HIV status and knowledge of cervical cancer among women in Ghana.

BACKGROUND: Cervical cancer remains a disease of significant concern to women's health. The aim of this study was to identify predictors of knowledge of cervical cancer among women living with HIV and those with negative or unknown HIV status at the Cape Coast Teaching Hospital (CCTH). METHODS: This study was based on a larger hospital-based analytical cross-sectional study conducted at the antiretroviral therapy (ART) and gynaecology clinics of the Cape Coast Teaching Hospital in Ghana. Participants were women living with HIV (WLHIV) and women without HIV or whose status was unknown, aged 25 to 65 years, seeking healthcare. Data were collected with a questionnaire and analysed using frequencies, percentages, Chi-square test, binary logistic regression and multivariate analysis. RESULTS: The mean age was 39.5 years (± 9.8) and 47.2 years (± 10.7) for women without or unknown HIV and WLHIV, respectively. HIV-negative/unknown women were mostly nulligravida (76%) and nullipara (69%), while WLHIV mostly had pregnancies (76%) and children (84%) in excess of seven. Knowledge of cervical cancer was statistically significantly associated with HIV status (X2 = 75.65; P-value = 0.001). The odds of having knowledge of cervical cancer for women considered to be negative/unknown for HIV were about three times (AOR = 3.07; 95% CI = 1.47, 6.41) higher than their compatriots with HIV. Women with post-secondary/tertiary (AOR = 4.45; 95% CI = 2.11, 9.35) education had significantly higher odds of having knowledge of cervical cancer than those with no education or those with just primary education. CONCLUSIONS: To improve knowledge of cervical cancer among women, an intentionally structured health education programme is needed, particularly for WLHIV, those with lower levels of education and the unemployed.

Embryonal tumor with multilayered rosettes in a teenager.

BACKGROUND: Embryonal tumor with multilayered rosettes (ETMR), NOS/C19MC- altered, is a rare and recently classified highly aggressive malignant brain tumor in the 2021 World Health Organization (WHO) classification of tumors of the central nervous system 5th edition. They are mostly diagnosed in children before the age of three years. Most of them are located in the supratentorial region. Prior to the reclassification of ETMR as a single entity, three distinct tumors, namely, embryonal tumor with abundant neuropil and true rosettes (ETANTR), ependymoblastoma (EBL) and medulloepithelioma (MEPL) were recognized. Recent studies showed that all the three entities have multilayered rosettes on morphology, sharing a common amplification of the C19MC locus at the chromosome 19q13.42 by fluorescence in situ hybridization, and highly specific immunohistochemical staining for LIN28A rendered their reclassification as a single entity. REPORT: A 13-year-old girl was rushed to the emergency room unconscious, with no return of spontaneous circulation after cardiopulmonary resuscitation. Autopsy revealed a left cerebellar hemisphere hemorrhagic tumor which histopathological examination revealed a multilayered ependymoblastic rosettes with abundant neuropil. The multilayered rosettes showed reactivity for vimentin but non-reactivity for pan-cytokeratin, the zones with abundant neuropil were reactive for synaptophysin consistent with a diagnosis of embryonal tumor with abundant neuropil and true rosettes now ETMR, NOS (WHO Grade 4) due to the lack of genetic testing for amplification of C19MC. CONCLUSION: ETMR is a highly aggressive CNS embryonal tumor with extremely poor prognosis. It should be considered in the differential diagnosis of pediatric brain tumors. Multilayered rosettes are a useful clue to histologic diagnosis.

