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INTRODUCTION: myelomatosis is a malignant proliferation of plasma cells in the bone marrow, with relatively high prevalence in African populations. Variation in genetic mutations has been observed in individual patients and may be responsible for differences in disease pattern and treatment outcomes. This study described the presentations and treatment outcomes of multiple myeloma in nigerian. METHODS: the data was obtained retrospectively from the case notes of 135 patients diagnosed with multiple myeloma from eight tertiary health institutions across the six geopolitical zones of Nigeria from 2005 to 2014. Data analysis was carried out using SPSS 17.0. RESULTS: the predominant presentations were bone pain in 97 (74%), nephropathy in 47 (35.9%) and pathological fractures in 58 (44.3%). Sixty-seven percent (67%) of the patients were less than 60 years, and 35% had Bence Jones proteinuria. The overall survival beyond 6 months was 91.3%, mean duration of survival rate was 7.4 months. Majority (66.2%) were on Melphalan alone or on melphalan-containing combinations. A higher packed cell volume (PCV) and total serum protein levels at presentation were associated with increased survival, p=0.033 and 0.036, respectively. CONCLUSION: this study portrayed the importance of detail investigation on the causes of bone pain and anaemia in person?s aged 40 years and above. There is a high prevalence of nephropathy in this cohort of patients which needs to be further investigated. Majority of the patients, though , 65 years of age were placed on melphalan-containing combinations, which foreclosed chances of future autologous bone marrow transplantation.

Aims: To determine the prevalence of orbito-oculoplastic diseases and thereby contributing a data base to the emerging orbito-oculoplastics subspecialty in the sub-Saharan region. Settings and Design: A tertiary eye care centre. Materials and Methods: A descriptive prospective study was done in a tertiary eye care center. Demographic and clinico-pathological diagnoses of 269 patients presenting to the oculoplastics clinic over a 4-year period (January 2008 -December 2011) were collected at entry and during follow-up visits. These were patients referred from the general ophthalmology clinics of the study center, secondary eye care centers within and from neighboring states. Patients were categorized based on the primary diagnosis after examination by the oculoplastics surgeon. Ethical issues were considered though data collection did not involve direct patient participation. Statistical Analysis Used: Microsoft Excel 2007 software. Results: Two hundred and sixty-nine patients were seen with 141 (52.4%) females. Leading etiological factors were trauma; 81 (30.0%), congenital anomalies 55 (21.0%) and tumors 44 (16.0%). Eyelid diseases were the most frequent 115 (42.8%), with ectropion 36 (31.0%) and ptosis 33 (29.0%) being the most common. Orbital and peri-orbital lesions 44 (16.4%) were mainly dermoids 12 (27.3%) and capillary heamangioma 4 (9.1%) in the pediatric age while thyroid orbitopathy 11 (25.0%) was predominant in adults. Ocular and degenerative diseases were retinoblastoma in 4 (16.7%) and phthisis bulbi in 10 (33.3%). Contracted socket was 22 (84.0%) of socket pathologies. Primary conjunctival diseases occurred less often, rather Stevens-Johnson syndrome in 9 (30.0%) and its ocular complications were more frequent. Conclusions: It is expected that this survey will provide a database for oculoplastics surgeons and ophthalmologists in an emerging subspecialty and thus enhance training focus and equipment acquisition. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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Purpose: To determine the prevalence of patient refusal of glaucoma surgery (GSR) and the associated factors in Lagos, Nigeria. Materials and Methods: A multicenter cross-sectional survey was conducted in Lagos state, Nigeria. Twelve centres were invited to participate, but data collection was completed in 10. Newly diagnosed glaucoma patients were recruited and interviewed from these sites over a four week period on prior awareness of glaucoma, surgery refusal, and reason(s) for the refusal. Presenting visual acuity was recorded from the patient files. The odds ratio and 95% confidence intervals (CI) were calculated. Results: A total of 208 newly diagnosed glaucoma patients were recruited. Sixty-five (31.2%) patients refused surgery. Fear of surgery (31 (47.7%) patients), and fear of going blind (19 (29.2%) patients) were the most common reasons. The odds ratio of surgery refusal were marital status - not married versus