Plasmodium vivax (P. vivax) is a protozoan parasite that causes vivax malaria. Disease relapse post-treatment is reported in P. vivax co-infection with other bacterial and parasitic infections, but Plasmodium vivax reactivation is not very common with viral infections. Early recognition and diagnosis of a Plasmodium vivax malaria relapse in a nonendemic region pose a diagnostic dilemma. COVID-19 co-infection compounds this dilemma due to overlapping symptoms. Early diagnosis and treatment are essential for a favorable clinical outcome. We report a middle-aged gentleman with high-grade fever and headaches who had COVID-19 and was found to have a relapse of Plasmodium vivax malaria.

BackgroundAppendicular neuroendocrine tumors (NET, Carcinoid tumors) of the appendix are rare and mostly diagnosed incidentally on the post-operative histopathological examination. NET are usually associated with good 5-year survival rates. We aimed to assess our experience for the diagnosis and management of NET over 11 years.MethodIt is a retrospective chart review of all clinically suspected patients with acute appendicitis who underwent emergent appendectomy with intention to treat between January 2004–December 2014, and were clinically followed up until 2016.ResultsDuring the study period, a total of 13641 patients underwent emergency appendectomy, of which 32 were histologically confirmed NET. The mean age of the NET cases was 25.3 ± 7.9 years; 78% were males and all were clinically presented with acute appendicitis. The mean leucocyte was 15 ± 14 × 109 per Liter, and mean tumor size was 4.86 ± 3.18 (ranged 1.5–13) mm. The median length of hospital stay was 4 (2–15) days. One patient had right hemicolectomy; diagnosed with right colonic cancer with NET being an incidental finding as part of histopathological assessment. Another patient required a second stage procedure; he was diagnosed as goblet cell carcinoid with positive margin. None of the patients died 30-day postoperatively and all of them survived on clinical follow-up that ranged between 2 and 13 years.ConclusionCarcinoid tumors of the appendix are rare and typically diagnosed incidentally. Detailed examination of routine appendectomy specimens is the key for diagnosis. Simple appendectomy suffices for tumors <2 cm for adequate clearance. Appendicular carcinoid tumors are associated with good long-term outcomes.

Human papillomavirus (HPV) has been implicated in the etiology of a variety of human cancers. Studies investigating the presence of high-risk (HR) HPV in breast tissue have generated considerable controversy over its role as a potential risk factor for breast cancer (BC). This is the first investigation reporting the prevalence and type distribution of high-risk HPV infection in breast tissue in the population of Qatar. A prospective comparison blind research study herein reconnoitered the presence of twelve HR-HPV types’ DNA using multiplex PCR by screening a total of 150 fresh breast tissue specimens. Data obtained shows that HR-HPV types were found in 10% of subjects with breast cancer; of which the presence of HPV was confirmed in 4/33 (12.12%) of invasive carcinomas. These findings, the first reported from the population of Qatar, suggest that the selective presence of HPV in breast tissue is likely to be a related factor in the progression of certain cases of breast cancer.

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