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Background: Umbilical artery thrombosis (UAT) masquerading as a single umbilical artery (SUA) is a rare but critical diagnostic challenge in prenatal care. Case Presentation: We described a case of a 22-year-old primigravida with an uneventful obstetric history who presented with reduced fetal movements at 22 weeks of gestation. Ultrasound showed no gross fetal structural anomalies while umbilical artery Doppler flow imaging revealed an isolated SUA. The patient again presented with diminished fetal movement at 24 weeks gestation, and a diagnosis of intrauterine demise was confirmed ultrasonographically. She was then induced and delivered a macerated stillborn female fetus. Placental examination revealed three umbilical vessels with an occlusive thrombus seen within the umbilical artery consistent with UAT, a finding previously mistaken for SUA. Conclusions: This case underscores the diagnostic difficulties of UAT radiologically, especially when there was no prior documented evidence of two umbilical arteries. Identification of at-risk fetuses would allow for close monitoring or effective interventions to be implemented as early as possible to avert preventable fetal loss. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The 2016 Amsterdam Placental Workshop Group Consensus Statement recommends sampling a block of the placenta close to the umbilical cord insertion site (UCIB) for histopathological evaluation. This piece of placenta at the umbilical cord insertion is presumed to give a better yield of inflammation (if present). We aimed to investigate the utility of the UCIB in the detection of maternal and/or fetal inflammatory responses (MIR and/or FIR), in comparison with the other sections of the placental parenchyma. This is a retrospective cross‐sectional study including all placentas with histologic chorioamnionitis. The histopathological slides of placentas were reviewed as per Amsterdam consensus guidelines. Diagnostic performance of UCIB in identifying MIR and/or FIR, relative to the other placental sections, was assessed. UCIB revealed diagnostic sensitivity, specificity, and diagnostic accuracy of 79.2% (95% CI: 74.2–83.6%), 100.0% (95% CI: 95.6–100.0%), and 83.6% (95% CI: 79.5–87.2%), respectively, in the detection of FIR, while showing a low sensitivity of 52.6% (95% CI: 47.5–57.6%) in detecting MIR. In 59 (24.6%) cases, FIR was not seen in the corresponding placental parenchymal sections but was detected in the UCIBs. This study is the first study to confirm that a section from the UCIB is essential for the detection of FIR, which affirms the Amsterdam consensus sampling recommendations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Oxidative stress is a contributing factor that leads to the vascular complications of diabetes mellitus. Diabetic peripheral neuropathy (DPN) is one of the microvascular complications with rising concern as the disease progresses despite strict glucose control and monitoring. Thus, there is an ongoing need for an early intervention that is effective in halting or slowing the progression of DPN where antioxidants have been proposed as potential therapeutic agents. This systematic review aims to evaluate the existing evidence on the antioxidant effect in DPN and provide insight on the role of antioxidants in the progression of DPN in a rat model. A comprehensive literature search was conducted on Web of Science, EBSCOhost, and Scopus to identify the effects and role of antioxidants in DPN. Data extraction was performed and SYRCLE's risk of bias (RoB) tool was used for risk assessment. This systematic review was written following the PRISMA 2020 statements. From the literature search, 1268 articles were screened, and a total of 101 full-text articles were further screened before 33 were analyzed. These findings collectively suggest that antioxidants can play a crucial role in managing and potentially reversing the effects of diabetic neuropathy by targeting oxidative stress and improving nerve function. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Phyllodes tumours or cystosarcoma phyllodes are fibroepithelial tumours of the breast and represent 1% of breast tumours. A 20-year-old nullipara presented with an enlarging left breast mass over 6 months. Although widely excised, it was reported to be a 12 × 10 × 5.5-cm borderline phyllodes tumour with involvement of the superior and inferior margins. Seven months later, she presented with a new ipsilateral breast lump measuring 8.5 × 7.5 × 4.6 cm. She underwent a left mastectomy, a three-rib resection with titanic rods for the thoracic cage reconstruction, and a latissimus dorsi flap wound closure. Histopathology revealed a high-grade malignant phyllodes tumour with features of osteoid differentiation with the nearest deep margin measuring 3 mm. She developed metastasis to the ipsilateral axillary lymph nodes and contralateral lung 2 months postoperatively. She