married (2.0; 95% CI, 1.02-3.94), use of traditional medication - users versus non users (2.4; 95% CI, 1.1-5.2), perception of glaucoma causing blindness - no versus yes (3.7; 95% CI, 1.3-10.5), type of institution - government versus private (5.7; 95% CI, 1.3-25.1), and visual acuity in the better eye - normal vision versus visual impairment (2.3; 95% CI, 1.1-4.9). Age, gender, level of education, family history of glaucoma, and prior awareness of the diagnosis of glaucoma, were not significantly associated with surgery refusal. Perception of patients concerning glaucoma blindness was the strongest factor on multivariate analysis. Conclusion: GSR was relatively low in this study. Unmarried status, use of traditional medications, perception that glaucoma cannot cause blindness, government hospital patients, and good vision in the better eye were associated with GSR. These factors might help in the clinical setting in identifying appropriate individuals for targeted counseling, as well as the need for increased public awareness about glaucoma. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Patients with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection frequently present with a wide spectrum of pulmonary and cardiac complications from the virus, opportunistic infections and neoplasms that may be associated with a high mortality rate. Diseases of the respiratory tract account for about half of deaths from AIDS, while cardiac diseases account for more than a quarter of deaths from AIDS. This study aimed at determining the prevalence of pulmonary and cardiac diseases using a chest radiograph in HAART-naïve HIV-infected patients. Methods: This study was conducted at Lagos State University Teaching Hospital (LASUTH) HIV clinic between September 2010 and August 2011 amongst all registered HAART-naïve HIV/AIDS patients. Patients had posterior-anterior chest radiographs done in full inspiration. Participants were asked and aided to fill the structured questionnaires to obtain demographic data. Results: Out of a total of one hundred and two recruited for the study, 54 ( 52.94%) had a normal chest radiograph, while 48 (47.06%) had abnormal chest radiograph .The abnormal findings included, 27.45% who had bronchopneumonia, 6.86% cardiomegaly, 5.88% pulmonary tuberculosis, 5.88% radiological features of congestive cardiac failure, and 0.98% bronchitis. Conclusion: It appears that more than half of HAART--naïve HIV-infected patients have normal chest radiographs. Bronchopneumonia (27.5%) is the commonest pulmonary abnormality associated with HIV infection, while the prevalence of pulmonary tuberculosis is 5.88%. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Myelomatosis is a malignant proliferation of plasma cells in the bone marrow, with relatively high prevalence in African populations. Variation in genetic mutations has been observed in individual patients and may be responsible for differences in disease pattern and treatment outcomes. This study described the presentations and treatment outcomes of multiple myeloma in nigerian. Methods: The data was obtained retrospectively from the case notes of 135 patients diagnosed with multiple myeloma from eight tertiary health institutions across the six geopolitical zones of Nigeria from 2005 to 2014. Data analysis was carried out using SPSS 17.0. Results: The predominant presentations were bone pain in 97 (74%), nephropathy in 47 (35.9%) and pathological fractures in 58 (44.3%). Sixty-seven percent (67%) of the patients were less than 60 years, and 35% had Bence Jones proteinuria. The overall survival beyond 6 months was 91.3%, mean duration of survival rate was 7.4 months. Majority (66.2%) were on Melphalan alone or on melphalan-containing combinations. A higher packed cell volume (PCV) and total serum protein levels at presentation were associated with increased survival, p=0.033 and 0.036, respectively. Conclusion: This study portrayed the importance of detail investigation on the causes of bone pain and anaemia in person's aged 40 years and above. There is a high prevalence of nephropathy in this cohort of patients which needs to be further investigated. Majority of the patients, though < 65 years of age were placed on melphalan-containing combinations, which foreclosed chances of future autologous bone marrow transplantation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: This study aimed to determine the ocular toxicity of the psychotropic drugs used by patients and to proffer suggestions on how to prevent visual impairment or blindness in patients on antipsychotics. Methodology: This was a prospective, hospital-based cross-sectional study. Participants were adult