Placenta percreta: A rare etiology of spontaneous uterine perforation in the second trimester of pregnancy

Placenta accreta is an abnormal adherence of placenta to the uterine wall without interposition of decidua basalis. Placenta percreta is the rarest form but may complicate the pregnancy with acute severe hemorrhage. We report a case of placenta percreta with multiple perforations of an unscarred uterus reaveled by hemoperitoneum at 22 weeks in a 33-years-old gravida 2 para 1. Emergency total hysterectomy was performed. Risk factors, clinical approach and therapeutic managements are discussed.     

Seasonal Accumulations of Some Heavy Metal in Water,Sediment and Tissues of Black-Chinned Tilapia <Emphasis Type="Italic">Sarotherodon melanotheron</Emphasis> from Biétri Bay in Ebrié Lagoon,Ivory Coast

The seasonal accumulation of cadmium, copper, lead, mercury and zinc was determined in sediments, water, and black-chinned tilapia (Sarotherodon melanotheron; muscle, brain, kidney and liver tissues) collected monthly from Biétri Bay. The mean water concentration of metals (in mg L⁻¹) ranged from 0.01 to 0.30 (mercury), 0.02–0.26 (cadmium), 2.40–4.80 (lead), 9.05–9.68 (copper), and 12.05–19.87 (zinc). The seasonal variations showed a significant difference in the levels of mercury, cadmium and lead among season. The highest mercury (0.30 ± 0.02 μg L⁻¹), cadmium (0.26 ± 0.02 mg L⁻¹) and lead (4.80 ± 1.03 mg L⁻¹) levels were observed during dry season, while the lowest levels (0.21 ± 0.01, 0.02 ± 0.01 and 2.40 ± 0.02 mg L⁻¹, respectively mercury, cadmium and lead) were measured during rainy season. The average cadmium (0.58 ± 0.36 mg L⁻¹), copper (42.15 ± 19.40 mg L⁻¹), lead (58.47 ± 38.10 mg kg⁻¹), mercury (0.79 ± 0.47 μg kg⁻¹) and zinc (187.58 ± 76.99 mg kg⁻¹) concentrations determined in Biétri Bay sediments showed a similar trend as in water. The seasonal variations of mercury, cadmium and lead in tissues revealed that these metals were higher concentrated during dry and swelling seasons. The levels of zinc and copper followed by lead were higher in the tissues. The order of tissues metals concentrations was: kidney > liver > brain > muscle.     

Exhaled breath analysis for early cancer detection: principle and progress in direct mass spectrometry techniques

Abstract Volatile biomarker analysis in exhaled breath is becoming one of the desirable strategies for cancer detection because it may offer a relatively inexpensive, rapid, and non-invasive screening method for early diagnosis. Breath analysis has attracted a considerable amount of scientific and clinical interest over the past decade. However, breath is not yet used for routine medical diagnostic purposes. Challenges faced in the development of breath analysis for cancer diagnosis include developing techniques that can measure biomarkers in exhaled breath at ultratrace levels, providing definitive evidence for their presence and for the relationship between the proposed biomarker and the underlying condition. Various analytical methods are used for the detection of breath biomarkers. Gas chromatography-based methods which involve sample collection, analyte preconcentration, desorption, and separation steps are the most popular. However, direct-sampling mass spectrometry techniques have been proven more reliable for air analysis without prior sample pretreatment or chromatographic separation. This review focuses on the most commonly used direct mass spectrometry methods for the direct online analysis of endogenous cancer biomarkers in exhaled breath, with particular attention to principle of detection, method performance, advantages, shortcomings, recent advances, and applications within health-related studies for cancer biomarkers research. The principle behind the science of breath analysis for cancer diagnosis is also discussed.     

Management of malaria in Togolese communities

The objective of this study was to collect community basis data on prevention and home management of malaria for the future assessment of "Roll Back Malaria", the new world strategy of fighting against malaria. The study was carried out in 3 districts in Togo. Mothers were questioned about the quality of home management of uncomplicated malaria on 951 children aged under 5. Fathers were questioned about the use of mosquito bed nets in 597 households, and 246 women were interviewed about the prevention of malaria during pregnancy. Home management of children under treatment was correct in only 38.1% of cases and the drug observance was followed by only 35.4% of patients. Mosquito nets were used in 30.5% of households and only 16.5% were treated with insecticides. Only 22.7% of children under 5 slept under mosquito nets. 80% women made at least one antenatal visit and 74.4% received regular malaria chemoprophylaxis. Many efforts should be made in Togo to increase the quality of home management of malaria and the use of insecticide-treated bed nets.     

Direct sputa examination limits in tuberculosis active detection in 200 immigrant candidates in United States of America

The C?te-d'Ivoire Pasteur Institute unit of Tuberculous and Nontuberculous Mycobacteria carried out 600 smears stained by Ziehl-Neelsen in 200 immigrant candidates for the U.S.A. The sputa of 44 of them were put in culture on Lowenstein-Jensen medium. Eight (4%) candidates had active pulmonary tuberculosis among whom 5 had smear negative sputum. The pulmonary tuberculosis active detection performed on target population with accessible and sensitive tool can contribute to strengthen the fight against tuberculosis in endemic areas.     

Serological Surveillance of Influenza D Virus in Ruminants and Swine in West and East Africa, 2017–2020

Influenza D virus (IDV) was first isolated in 2011 in Oklahoma, USA from pigs presenting with influenza-like symptoms. IDV is known to mainly circulate in ruminants, especially cattle. In Africa, there is limited information on the epidemiology of IDV, although the virus has likely circulated in the region since 2012. In the present study, we investigated the seropositivity of IDV among domestic ruminants and swine in West and East Africa from 2017 to 2020. Serum samples were analyzed using the hemagglutination inhibition (HI) assay. Our study demonstrated that IDV is still circulating in Africa, with variations in seropositivity among countries and species. The highest seropositivity was detected in cattle (3.9 to 20.9%). Our data highlights a need for extensive surveillance of IDV in Africa in order to better understand the epidemiology of the virus in the region.