BACKGROUND: The purpose of the current study was to examine the impact of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) on various aspects of cytology practice in the Asia-Pacific region. METHODS: An online questionnaire was distributed to cytopathology laboratories in 24 Asia-Pacific countries to explore the impact of restrictive measures on access to health care, use of general and personal protective equipment (PPE), and changes in cytology workflow and workload from February to April 2020. RESULTS: A total of 167 cytopathology laboratories from 24 countries responded to the survey; the majority reported that restrictive measures that limited the accessibility of health care services had been implemented in their cities and/or countries (80.8%) and their hospitals (83.8%). The respondents noted that COVID-19 had an impact on the cytologic workflow as well as the workload. Approximately one-half of the participants reported the implementation of new biosafety protocols (54.5%) as well as improvements in laboratory facilities (47.3%). Rearrangement or redeployment of the workforce was reported in 53.3% and 34.1% of laboratories, respectively. The majority of the respondents reported a significant reduction (>10%) in caseload associated with both gynecological (82.0%) and nongynecological specimens (78.4%). Most laboratories reported no significant change in the malignancy rates of both gynecological (67.7%) and nongynecological specimens (58.7%) compared with the same period in 2019. CONCLUSIONS: The results of the survey demonstrated that the COVID-19 pandemic resulted in a significant reduction in the number of cytology specimens examined along with the need to implement new biosafety protocols. These findings underscore the need for the worldwide standardization of biosafety protocols and cytology practice.
Background: To investigate the protective effects of Tualang honey against the toxicity effects induced by cadmium (Cd) on the ovary. Methods: A total of 32 female Sprague Dawley rats were taken and randomly divided into four groups (n = 8). Throughout the experimental period of 6 weeks, negative control-NC (vehicle deionized water), positive control-CD (Cd at 5 mg/kg), Tualang honey followed by Cd exposure-TH (Tualang honey at 200 mg/kg and Cd at 5 mg/kg) and Tualang honey control-THC (Tualang honey at 200 mg/kg) groups, were administered orally on a daily basis. Results: Rats exposed to Cd were significantly higher in ovarian weight, number of antral and atretic follicles as compared to the NC group. The disruptive effects of Cd on ovarian follicles were associated with a disruption in gonadotropin hormones and decreases in follicular stimulating hormone (FSH) and luteinizing hormone (LH). Moreover, a significant formation of oxidative stress in ovarian Cd-exposed rats has been proven by increasing the level of lipid peroxidation products (malondialdehyde) and decreasing the levels of enzymatic antioxidant (catalase). Interestingly, a daily supplementation of high antioxidant agents such as Tualang honey in these animals, caused significant improvements in the histological changes. Additionally, less atretic follicles were observed, restoring the normal level of LH and FSH (P < 0.001), and normalizing the ovarian malondialdehyde (P < 0.05) and catalase levels in comparison with CD group (P < 0.05). Conclusions: Tualang honey has protective effects against Cd-induced ovarian toxicity by reducing morphological abnormalities, restoring the normal levels of gonadotropin hormones and stabilizing equilibrium levels of lipid peroxidation and antioxidant enzyme in ovaries of rats.
Solid variant of papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC) is a rare, poorly characterised variant and predominantly reported in children with a history of radiation exposure. This variant has a high propensity for extra-thyroidal extension and cervical lymph node metastases. A 14-year-old Malay girl who had no history of radiation exposure, presented with multiple cervical lymphadenopathy and it was clinically suspicious for tuberculosis or lymphoma. An incisional biopsy revealed a metastatic PTC. The patient underwent total thyroidectomy with bilateral lateral neck dissection and histopathology report was solid variant of PTC. Whole-body I131scan was performed which revealed an intense tracer uptake in the neck. She was planned for radioactive iodine ablation and now on regular follow-up for monitoring of possible tumour metastasis.
Primary cutaneous lymphomas are rare diseases among the general population, and even rarer in children. Mycosis fungoides (MF) is the most commonly diagnosed form in childhood. Several atypical clinical variants of MF have been reported, and pityriasis lichenoides-like MF (PL-like MF) is a recently described subtype. We report about a rare case of PL-like MF in an 11-year-old Malay boy with a 2-year history of multiple scaly erythematous papules associated with progressive and generalized hypopigmentation. This case report illustrates the significant dilemma in the diagnosis of the disease, particularly in the early stages, because its symptoms can mimic those of many common childhood inflammatory skin disorders. Later, the widespread hypopigmentation obscured the characteristic lesions, leading to misdiagnosis. Moreover, due to unfamiliarity of the disease, the diagnosis of PL-like MF was missed and delayed until only 2 years after the onset of the dermatosis. Therefore, primary care practitioners must have a high index of suspicion for this cutaneous neoplasm in children with persistent or worsening skin lesions, not responding to standard therapy, to ensure timely referral, diagnosis, and treatment.
Artificial intelligence (AI), a rousing advancement disrupting a wide spectrum of applications with remarkable betterment, has continued to gain momentum over the past decades. Within breast imaging, AI, especially machine learning and deep learning, honed with unlimited cross-data/case referencing, has found great utility encompassing four facets: screening and detection, diagnosis, disease monitoring, and data management as a whole. Over the years, breast cancer has been the apex of the cancer cumulative risk ranking for women across the six continents, existing in variegated forms and offering a complicated context in medical decisions. Realizing the ever-increasing demand for quality healthcare, contemporary AI has been envisioned to make great strides in clinical data management and perception, with the capability to detect indeterminate significance, predict prognostication, and correlate available data into a meaningful clinical endpoint. Here, the authors captured the review works over the past decades, focusing on AI in breast imaging, and systematized the included works into one usable document, which is termed an umbrella review. The present study aims to provide a panoramic view of how AI is poised to enhance breast imaging procedures. Evidence-based scientometric analysis was performed in accordance with the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guideline, resulting in 71 included review works. This study aims to synthesize, collate, and correlate the included review works, thereby identifying the patterns, trends, quality, and types of the included works, captured by the structured search strategy. The present study is intended to serve as a “one-stop center” synthesis and provide a holistic bird’s eye view to readers, ranging from newcomers to existing researchers and relevant stakeholders, on the topic of interest.
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