patients between 18 and 70 years, diagnosed with psychosis, and who had been on antipsychotic medications for at least one year. All the recruited participants had an examination of the anterior and posterior segments of the eyes done. Schirmer's test, Tear film Break-up time (TBUT), Central Corneal thickness (CCT), Colour vision test, and Contrast sensitivity test were done. The collected data was analyzed using IBM SPSS 28.0. Results: The study enrolled patients who were mainly females (55.1%). The highest age group of the cases was 29-38 years (29.7%). The examination of the eyes and investigations revealed that 10.2% of the respondents on antipsychotics had color vision deficiency and 25.4% - loss of contrast sensitivity. Lid pigmentation was observed in 20.3% and cataract in 32.2%. Degeneration of the peripheral retina was observed in 4.2% of patients on antipsychotic medication. Schirmer's test showed mild, moderate, and severe dry eyes in 11%,17.8%, and 20.3% of the participants respectively. The test for Central Corneal Thickness (CCT) showed 50.0% of the respondents had a thin cornea and 24.6% had a thick cornea. 17.8% of the surveyed respondents manifested high eye pressure. Discussion: Psychotropics are the gold standard for the treatment of psychotic episodes and disorders. The choice of drug, dosing, and mode of administration depends on the severity of the psychotic disorder. Higher doses of psychotropics were reported to cause toxicity in different organs in the body including the eyes, especially on long-term use and high dosage and this can affect the quality of life of the individual negatively. Conclusion: The earliest and most prominent side effect seen in patients on psychotic medication was dry eyes. There were a few cases of blinding eye diseases like glaucoma, and cataract. For these reasons, ophthalmic assessments should be included as part of the management of psychiatric patients early at the start of antipsychotic treatment. Abbreviations: FGA = First Generation Antipsychotics, SGA = Second Generation Antipsychotics, TCAs = Tricyclic Antidepressants, CCT = Central Corneal Thickness, IOP = Intraocular Pressure, TBUT =Tear film Break-up Time, BIO = Binocular Indirect Ophthalmoscope., (#x00A9; The Authors.Romanian Society of Ophthalmology.)

Objective: To ascertain an association between keratoconus and allergic conjunctivitis and to know if it is necessary to investigate all patients with allergic conjunctivitis for keratoconus. Methods: A hospital-based prospective study in which the eyes of children presenting with ocular allergic diseases were examined. Social demographics and clinical data were captured in a questionnaire. All the patients underwent keratometry using the autorefractor-keratometer and the pachymeter was used to measure the central corneal thickness. Data analysis was done with IBM SPSS version 28 for Windows. Frequency and chi-square were used as descriptive statistics to determine the association between dependent and independent variables. Inferential statistics using one-way ANOVA and t-test. P - Value at <0.05 was considered statistically significant. Results: 121 children with allergic conjunctivitis were reviewed. Males were 72 and females 49. The visual acuity was 6/ 6-6/ 18 in 116, and mild visual impairment - 6/ 18-6/ 60 in 5. The most common complaint was frequent itching in 109 (90.1%). Keratometry was normal in 120 (99.5%), while probable keratoconus was found by keratometry in only one patient (0.5%). Central corneal thickness was within the normal range in 33 (27.3%) children, 43 (35.5%) had thin corneas, while 45 (37.2%) had cornea thickness of more than 560 microns. Discussion: Pediatric keratoconus tends to be more aggressive than adult keratoconus with an increased risk of corneal opacities and subsequent keratoplasty. As a result of these negative impacts, early detection and prompt treatment are mandatory. Conclusion: The prevalence of keratoconus was not found to be high in this study population, but with facts emerging between the association of allergic conjunctivitis, and increased prevalence of keratoconus, it is pertinent to integrate keratoconus screening as part of the management of allergic conjunctivitis using an appropriate tool such as video keratography and slit lamp biomicroscope. Abbreviations: KC = Keratoconus, CLEK = Collaborative Longitudinal Evaluation of Keratoconus, SAC = Seasonal Allergic Conjunctivitis, PAC = Perennial Allergic Conjunctivitis, VKC = Vernal Keratoconjunctivitis, IOP = Intraocular Pressure, CCT = Central Corneal Thickness, TNF-α = Tumor Necrosis Factor-Alpha, IL = Interleukin., (#x00A9; The Authors.Romanian Society of Ophthalmology.)

