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Long-COVID, alternatively referred to as post-COVID syndrome, has garnered significant attention among individuals affected by SARS-CoV-2 as well as healthcare practitioners. The phenomenon began to be perceived as a secondary epidemic that is impacting an increasing number of individuals on a global scale. A notable proportion of individuals who have contracted SARS-CoV-2, including those with mild or moderate symptoms, have reported alterations in their sense of taste subsequent to the resolution of the acute stage of the disease. Patients sometimes report a frequent occurrence of an inability to interpret food tastes in a typical manner or an encounter with distorted taste perceptions. The present state of literature related to oral manifestations associated with long-term COVID-19 is still in the context of ongoing study. The nutritional imbalance observed in individuals with long-COVID syndrome may be attributed to changes in taste and smell, which affect both the quality and quantity of food intake. The changes in taste perception observed in persons suffering with long-COVID involve a complex and significant immune response that has implications for the nutritional and oral health of these patients.

Self-inflicted penetrating injuries in patients with mental disorders are a rare phenomenon. The authors report the case of a prisoner who recurrently presented to the emergency department over a period of four years for self-insertion of six metal foreign bodies into the skull. Computed tomography each time revealed the presence of a metal foreign body (screw, nail, metal rod, and wire) passing through the frontal bone into the frontal lobe. In each situation, the foreign body was safely extracted with a favorable outcome. Despite the use of the latest imaging modalities, metal artifacts can limit the assessment of vascular involvement, and special attention must be given to preoperative planning. Surgical extraction of the foreign body can be safely performed when appropriate preoperative planning is carried out to consider all possible complications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this study was to evaluate the the measurements of the circle of Willis (CW) arteries diameters in a Romanian population. Material and methods: We performed a retrospective study on a sample of 221 adult patients (≥18 years-old), hospitalized in the Emergency Clinical Hospital "Prof. Dr. N. Oblu" from Iași, Romania, over a period of 12 years, who died during hospitalization and on whom an autopsy was performed. Demographic data (age, gender, residence), causes of death and the outer diameters of CW constituent arteries were collected. There were 221 subjects, who were divided into four groups, according to the association of patient's cause of death with the presence of anatomical variants of CW. 76.01% of all subjects presented cerebrovascular disease (CVDs) and anatomical variant of the CW, thus representing the great majority. Patients "with CVDs and anatomical variants of CW" were older with about 4 years compared to the other three categories of patients, having an average age of 64.17 ±14.22 years. 56.3% of those "without CVDs and with anatomical variant of CW" and 62.5% of those patients deceased ”with CVDs and anatomical variants of CW” had rural residences. 68.8% of all cases ”without CVDs, but with anatomical variants of CW” were female patients. 37.5% of the patients "with CVDs and anatomical variants of CW" and 43.8% of the patients "without CVDs, but with anatomical variants of CW" lived in the urban environment. Statistically significant differences were observed between the mean outer diameters of the arteries of CW and the patient's cause of death (p <.001) in case of anterior communicating artery (AcoA), right anterior cerebral artery (ACA), right and left posterior communicating arteries (PcoAs), and right posterior cerebral artery (PCA). The smallest external diameters of ACoA, right ACA and left PcoA were identified in patients ”with CVDs and anatomical variants of CW”. Our research has provided evidence that a smaller diameter of the right ACA and left PcoA are associated with the occurrence of cerebrovascular diseases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Branched-chain amino acids (BCAAs), comprising leucine (Leu), isoleucine (Ile), and valine (Val), are essential nutrients vital for protein synthesis and metabolic regulation via specialized signaling networks. Their association with cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) has become a focal point of scientific debate, with emerging evidence suggesting both beneficial and detrimental roles. This review aims to dissect the multifaceted relationship between BCAAs and cardiovascular health, exploring the molecular mechanisms and clinical implications. Elevated BCAA levels have also been linked to insulin resistance (IR), type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM), inflammation, and dyslipidemia, which are well-established risk factors for CVD. Central to these processes are key pathways such as mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) signaling, nuclear factor kappa-light-chain-enhancer of activate B cells (NF-κB)-mediated inflammation, and oxidative stress. Additionally, the interplay between BCAA metabolism and gut microbiota, particularly the production of metabolites like trimethylamine-N-oxide (TMAO), adds another layer of complexity. Contrarily, some studies propose that BCAAs may have cardioprotective effects under certain conditions, contributing to muscle maintenance and metabolic health. This review critically evaluates the evidence, addressing the biological basis and signal transduction mechanism, and also discusses the potential for BCAAs to act as biomarkers versus active mediators of cardiovascular pathology. By presenting a balanced analysis, this review seeks to clarify the contentious roles of BCAAs in CVD, providing a foundation for future research and therapeutic strategies required because of the rising prevalence, incidence, and total burden of CVDs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Eye globe rupture is an ophthalmologic emergency which needs surgery in order to preserve globe integrity and visual acuity. In certain cases of severe physical trauma, partial or total extrusion of the ocular contents leads the surgeon to the decision to eviscerate the eye globe. The aim of this article is to highlight the psychological impact in a clinical case with forensic implications of a 39-year old patient with eye globe rupture. He underwent severe physical aggression, as he was hit with a metallic blunt object in the face, which led to losing one eye and permanent mutilation. In eye globe rupture generating the loss of the eye, as it is in our case, patient undergoes concomitant mental disability, needing after operation psychological counseling in order to accept his present status. It is also essential for the ophthalmologist to make a correct and well-documented assessment of the patient, to complete a full forensic report and to establish accurately under which provisions of the Romanian Criminal Code the offence is falling.