was given palliative radiotherapy 60 Gy in 30 fractions to the left axilla. She developed sudden lower-limb weakness due to spinal metastases. The symptoms resolved with radiotherapy to the thoracic spine (T4–T8). As the lesion continued to grow rapidly from the anterior chest wall encircling towards the back, it was deemed unresectable. She was given palliative chemotherapy (doxorubicin six cycles, followed by ifosfamide one cycle) but had disease progression. She passed away 3 months later. The mainstay of treatment for phyllodes tumour is excision with a minimal margin of 1 cm. Although margins were involved after the first surgery, she was followed up as the pathology was a borderline phyllodes. When the lump recurred and had transformed, despite extensive surgery, it returned shortly and progressed. A borderline phyllodes should be excised to obtain a minimal margin of 1 cm, even if it means performing a mastectomy, to minimise recurrence. A recurrence may undergo malignant transformation which is largely chemotherapy and radiotherapy resistant. This will result in a poor outcome and decreased survival. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The general notion of complete hydatidiform moles is that most of them consist entirely of paternal DNA; hence, they do not express p57, a paternally imprinted gene. This forms the basis for the diagnosis of hydatidiform moles. There are about 38 paternally imprinted genes. The aim of this study is to determine whether other paternally imprinted genes could also assist in the diagnostic approach of hydatidiform moles. This study comprised of 29 complete moles, 15 partial moles and 17 non-molar abortuses. Immunohistochemical study using the antibodies of paternal-imprinted (RB1, TSSC3 and DOG1) and maternal-imprinted (DNMT1 and GATA3) genes were performed. The antibodies' immunoreactivity was evaluated on various placental cell types, namely cytotrophoblasts, syncytiotrophoblasts, villous stromal cells, extravillous intermediate trophoblasts and decidual cells. TSSC3 and RB1 expression were observed in all cases of partial moles and non-molar abortuses. In contrast, their expression in complete moles was identified in 31% (TSSC3) and 10.3% (RB1), respectively (p < 0.0001). DOG1 was consistently negative in all cell types in all cases. The expressions of maternally imprinted genes were seen in all cases, except for one case of complete mole where GATA3 was negative. Both TSSC3 and RB1 could serve as a useful adjunct to p57 for the discrimination of complete moles from partial moles and non-molar abortuses, especially in laboratories that lack comprehensive molecular service and in cases where p57 staining is equivocal. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study focused on the encapsulation of vancomycin (VAN) into liposomes coated with a red blood cell membrane with a targeting ligand, daptomycin--polyethylene glycol- 1,2-distearoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphoethanolamine, formed by conjugation of DAPT and Nhydroxysuccinimidyl- polyethylene glycol-1,2-distearoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphoethanolamine. This formulation is capable of providing controlled and targeted drug delivery to the bacterial cytoplasm. We performed MALDI-TOF, NMR and FTIR analyses to confirm the conjugation of the targeting ligand via the formation of amide bonds. Approximately 45% of VAN could be loaded into the aqueous cores, whereas 90% DAPT was detected using UV--vis spectrophotometry. In comparison to free drugs, the formulations controlled the release of drugs for > 72 h. Additionally, as demonstrated using CLSM and flow cytometry, the resulting formulation was capable of evading detection by macrophage cells. In comparison to free drugs, red blood cell membrane--DAPT--VAN liposomes, DAPT liposomes, and VAN liposomes reduced the MIC and significantly increased bacterial permeability, resulting in > 80% bacterial death within 4 h. Cytotoxicity tests were performed in vitro and in vivo on mammalian cells, in addition to hemolytic activity tests in human erythrocytes, wherein drugs loaded into the liposomes and RBCDVL exhibited low toxicity. Thus, the findings of this study provide insight about a dual antibiotic targeting strategy that utilizes liposomes and red blood cell membranes to deliver targeted drugs against MRSA. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Dendritic fibromyxolipoma (DFML) is an uncommon, benign soft tissue tumor. It is seldom reported in the hypopharynx. However, its endoscopic appearance may mimic an aggressive soft tissue neoplasm hence the importance of its recognition. We discuss a rare case of DFML of the pyriform fossa in a 66-year-old male who presented with progressive hoarseness. The histopathological diagnosis was made following conservative excision of the mass using carbon dioxide laser, preserving swallowing and voice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]