Embryonal tumor with multilayered rosettes in a teenager

ABSTRACT Background Embryonal tumor with multilayered rosettes (ETMR), NOS/C19MC- altered, is a rare and recently classified highly aggressive malignant brain tumor in the 2021 World Health Organization (WHO) classification of tumors of the central nervous system 5th edition. They are mostly diagnosed in children before the age of three years. Most of them are located in the supratentorial region. Prior to the reclassification of ETMR as a single entity, three distinct tumors, namely, embryonal tumor with abundant neuropil and true rosettes (ETANTR), ependymoblastoma (EBL) and medulloepithelioma (MEPL) were recognized. Recent studies showed that all the three entities have multilayered rosettes on morphology, sharing a common amplification of the C19MC locus at the chromosome 19q13.42 by fluorescence in situ hybridization, and highly specific immunohistochemical staining for LIN28A rendered their reclassification as a single entity. Report: A 13-year-old girl was rushed to the emergency room unconscious, with no return of spontaneous circulation after cardiopulmonary resuscitation. Autopsy revealed a left cerebellar hemisphere hemorrhagic tumor which histopathological examination revealed a multilayered ependymoblastic rosettes with abundant neuropil. The multilayered rosettes showed reactivity for vimentin but non-reactivity for pan-cytokeratin, the zones with abundant neuropil were reactive for synaptophysin consistent with a diagnosis of embryonal tumor with abundant neuropil and true rosettes now ETMR, NOS (WHO Grade 4) due to the lack of genetic testing for amplification of C19MC. Conclusion: ETMR is a highly aggressive CNS embryonal tumor with extremely poor prognosis. It should be considered in the differential diagnosis of pediatric brain tumors. Multilayered rosettes are a useful clue to histologic diagnosis.

Postmortem diagnosis of COVID-19: Antemortem challenges of three cases at the 37 Military Hospital, Accra, Ghana.

BACKGROUND: Consistency among clinical symptoms, laboratory results and autopsy findings can be a quality measure in the diagnosis of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). There have been classic clinical cases that have met the case definition of COVID-19 but real-time reverse-transcription polymerase chain reaction (rRT-PCR) tests of nasopharyngeal swabs were negative. OBJECTIVES: This study aimed to share pathological observations of autopsies performed at the 37 Military Hospital's Department of Anatomical Pathology on three presumed COVID-19 cases in Accra, Ghana. METHOD: Complete autopsies with detailed gross and histopathological analysis were conducted between April 2020 and May 2020 on three suspected COVID-19 cases, of which two had initial negative (rRT-PCR) nasopharyngeal tests. Postmortem bronchopulmonary samples of two cases were collected and tested by rRT-PCR for severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). RESULTS: The two postmortem bronchopulmonary samples tested for SARS-CoV-2 by rRT-PCR were positive. Though no postmortem bronchopulmonary sample was taken from the third case, a close contact tested positive for SARS-CoV-2 in later contact tracing. For all three cases, lung histopathological findings were consistent with Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome. CONCLUSION: The outcome of COVID-19 testing is dependent on the sample type and accuracy of sampling amongst other factors. Histopathological findings vary and may be dependent on a patient's modifying factors, as well as the duration of infection. More autopsies are required to fully understand the pathogenesis of this disease in Ghanaians.

Options in human papillomavirus (HPV) detection for cervical cancer screening: comparison between full genotyping and a rapid qualitative HPV-DNA assay in Ghana.

BACKGROUND: Modern cervical cancer screening increasingly relies on the use of molecular techniques detecting high-risk oncogenic human papillomavirus (hr-HPV). A major challenge for developing countries like Ghana has been the unavailability and costs of HPV DNA-based testing. This study compares the performance of careHPV, a semi-rapid and affordable qualitative detection assay for 14 hr-HPV genotypes, with HPV genotyping, for the detection of cytological cervical squamous intraepithelial lesions (SIL). METHODS: A study comparing between frequency matched HIV-1 seropositive and HIV-seronegative women was conducted in the Cape Coast Teaching Hospital, Ghana. A systematic sampling method was used to select women attending clinics in the hospital. Cervical samples were tested for HPV by careHPV and Anyplex-II HPV28 genotyping assay, and by conventional cytology. RESULTS: A total of 175 paired results (94 from HIV-1 seropositive and 81 from HIV-seronegative women) were analyzed based on the ability of both tests to detect the 14 hr-HPV types included in the careHPV assay. The inter-assay concordance was 94.3% (95%CI: 89.7-97.2%, kappa = 0.88), similar by HIV serostatus. The careHPV assay was equally sensitive among HIV-1 seropositive and seronegative women (97.3% vs. 95.7%, p = 0.50) and slightly more specific among HIV-seronegative women (85.0% vs. 93.1%, p = 0.10). careHPV had good sensitivity (87.5%) but low specificity (52.1%) for the detection of low SIL or greater lesions, but its performance was superior to genotyping (87.5 and 38.8%, respectively). Reproducibility of careHPV, tested on 97 samples by the same individual was 82.5% (95%CI: 73.4-89.4%). CONCLUSIONS: The performance characteristics of careHPV compared to genotyping suggest that this simpler and cheaper HPV detection assay could offer a suitable alternative for HPV screening in Ghana.