In this article we will focus on a much disputed eponym: "Diogenes syndrome" (DS). We reviewed selected key issues about the authors who introduced this entity into psychiatric practice, but also about its definition, risk factors, clinical manifestation, management aspects, as well as the similarities between Diogenes' life and philosophy and clinical manifestation of DS. also, we will try to find if this syndrome should be maintain or not in the geriatric and psychiatric practices. We conclude that the name of the syndrome correlates well with Diogenes' life and philosophy as the name of the syndrome is a reference to the self-isolation and rejection of the outside world practiced by the cynical philosopher. although DS is not included in DSM 5 or ICD-11 as a stand-alone entity, we consider that the use of an eponym related to the ancient and well known philosopher can be very useful in teaching medical terminology, but also it could contribute to medicine students' cultural background. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ophthalmic treatments using contact lenses are now used by more and more specialists around the world. Improving contact lens (CL) materials is a condition that is constantly evolving. Contact lens materials are usually composed of polymer hydrogel or silicone hydrogel. The materials used for night contact lenses are gas permeable and they gradual flatten the center of the cornea which decreases the progression of myopia or myopic astigmatism. The aim of this study is to identify, in correlation with the chemical interactions between structural components of contact lenses and their biocompatibility with the surface layer and microtopography of the cornea or sclera, different incidents that occur in patients who have used rigid gas permeable contact lenses. The study was performed on a group of 10 patients who had a follow-up period between 4 and 6 years, who presented regularly for eye examinations. The following clinical parameters were analyzed: ocular refraction before and after wearing night contact lenses, types of contact lens materials, appearance of corneal topography, biomicroscopic examination of the anterior segment of the eye, keratometry, ocular comfort, as well as other incidents regarding this type of lenses. Difficulties caused by wearing contact lenses at night arose due to poor hygiene and maintenance in two cases or due to interruption of lens wear in one case. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Circle of Willis (CoW) is located at the base of the brain, around the optic chiasm and other structures of the interpeduncular fossa. There are other studies in which the „circle of Willis" is not considered a circle, but an arterial polygon with a variable number of sides (from six to ten) depending on the author. Circle of Willis is composed of an anterior arch, which derived from the internal carotid artery and is made of the two paired anterior cerebral arteries and anterior communicating artery, and a posterior arch, made of posterior cerebral artery originating in the vertebrobasilar system, and the two paired posterior communicating arteries, having their origin in the internal carotid system. In this paper we present a comprehensive review of the data regarding the anatomical course and morphological aspects of each of the arteries constituting the circle of Willis, along with their anatomical variants and the pathology that emerged from these anomalies, pointing out their significance for the clinicians. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Because anxiety disorders are currently one of the most common psychiatric disorders in the general population, an investigation of the risk factors that can trigger them may be helpful in preventing this disease. Material and methods: We perform a non-systematic review of the literature, using PubMed and Google Scholar searching engines, based on the following words: "risk factor" and "anxiety disorder". We selected only articles written in English with relevance to the topic. We critically analyzed a total of 100 articles. Based on the relevance of their content, we finally selected for our review the 56 most significant contributions. Results: After searching literature, we are able to consider that risk factors for anxiety disorders development, irrespective of a certain group of population or of age, can be classified into four classes: 1) constitutional; 2) genetic; 3) environmental; and 4) individual-specific factors. Conclusion: The risk factors for anxiety disorders are numerous and as such this psychiatric condition is a complex one, even more complex than previously thought. In the same time, the risk factors for anxiety disorders are still largely unknown. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]