Background Sickle cell disease (SCD) is a major genetic disease that manifests early in life and may lead to significant morbidities. One of the health care services that have been effective in reducing the burden of SCD in developed countries is newborn screening (NBS) followed by pneumococcal vaccines, penicillin prophylaxis, and hydroxyurea treatment. Yet, in sub-Saharan African countries, where about 75% of annual affected babies worldwide are born, NBS programmes are largely unavailable. It is not clear whether this is due to technical challenges associated with setting up such programmes, or significant cultural and social barriers to its acceptance in such settings. Objective Our aim was to ascertain the attitudes to and acceptability of NBS in Nigeria among various socio-demographic groups including health professionals, undergraduate students, parents of children with SCD and SCD patients. Methods Data on socio-demographic characteristics, knowledge of SCD and attitude towards NBS were collected using a semi-structured pre-tested questionnaire from April to July 2014 across 15 health institutions and university campuses in Nigeria. Data were collected from 1,301 respondents across Nigeria. Results There was good knowledge of SCD as an inherited blood disorder. Although 86% of respondents (n = 1,119) supported NBS, there was a statistically significant relationship between support for NBS and age (p = 003), educational status (p = 000) and religion (p = 000). Conclusion This study suggests that there is a good acceptability of NBS across Nigeria. The main barriers to its use are likely to be financial and practical, rather than social or cultural., Competing Interests: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist., (Copyright © 2018, Nnodu et al.)

Purpose: To determine the prevalence of patient refusal of glaucoma surgery (GSR) and the associated factors in Lagos, Nigeria., Materials and Methods: A multicenter cross-sectional survey was conducted in Lagos state, Nigeria. Twelve centres were invited to participate, but data collection was completed in 10. Newly diagnosed glaucoma patients were recruited and interviewed from these sites over a four week period on prior awareness of glaucoma, surgery refusal, and reason(s) for the refusal. Presenting visual acuity was recorded from the patient files. The odds ratio and 95% confidence intervals (CI) were calculated., Results: A total of 208 newly diagnosed glaucoma patients were recruited. Sixty-five (31.2%) patients refused surgery. Fear of surgery (31 (47.7%) patients), and fear of going blind (19 (29.2%) patients) were the most common reasons. The odds ratio of surgery refusal were marital status - not married versus married (2.0; 95% CI, 1.02-3.94), use of traditional medication - users versus non users (2.4; 95% CI, 1.1-5.2), perception of glaucoma causing blindness - no versus yes (3.7; 95% CI, 1.3-10.5), type of institution - government versus private (5.7; 95% CI, 1.3-25.1), and visual acuity in the better eye - normal vision versus visual impairment (2.3; 95% CI, 1.1-4.9). Age, gender, level of education, family history of glaucoma, and prior awareness of the diagnosis of glaucoma, were not significantly associated with surgery refusal. Perception of patients concerning glaucoma blindness was the strongest factor on multivariate analysis., Conclusion: GSR was relatively low in this study. Unmarried status, use of traditional medications, perception that glaucoma cannot cause blindness, government hospital patients, and good vision in the better eye were associated with GSR. These factors might help in the clinical setting in identifying appropriate individuals for targeted counseling, as well as the need for increased public awareness about glaucoma.