Aims: This study aimed at establishing the prevalence of some viral Transfusion Transmissible Infectious (TTI) agents among blood donors in the Kintampo North municipality of Ghana. Study Design: A retrospective cross-sectional hospital based study. Place and Duration of Study: The study was conducted at the Laboratory unit of the Kintampo Municipal Hospital between May and August, 2013. Methodology: Archived results (from January 2010 to December 2012) on blood donation from the hospital's laboratory were reviewed manually. Data comprising age, sex and results on HBsAg, anti-HCV and anti-HIV tests of blood donors were reviewed. The data were analyzed using Microsoft excel 2007 statistical package. Results: A total of 3402 people were screened for blood donation. Out of this number 3139 (92.3%) were males while 263 (7.7%) were females. The combined sero-prevalence

Breast cancers that have negative or extremely low expression of estrogen receptor and progesterone receptor and non-amplification of human epidermal growth factor receptor-2 (HER2)/neu are termed triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC). The majority of TNBC tumors belong to the biologically aggressive basal subtype, and they cannot be managed with targeted endocrine or anti-HER2/neu agents. In western, high resource environments, risk factors for TNBC include younger age at diagnosis and hereditary susceptibility. Women of African ancestry in the United States and in continental Africa have higher frequencies of TNBC, prompting speculation that this risk may have an inherited basis and may at least partially explain breast cancer survival disparities related to racial/ethnic identity. Efforts to document and confirm the breast cancer burden of continental Africa have been hampered by the limited availability of registry and immunohistochemistry resources. Our goal was to evaluate the breast cancers diagnosed in one of the largest health care facilities in western Africa, and to compare the frequencies as well as risk factors for TNBC versus non-TNBC in this large referral tertiary hospital. The Korle Bu Teaching Hospital is affiliated with the University of Ghana and is located in Accra, the capital of Ghana. We conducted an institutional, Department of Pathology-based review of the breast cancer cases seen at this facility for the 2010 calendar year, and for which histopathologic specimens were available. The overall study population of 223 breast cancer cases had a median age of 52.4 years, and most had palpable tumors larger than 5 cm in diameter. More than half were TNBC (130; 58.3%). We observed similar age-specific frequencies, distribution of stage at diagnosis and tumor grade among cases of TNBC compared to cases of non-TNBC. Ghanaian breast cancer patients tend to have an advanced stage distribution and relatively younger age at diagnosis compared to Caucasian Americans and African Americans. The triple-negative molecular marker pattern was the most common subtype of breast cancer seen among this sample of Ghanaian women, regardless of age, tumor grade, or stage of diagnosis. Research into the molecular pathogenesis of TNBC may help elucidate the reasons for its increased prevalence among women with African ancestry.

Background: There are no official statistics on hanging as a method of suicide in Ghana. The aim of this study was to describe the proportions of deaths that were due to suicide by hanging, the gender and age characteristics and the type of ligature used and offer recommendations. Material and methods:This was a retrospective autopsy study from 2003 to 2013 in our institution. Results: About 0.34% of all autopsies performed were suicide by hanging. The male: female ratio was 7:1. The mean age of male victims was 35.6 years and that of females was 28.4 years. The modal age group of the females was 10-19 years (33.3%) while that of the males was 20-29 years (29.6%). There were no significant age differences between Male and female (p=0.08), male and the total study population (p=0.08) and also between female and the total population (p=0.73). The commonly used ligature by males was a nylon rope (46.9%), while that for female was electric cable (27.8%). In all 23.0% males and 33.3% females had no stated ligature used. For both males (52.3%) and females (22.2%) the common point of suspension was the branch of a tree. Many of the females have no stated point of suspension (55.6%). There were significant differences with regards to the type of ligature used and the point of suspension between male and female (p=0.018), male and the total study population (p=0.013) and also between female and the total study population (p=0.014). The reasons for suicide by hanging were not stated. There was a case each from the prison custody and the psychiatry hospital in Accra respectively. Conclusion: The study found that 0.34 % of all autopsies performed were suicide by hanging. The victims were mostly younger males. The commonly used ligature was a nylon rope, with tree branch as the point of suspension. As suicide by hanging is becoming common in Ghana, there is the need to develop strategies for its prevention.