Erratum to: Options in human papillomavirus (HPV) detection for cervical cancer screening: comparison between full genotyping and a rapid qualitative HPV-DNA assay in Ghana.

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.1186/s40661-017-0041-1.].

Assessment of iodine status among pregnant women in a rural community in ghana - a cross sectional study.

BACKGROUND: Pregnancy is associated with parallel increase in both iodine, and thyroid hormone requirements suggesting that, there may be the need for additional iodine intake during this period to prevent potential iodine insufficiency. Medically, an excess or reduced intake of this micronutrient has negative effects on the individual's health. This study aimed at identifying the pattern of iodine levels among pregnant women at Kissi, Ghana. METHOD: A cross-sectional study was carried out among pregnant women on antenatal care at Kissi Health Centre (KHC) which serves the rural town with a population of about 4,500, located in the Komenda/Edina/Eguafo/Abirem (KEEA) municipality in the Central Region of Ghana. Demographic information, iodated salt usage and other pertinent information such as tobacco use were captured using a questionnaire. In addition, urine iodine concentration was estimated through the Ammonium per sulfate method after collecting on-the-spot urine samples. RESULTS: Prevalence of iodine deficiency in pregnant women was 42.5 %. Of the 80 participants who were on iodized salt, only 16.25 % had mild iodine deficiency with none suffering from moderate or severe iodine deficiency. Of the 40 participants who did not use iodized salt, 35 %, 30 %, and 30 % suffered from severe, moderate and mild iodine deficiency respectively. CONCLUSION: The high prevalence of iodine deficiency reported in this study suggests that urgent national measures are required to correct iodine insufficiency in pregnant women in these communities.

Postmortem diagnosis of COVID-19: Antemortem challenges of three cases at the 37 Military Hospital, Accra, Ghana

Background: Consistency among clinical symptoms, laboratory results and autopsy findings can be a quality measure in the diagnosis of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). There have been classic clinical cases that have met the case definition of COVID-19 but real-time reverse-transcription polymerase chain reaction (rRT-PCR) tests of nasopharyngeal swabs were negative. Objectives: This study aimed to share pathological observations of autopsies performed at the 37 Military Hospital's Department of Anatomical Pathology on three presumed COVID-19 cases in Accra, Ghana. Method: Complete autopsies with detailed gross and histopathological analysis were conducted between April 2020 and May 2020 on three suspected COVID-19 cases, of which two had initial negative (rRT-PCR) nasopharyngeal tests. Postmortem bronchopulmonary samples of two cases were collected and tested by rRT-PCR for severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). Results: The two postmortem bronchopulmonary samples tested for SARS-CoV-2 by rRT-PCR were positive. Though no postmortem bronchopulmonary sample was taken from the third case, a close contact tested positive for SARS-CoV-2 in later contact tracing. For all three cases, lung histopathological findings were consistent with Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome. Conclusion: The outcome of COVID-19 testing is dependent on the sample type and accuracy of sampling amongst other factors. Histopathological findings vary and may be dependent on a patient's modifying factors, as well as the duration of infection. More autopsies are required to fully understand the pathogenesis of this disease in Ghanaians