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Contradictory results have been reported regarding effects of the SARS-CoV-2 upon human semen. A timely and up-to-date systematic review with meta-analysis appears necessary. This study aimed to deliver pooled prevalence (PP) of SARS-CoV-2 in semen and pooled semen parameters as compared with the uninfected. The relevant databases were scanned by two authors for observational studies reporting analysis of semen in COVID-19 patients. The SARS-CoV-2-infected were assigned to group A (exposed arm), whereas the uninfected to group B (unexposed arm). Newcastle–Ottawa Scale was used to address the risk of bias. PRISMA guidelines were adopted. In case of homogenous studies, fixed-effects model was followed, whereas for heterogenous studies random-effects model was used. Of 990 studies, 24 were eligible involving 1589 subjects (947 in group A and 642 in group B). The “comparability” domain was biased the most. SARS-CoV-2 RNA was detected in three studies among 8 individuals producing the PP of 1.76% (95% CI 0.72–3.21). Sperm concentration was reduced significantly (WMD = –16.23 [95% CI –25.56 to –6.89], as well as total sperm in ejaculate (WMD = –34.84 [95% CI − 43.51 to –26.17]) and sperm volume (WMD = − 0.48 [95% CI − 0.59 to − 0.36] in group A as compared with controls. There was a non-significant effect upon progressive motility and leukocyte presence in semen. SARS-CoV-2 RNA in semen among the infected individuals is detected infrequently. By this token, sexual transmission through semen is of low probability and little concern for public health. However, significant decrease in sperm volume, sperm concentration, and total sperm in ejaculate has been noted. The current data, though, are limited, and more studies with longer follow-up are needed to evaluate the further impact.

Purpose To evaluate the validity of electrophysiological tests in the early diagnosis of a ganglion cells and/or optic nerve dysfunction in patients with pituitary microadenoma. Methods 66 eyes, from 33 patients with microadenoma with no evidence of the optic chiasm compression in magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and the visual impairment in the routine ophthalmological examination, standard static perimetry (24-2 white on white) and optical coherence tomography (HD-OCT), were analysed. The pattern electroretinogram (PERG), standard pattern visual evoked potentials (PVEPs) and multichannel visual evoked potentials (mVEPs) (ISCEV standards) were performed. The results obtained from the electrophysiological tests were compared to the same number of age-matched healthy controls. Results Statistically significant differences between the patients with microadenoma and healthy controls were detected in all electrophysiological tests (p Conclusions In patients with microadenoma, the abnormalities in the electrophysiological tests are registered even without clinical evidence of visual impairment from the routine ophthalmological examination, SAP, OCT and chiasmal compression in MRI. The mVEPs have the most significant role in the diagnosis of the visual pathway dysfunction in patients with microadenoma.

Reduced bone mineral density (BMD) is present in many women with Turner syndrome (TS), and hypo-estrogenism is known to play a vital role in bone mineralization disturbances. It has been suggested that genetic factors play an important role in the regulation of BMD. The aim of this study was to analyze the association between Pvu II and XbaI ER-α polymorphisms and BMD in TS patients subjected to estroprogestagen (EP) treatment. Thirty-two TS patients aged 17–38 (mean age 22.7 ± 8.2) along with 82 healthy controls were the subjects for this study. Baseline values of hormonal parameters, BMD and bone density markers were measured in the subjects. Subsequently, TS patients underwent 4 years of EP therapy. The results of laboratory parameters and BMD were analyzed in regard to PvuII and XbaI polymorphic variants of the ER-α gene. The increase in BMD of TS subjects was the highest in the 1st (7.5%, p = 0.013) and 2nd (6.6%, p = 0.008) years of treatment. Four years of EP therapy was reflected by a significant increase in BMD z-scores in patients with xx and Xx genotypes of the XbaI gene and in those with with the pp and Pp genotypes of PvuII. In patients with haplotypes other than XXPP, BMD z-scores were significantly higher compared to their baseline after 2 (p = 0.002), 3 (p

The incidence of metastatic thyroid tumours range from 2 to 3% of all thyroid cancer cases. Histological and immunohistochemical examination plays a decisive role in metastasis recognition. Metastases to the thyroid gland are rarely identified in cytological diagnostics. Patients who were postoperatively recognized with metastasis to the thyroid gland were diagnosed in cytological results as follicular tumour, cancer or atypical cells. We present a case of a 64-year-old male, who was diagnosed with lung adenocarcinoma based on diagnostics of a nodular change in the thyroid gland.