Highlights
Autopsies of SARS CoV-2 infection are uncommon due to safety reasons in Africa.
First autopsy of SARS CoV-2 in a young HIV infected patient without other co-morbidities.
The role of HIV in SARS-CoV-2 infection is still elusive.
The histopathological findings in this patient are similar to the non-infected.
Malignant melanoma of the vulva is a rare and aggressive tumour with dismal prognosis. It tends to recur and metastasize early. Surgical excision with or without regional lymph node dissection is still the treatment of choice with adjuvant therapy decided on a case by case. Furthermore, HIV infection has been associated with more aggressive disease. Herein we present a 45-year-old HIV-infected female patient on antiretroviral therapy who presented with vulval ulcer for one year. On examination, she had ulcerated nodule on the labia majora. Radiology showed vulvovaginal tumour without involvement of the adjacent organs. Malignant melanoma was confirmed on both the incisional biopsy and vulvectomy. She responded poorly to radiotherapy. Furthermore, she presented with recurrence and metastatic disease a month after surgery. She was lost to follow-up clinic.
Mucormycosis, an opportunistic fungal infection, is on the increase. Individuals at risk are those with diabetes mellitus, haematological malignancy, etc. Infections are uncommon in human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). Clinical presentations include rhinocerebral, pulmonary or disseminated forms. Risk factors should alert clinicians to a high index of suspicion. Prompt diagnosis, facilitated by radiological imaging and tissue sampling, with appropriate medical and surgical intervention can potentially improve patient outcomes. Here we describe a rare case of renal mass in a patient living with HIV presenting to casualty department with abdominal pain and fever. Radiological imaging showed a renal mass whilst histopathological findings were suggestive of mucormycosis. Management included antifungal therapy and subsequent nephrectomy. The patient improved significantly and was discharged home.
Fungal infections of the central nervous system are fatal and rare clinical entities observable in immunosuppressed patients from varying causes. They carry higher risks of morbidities and mortality as compared to viral, bacterial or parasitic central nervous system infections. This study describes clinicopathological description of the central nervous system fungal infections with antemortem diagnostic challenges. This is a 9-year retrospective study of six cases composed of three females and three males with a mean age of 29.3 years. All six decedents presented with signs of meningeal irritation. They all suffered from immunodeficiency of varying causes. The gross and microscopic features revealed cryptococcosis, candidiasis and mucormycosis as the cause of the central nervous system infection. Early diagnosis and appropriate medical treatment are of paramount importance in improving the overall survival of patients with central nervous system mycosis. A few autopsy cases with fungal infection of the central nervous system have been described; therefore, more autopsies studies are needed to re-enforce on the existing epidemiology of these fatal infections. Moreover, this will assist in further elucidating the varying gross features and tissue reaction patterns associated with them.
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