Solitary fibrous tumour of prostate: evaluation and management of a rare tumour

Solitary fibrous tumours, which are commonly described as arising from the pleura, are rarely seen in the lower urinary tract. Although malignant changes have been reported, these tumours are usually benign. This case report discusses the radiological features, management strategy and histopathology of a solitary fibrous tumour arising from the prostate.     

A 90 day chronic toxicity study of Nigerian herbal preparation DAS-77 in rats

ABSTRACT: BACKGROUND: The herbal preparation DAS-77, used for the treatment of various ailments in Nigeria, contains the milled bark of Mangifera indica L. and root of Carica papaya L. Toxicological assessment of the preparation was carried out in this study. METHODS: In the acute toxicity study, DAS-77 was administered to mice p.o.up to 10 g/kg and i.p. at 250-3000 mg/kg. Mortality within 24 h was recorded. In the chronic toxicity study, rats were treated p.o. for 90 days at doses of 80, 400 (therapeutic dose, TD) and 2000 mg/kg. By 90 days, animals were sacrificed and blood samples collected for hematological and biochemical analysis. Organs were harvested for weight determination, antioxidants and histopathological assessments. RESULTS: DAS-77 did not produce any lethality administered p.o. up to 10 g/kg but the i.p. LD50 was 1122.0 mg/kg. At TD, DAS-77 produced significant (p<0.05) reductions in body weight, food intake and K+, and increases in ovary weight, neutrophils and HDL, which were reversible. Histopathological presentations were generally normal. Effects at the other doses were comparable to those at TD except for reversible increases in antioxidants in the liver, kidney and testes, and sperm abnormality, and reductions in liver enzymes, sperm motility and count. CONCLUSIONS: Findings in this study revealed that DAS-77 is relatively safe with the potential for enhancing in vivo antioxidant activity. However, possibly reversible side-effects include electrolyte imbalance and sterility in males.     

Sero-epizootiological investigation of infectious laryngotracheitis infection in commercial poultry of Plateau State,north central Nigeria

Infectious laryngotracheitis (ILT) is a highly contagious acute respiratory disease of chickens with outbreaks resulting in high economic losses due to increased mortality and drop in egg production. This study reports a survey of ILT virus antibody conducted in nine local government areas (LGAs) of Plateau State involving 67 randomly selected commercial poultry flocks. In all, 938 sera were tested using the Agar Gel Immuno-diffusion (AGID) technique. Overall prevalence of 1.2% (N = 11) was recorded. ILT virus antibody was found in 2.5% (n = 9) and 7.1% (n = 2) of the tested sera from Jos South and Langtang North LGAs, respectively. No detectable ILT virus antibody was found from the other seven LGAs. This is the first report of ILT infection in poultry from the North central part of Nigeria. It is therefore recommended that the economic implication of ILT infection in Nigerian poultry population be conducted in order to know if vaccination should be adopted for control.     

Application of starch-albumen powder as breading material in fried foods: An optimization study

The potential of using starch-albumen powder (SAP) as solid coating powder for fried food application was studied. Egg albumen was mixed with 10–30% dried starch and dried at 40–60°C air velocity of 4.5 m/s to produce SAP. SAP was used to coat wet yam chips prior to frying at 180°C for 3 min. The drying temperature and starch content in SAP significantly affected the oil uptake and moisture of fried chips. The increased amount of albumen (or reduced starch) content significantly reduced oil uptake. The sensory attributes influenced the overall acceptability of the fried chips in the order of taste > flavor > texture > appearance. To minimize oil uptake and moisture content and maximize acceptability of the fried chips, SAP dried at temperature of 40°C with starch content of 11.3% should be used. The study further indicates the potential of using SAP as coating in some other food products.     

Sociodemographic and clinicopathologic characterization of cervical cancers in northern Nigeria

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the sociodemographic and clinicopathological characteristics of patients with cervical cancer seen in a tertiary referral center in northern Nigeria. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Between January 2002 and December 2004, 70 consecutive patients with histologically confirmed cervical cancer, with a median age of 48 years (range, 30-75 years), were interviewed on the basis of a structured pro forma. RESULTS: Of these patents, 39 (56%) had had no formal education, and 36 (51%) were unemployed housewives. Sixty (86%) had become sexually active before 17 years of age; 44 (63%) were in polygamous families, and 25 (36%) patients were in at least a second marriage. There was an average of 6.8 live births per patient. Vaginal bleeding was seen in all patients, and 55 (79%) had vaginal discharges; 50 (71%) had a bulky cervical mass, and 46 (66%) presented with at least Stage IIIA disease. Squamous cell carcinoma was the commonest histology. The three HIV-seropositive patients were young and had advanced disease. CONCLUSION: Sociodemographic factors, such as low socioeconomic level, early age at first sexual intercourse and multiple sexual partners, place women at high risk of developing cervical cancer in northern Nigeria. Late presentation with advanced disease predominates.     

Prostate cancer knowledge gaps among community stakeholders in rural Nigeria: implications for seeking screening

Cancer Causes & Control - In Nigeria, knowledge about prostate cancer (PCa) is poor, so are the availability, accessibility, and utilization of PCa screening services. Poor knowledge increases...