No abstract

Background: Teenage pregnancy is a major public health problem worldwide, also in northern Ghana. The aim of this study was to identify factors contributing to the rising trend in teenage pregnancy and the resultant effects. Materials and Methods: This was a cross-sectional study using a quasi-structured questionnaire on 60 pregnant teenagers. Demographic data and factors associated with teenage pregnancy were collected/analyzed. Results: The mean age of respondents was 17.25 ± 1.93 years. Junior high school students or graduates accounted for 55%. About 35% of participants dropped out of school due to pregnancy. The following factors were identified to be associated with teenage pregnancy: low socio-economic status, no/less sexualand reproductive-communication with parents, low level of education, no sexual and reproductive health knowledge, and unsafe sexual behaviours. The consequences of teenage pregnancy identified were: truncation of the girls' education, psychological trauma, and worsening family relationships. The following health consequences were identified; anaemia in pregnancy, severe malaria, hypertension in pregnancy, and prolonged labour. Conclusion: The following factors may account for the rising trend in teenage pregnancy in this area: family-related problem, sociocultural factors, low education level, and the lack of adequate knowledge on reproductive health. Teenage pregnancy caused several problems in themselves and their family members.

Background Follicular thyroid cancer (FTC) has historically been linked to iodine deficiency. Although Ghana is among the iodine deficient regions of the world, the proportions, trends, and the clinical features of FTCs have not been studied as a single disease entity. The aim of this study was to determine the relative frequencies, trends, and the clinicopathological characteristics of FTCs among all thyroid malignancies in our institution. Materials and Methods This was a retrospective study from January 1994 to December 2013. Data were analysed using SPSS software version 23 (Chicago) and Graph pad prism version 5.00. Results Follicular thyroid cancer was the second thyroid malignancy (35.0%) and showed a gradual rise in relative proportions over the period. The male-female ratio was 1 : 1.5. The mean ages were 46.9 (SD ±17.3) for males and 46.4 (SD ±13.3) years for females. Enlarged palpable anterior neck swelling was the commonest symptom in males (86.7%) and females (91.3%) (P = 0.730). Hurthle cell carcinoma was the commonest variant of FTC, with 26.7% males and 10.6% females (P = 0.116). Distant spread was found in 23.3% of males compared to 19.1% of females (P = 0.633). The common sites of distant spread were bones (57.2%) in males and cervical lymph nodes (44.4%) in females (P = 0.106). Conclusion Follicular thyroid cancer was the second common thyroid malignancy (35.0%) with a gradual rise in trend over the study period and male-female ratio of 1.5 : 1. Large anterior neck swelling was the commonest clinical presentation of FTC.

Background. Preoperative diagnosis of immature cystic teratoma can be challenging for clinicians. In this report, we present three cases. Methods. We describe three women aged 10, 20, and 23 years, respectively, who presented with abdominal masses which were diagnosed by abdominal ultrasound as mature cystic teratomas. All women had emergency laparotomy and oophorectomy. Results. Histopathological examination reported these ovarian tumours to be immature cystic teratomas. This case report also provided a brief summary of the clinicopathological features of all ovarian teratomas diagnosed in two centres during the period of review. Conclusion. Immature ovarian teratoma affects primarily younger patients; it is important for clinicians to have a high sense of suspicion whenever the diagnosis of a germ cell tumour is entertained.

Highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) is known to cause lipid abnormalities such as dyslipidaemia in HIV-infected individuals. Yet, dyslipidaemia may not independently occur as it may be worsened by single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in lecithin cholesterol acyltransferase (LCAT) and lipoprotein lipase (LPL). This case–control study was conducted in three-selected hospitals in the Northern part of Ghana. The study constituted a total of 118 HIV-infected participants aged 19–71 years, who had been on HAART for 6–24 months. Dyslipidaemia was defined based on the NCEP-ATP III criteria. HIV-infected individuals on HAART with dyslipidaemia were classified as cases while those without dyslipidaemia were grouped as controls. Lipid profile was measured using an automatic clinical chemistry analyzer and genomic DNA was extracted for PCR (GeneAmp PCR System 2700). Overall, the prevalence of dyslipidaemia was 39.0% (46/118). High levels of low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), total cholesterol (TC), and reduced levels of high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) were observed in all cases. A total of 256 selected PCR amplicons comprising 137 LPL (exons 3, 5 and 6) and 119 LCAT (exons 1, 4, and 6) were sequenced in 46 samples (Inqaba Biotech). Six (6) clinically significant SNPs were identified in exons 1 and 4 for LCAT whereas 25 non-clinically significant SNPs were identified for LPL in exons 5 and 6. At position 97 for LCAT exon 1, there was a deletion of the nucleotide, ‘A’ in 32.5% (13/40) of the sampled population while 67.5% (27/40) of the sample population retained the nucleotide, ‘A’ which was significantly associated with dyslipidaemic outcomes in the study population (p = 0.0004). A total of 25 SNPs were identified in exons 5 and 6 of LPL; 22 were substitutions, and 3 were insertions. However, none of the 25 SNPs identified in LPL exon 5 and 6 were statistically significant. SNPs in LCAT may independently contribute to dyslipidaemia among Ghanaian HIV-infected individuals on HAART, thus, allowing genetic and/or functional differential diagnosis of dyslipidaemia and creating an opportunity for potentially preventive options.