Colorectal carcinoma is uncommon in Egypt, but a high proportion of cases occurs before age 40 years and in the rectum. We compared the molecular pathology of 59 representative Egyptian patients aged 10-72 to Western patients with sporadic, young-onset, or hereditary non-polyposis colorectal cancer syndrome (HNPCC)-associated carcinoma and found significant differences. Most Egyptian cancers were rectal (51%) and poorly differentiated (58%). High levels of microsatellite instability (MSI-H) were frequent (37%) and attributable in some cases (36%) to methylation of the promoter of the hMLH1 mismatch repair gene, but no MSI-H cancer had loss of hMSH2 mismatch repair gene product of the type seen with germline hMSH2 mutation in HNPCC. K-ras mutation was uncommon (11%). In subset analyses, high frequencies of MSI-H in rectal carcinomas (36%) and p53 gene product overexpression in MSI-H cancers (50%) were found. MSI-H and K-ras mutation in Egyptians under age 40 were unusual (17% and 0%, respectively), and schistosomiasis was associated with MSI and K-ras mutation. Cluster analysis identified 2 groups: predominantly young men with poorly differentiated mucinous and signet-ring cell colorectal carcinoma lacking K-ras mutation; older patients who had well- or moderately differentiated adenocarcinoma often with MSI-H, K-ras mutation and schistosomiasis. Our findings show that the molecular pathology of colorectal cancer in older as well as younger Egyptians has unique differences from Western patients, and schistosomiasis influences the molecular pathogenesis of some tumours.

Summary Colorectal carcinoma is uncommon in Egypt, but a high proportion of cases occurs before age 40 years and in the rectum. We compared the molecular pathology of 59 representative Egyptian patients aged 10-72 to Western patients with sporadic, young-onset, or hereditary non-polyposis colorectal cancer syndrome (HNPCC)-associated carcinoma and found significant differences. Most Egyptian cancers were rectal (51%) and poorly differentiated (58%). High levels of microsatellite instability (MSI-H) were frequent (37%) and attributable in some cases (36%) to methylation of the promoter of the hMLH1 mismatch repair gene, but no MSI-H cancer had loss of hMSH2 mismatch repair gene product of the type seen with germline hMSH2 mutation in HNPCC. K-ras mutation was uncommon (11%). In subset analyses, high frequencies of MSI-H in rectal carcinomas (36%) and p53 gene product overexpression in MSI-H cancers (50%) were found. MSI-H and K-ras mutation in Egyptians under age 40 were unusual (17% and 0%, respectively), and schistosomiasis was associated with MSI and K-ras mutation. Cluster analysis identified 2 groups: predominantly young men with poorly differentiated mucinous and signet-ring cell colorectal carcinoma lacking K-ras mutation; older patients who had well-or moderately differentiated adenocarcinoma often with MSI-H, K-ras mutation and schistosomiasis. Our findings show that the molecular pathology of colorectal cancer in older as well as younger Egyptians has unique differences from Western patients, and schistosomiasis influences the molecular pathogenesis of some tumours.

Background: In several developing industrial countries, the incidence of obesity among populations is spreading quickly and dramatically; also, the frequency of maternal obesity is in continuous elevation, which represents a considerable public health problem. Maternal hyperglycemia is a common gestational risk factor for the fetus. Several studies proposed that maternal DM and obesity lead to intrauterine impacts which induce changes in the fetal myocardium, and the pre-pregnancy obesity and diabetes are accompanied with development of cardiovascular alterations in the offspring and subsequent pathological changes in their early life. The aim of this study is to assess the cardiac function in fetuses of obese pregnant women (FOW) and fetuses of diabetic women (FDW) in comparison with fetuses of normal pregnant women (FNW) using tissue Doppler imaging. Results: There was impairment in systolic and diastolic cardiac function in both fetuses of obese and diabetic women with decreased global longitudinal strain tissue Doppler velocities at 30 weeks of gestation compared to fetuses of normal women. Conclusion: Imaging of the fetus of pregnant women by Echo Doppler at about 30 weeks of gestations showed a reduced cardiac function of fetuses of obese and diabetic women matched with fetuses of normal BMI women. Our finding proposed that early subclinical alterations in the fetal cardiac output can arise from maternal obesity alone. This explains the predilection of children of obese mothers at advanced ages to cardiovascular disorder.

Background: Surgical management of tetralogy of Fallot (TOF) can be either with a total primary repair or staged repair. The superiority of one technique over the other is still debatable, especially in developing countries with late presentation and limited resources. The objective of this study was to compare the outcome of patients with tetralogy of Fallot and borderline pulmonary anatomy defined as McGoon ratio between 1.2 and 1.6 who underwent primary versus staged repair. Results: The patients were divided into two groups: group A included patients who underwent primary repair (n = 120) and group B included patients who underwent repair after previous modified Blalock-Taussig (MBT) shunt operation (n = 100). Patients in group B were significantly older (11 ± 2.6 vs. 7 ± 3.1 months; p < 0.001) and had higher McGoon ratio (1.61 ± 0.07 vs. 1.5 ± 0.08; p < 0.001). In group B, the total operative time (277 ± 21.3 vs. 232 ± 24.6 min; p < 0.001), cardiopulmonary bypass time (81 ± 13.7 vs. 60 ± 11.2 min; p < 0.001), and ischemic time (64 ± 12 vs. 53 ± 7.1 min; p < 0.001) were significantly higher. There was no difference in postoperative complications between both groups. In-hospital mortality was nine patients (7.5%) in group A and 6 (6%) in group B (p = 0.791). Conclusion: Primary repair of tetralogy of Fallot in patients with borderline McGoon ratio is safe with low morbidity and mortality. It has the potential of decreasing hospital stay, cost, and resource utilization of the two-stage repair.

Vascular rings are unusual anomalies represent less than 1% of all cardiac anomalies, it is abnormal development of aortic arch complex leading to formation of a ring formed by vessels that encircle both the trachea and esophagus, echocardiography had limited acoustic window which leads to inadequate evaluation of great vessels, Multi-detector computed tomography (MDCT) is one of the most important non invasive diagnostic tool for detection the vascular ring anomalies. The Aim: To evaluate role of MDCT Scanning for diagnosis of congenital vascular rings anomalies compared to echocardiography. Methods: This is a prospective study of 21 children suspected to have vascular ring anomalies. All patients underwent chest radiography, echocardiography examinations and MDCT Scanning using a 128-row CT scanner with 3D reconstruction. Results: Twenty-one patients (11 male and 10 female), mean age (14 months) were diagnosed as vascular ring anomalies by MDCT then confirmed by surgical results MDCT diagnosed 14 patients with (double aortic arch), 4 patients (right sided aortic arch with aberrant left subclavian), 2 patients (left sided aortic arch with aberrant right subclavian artery) and one patient with pulmonary sling. MDCT also diagnosed seven patients with tracheobronchial stenosis. Echocardiography succeeded only in nine patients with DAA and failed in five and succeeded in diagnosis of two cases of (right aortic arch with aberrant left subclavian). Conclusion: MDCT is an excellent diagnostic tool for optimum detection of vascular ring anomalies and other extra cardiac lesions compared to echocardiography.