterol compared with women (≥200 mg/dL; 77.6%-men vs. 25.8%-women, p < 0.001). The participants presented cardiac arrhythmias, especially in the active stage of RA. Women had an increased risk of atrial fibrillation by 2.308 times compared to men (p = 0.020). One of the most important complications found in young women was pulmonary arterial hypertension (p = 0.007). Conclusions: In daily clinical practice, the screening of RA is carried out in sufficiently. This disease is often undiagnosed, and the risk factors remain unassessed. As a result, RA patients continue to present an increased risk of developing CVD.

The morphological characteristics of the physically abused child. Report of a case and literature review.

Child abuse remains a current problem, despite progress in the field of prevention and social assistance. The injuries produced by physical abuse have to be evaluated using scientific methods, in order to be considered as evidences later in Court, but also to ensure the physical and social security of the child. Among the morphological characteristics of the child (on which depends how the lesions are formed, differently in children from adults), there is the strong adherence of the dura mater to the skull bones, this fact preventing the formation of extradural hematomas. Another special aspect is the poor development of skeletal muscle before puberty, which confers poor protection of the internal organs against the traumatic physical agents. This paper presents the particular morphological and histological aspects that can be evidenced by forensic autopsy in children. The study was conducted on a female child, physically assaulted, arrived in the emergency department of the hospital. The death occurred shortly after hospitalization. The investigations revealed multiple external (on the whole body) and internal injuries. According to the statements of those who called the ambulance, the injuries occurred because of falling on the stairs and were considered by the family as being superficial, without requiring medical care. The forensic autopsy, through the external, internal and histopathological examination, highlighted the specific injuries that led to the death, thereby contributing to the elucidation of the tanatogenerative mechanism, of the way the lesions were produced and to the applying the law.

Biomarkers in Cystic Fibrosis Lung Disease - A Review.

Cystic fibrosis is a polymorphic disease, marked by multiple and difficult-to-treat respiratory exacerbations with severe evolution. The lung disease dictates the disease's evolution and it must be diagnosed early and treated accordingly, but the diagnosis is sometimes challenging because of the lack of a sensible tool. In the era of the biomarkers, the need for a sensitive and reliable one would be extremely important, considering that inflammation secondary to infections produce irreversible structural changes in the cystic fibrosis lungs. The present paper reviews the studied biomarkers in inflammation and infection with potential role in cystic fibrosis lung disease.

Unusual extramedullary relapses in a case of common B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia. Case report and review of literature.

BACKGROUND: Acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) represents the most common malignancy in children with an overall cure rate of 85%. Relapses occur in 20% of the cases. Commonly, extramedullary relapses (EMRs) involve central nervous system (CNS) or testes. Unusual EMRs in ALL are relatively rare reported. CASE PRESENTATION: The authors present a 24-year-old woman with ALL, who experienced three unusual EMRs. In 2007, she was diagnosed with B-cell precursor (BCP)-ALL - high-risk (HR) group, and she was treated according to ALL Intercontinental Berlin-Frankfurt-Münster (IC-BFM) 2002∕HR Protocol. She entered complete remission (CR). In 2012, a vaginal wall solid mass infiltrate occurs. Biopsy concluded for EMR of ALL. Chemotherapy was restarted; the patient responded again with CR. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and positron emission tomography∕computed tomography (PET∕CT) examinations during follow-up revealed supraclavicular, mesenteric, and retroperitoneal lymphadenopathies (2014). Pathological examination of the supraclavicular lymph node showed a benign pattern: schwannoma. The patient's evolution worsened, imposing a biopsy from the retroperitoneal tumor which revealed a second EMR of ALL. Again, ALL-REZ BFM 2002 Protocol was started, followed by haploidentical mother-to-child peripheral blood hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT). After suffering a few managed complications related to the transplant, our patient achieved CR again. In 2017, 10 years after the initial diagnosis, the patient presented for the third time an EMR (gastric wall) and eventually died due to progression of the disease. CONCLUSIONS: The patient presented an extremely aggressive type of ALL with three unusual EMRs: vaginal, retroperitoneal and gastric.