Purpose: To report on the underlying risk factors, clinical characteristics, presentation, and survival of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) associated mucormycosis (CAM) cases referred for ophthalmological consultation in two different Egyptian settings during the third viral pandemic wave (April to August of 2021). Methods: A multicentric, retrospective analysis involving one public and two private hospitals in metropolitan Cairo, and two university hospitals in upper Egypt (Aswan and Assuit). Cases that fulfilled the diagnostic criteria of mucormycosis, with a prior or concurrent COVID-19 infection, were included. Results: Of the 26 patients included in the final analysis, 15 (57.7%) were from Cairo and 11 (42.3%) were from upper Egypt. Twenty-five patients (96.2%) had poorly controlled diabetes mellitus and 20 (76.9%) had received corticosteroid treatment for COVID-19, of which 30.8% had mild or moderate disease. The median duration from COVID-19 till the onset of CAM was 20.5 days. No visual function could be detected in the affected eye of 16 patients (61.6%) on presentation. The mortality rate was 46.2% despite surgical debridement in half of the cases that died. Conclusion: CAM continues to be a concrete threat throughout Egypt, especially in patients with poorly controlled diabetes mellitus and those who inadvertently receive steroid therapy. It remains to be seen if increased vaccination coverage and early detection due to increased awareness would result in declining rates and adverse sequelae of CAM. A national registry would allow for better monitoring of the disease trends.

Mucormycosis is a life-threatening opportunistic angioinvasive fungal infection. We aimed to describe the frequency, presentations, predictors, and in-hospital outcome of mucormycosis patients in the scope of CoronaVirusDisease-19 (COVID-19) during the third viral pandemic wave. This cross-sectional retrospective study included all patients who fulfilled the criteria of mucormycosis with concurrent confirmed covid19 infection admitted to Assuit University Hospital between March 2021 and July 2021. Overall, 433 patients with definite covid-19 infection, of which 33 (7.63%) participants were infected with mucormycosis. Mucormycosis was predominantly seen in males (21 vs. 12; p = 0.01). Diabetes mellitus (35% vs. 63.6%; p < 0.001), hypertension (2% vs.45.5%; p 0.04), and Smoking (26.5% vs. 54.5%; p < 0.001) were all significantly higher in mucormycosis patients. Inflammatory markers, especially E.S.R., were significantly higher in those with mucormycosis (p < 0.001). The dose of steroid intake was significantly higher among patients with mucormycosis (160 mg vs. 40 mg; p < 0.001). Except for only three patients alive by residual infection, 30 patients died. The majority (62%) of patients without mucormycosis were alive. Male sex; Steroid misuse; D.M.; Sustained inflammation; Severe infection were significant risk factors for mucormycosis by univariate analysis; however, D.M.; smoking and raised E.S.R. were predictors for attaining mucormycosis by multivariate analysis.

Background: Septum deviation is the major cause of nasal obstruction, which is the most common symptom in ENT practice. Surgical correction of the deviated nasal septum has been advanced over the years, from the radical removal of both mucosa and cartilage to submucous cartilage resection with preservation of the mucosa. Objective: To compare the efficacy of the conventional and the endoscopic septoplasty in the management of patients with symptomatic nasal deviation. Patients and methods: This study included 40 patients presented to the Otorhinolaryngology outpatient clinic at Assiut University Hospitals between May 2018 and December 2019, suffering from nasal obstruction due to a significant septal deviation, randomly divided into two groups: Group A: 20 patients underwent endoscopic septoplasty and Group B: 20 patients underwent conventional septoplasty. Results: In this study, no significant difference was detected in the preoperative results of both groups regarding the age, sex and types of septal deformities. So, the preoperative circumstances were similar between both groups. Hence, results of this study showed that these two procedures were suitable to correct septal deformities but the endoscopic septoplasty was superior to the traditional septoplasty in cases with isolated septal spur. Also, it was associated with the minimal re-occurrence rate. Conclusion: Endoscopic septoplasty is a valuable teaching tool, which is efficient in the management of different types of septal deformities.

Objective To investigate the relationship between acute otitis media (AOM) and vitamin D level in children. Patients and methods This prospective study was conducted at Assiut University Hospital between December 2016 and March 2017. The study group comprised ambulatory children who were diagnosed with AOM and healthy controls. The blood sample (5 cm) was taken immediately after the diagnosis of AOM in the laboratory for measuring serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D. Abnormal value=deficiency+insufficiency. Results Of the 40 children included in this study, 30 were the cases and 10 were controls. The mean age of the cases was 4.92±3.08 and 5.92±4.04 years for the controls besides 18 (60%) of the AOM group were boys and 12 (40%) were girls, compared with five (50%) boys and five (50%) were girls in the control group. Otalgia and congested tympanic membrane were present in all children of the diseased group. Also 70% had upper respiratory tract infection preceding the attack of AOM and 33.3% had previous attack of AOM. Twenty-two (73.3%) out of 30 children of the AOM group have an abnormal value of vitamin D and it was statistically significant than the control group. Conclusion Both vitamin D deficiency and insufficiency were significant in children suffering from AOM than normal children.

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