The Journal of Bucharest College of Physicians and the Romanian Academy of Medical Sciences

Anca Colita

Anca Colita

Mucormycosis Infections during the Second Wave of COVID-19: Experience from a Tertiary Care Centre in India

Background: Mucormycosis is an uncommon fungal infection with high morbidity and mortality. There had been a sudden surge in the cases of mucormycosis during the second wave of Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) in India. Objective: The etiology, pathophysiology, and correlations of mucormycosis at tertiary hospital in India is explored in the present study. Methods: In this retrospective observational study, all coronavirus disease associated mucormycosis (CAM) cases admitted at this center between April 2021 to June 2021 were included. The cases were
evaluated in terms of their background, most common presentations, chief underlying etiologies, severity of disease, comorbidities, investigation profiles, prognosis, and treatment provided. Results: Among the total 231 cases reported with mucormycosis, age group of 40 - 50 years (28%) was the most afflicted and the 20-30 year was the least. Men (68%) were more afflicted than Women. 66% patients had a history of vaccination against COVID-19. 63% patients presented with a High-Resolution Computerized Tomography (HRCT) score of 9-16. 60% required oxygen support and 71% required steroids. Diabetes mellitus was the most prevalent comorbidity. Conclusion: The salience of the second inferno wave of COVID-19 was witness to COVID-19 patients who had pre-existing diabetes mellitus.
Individuals with diabetes in general foster more extreme COVID-19 infections and end up using corticosteroids. In any case, the corticosteroids – alongside diabetes – increment the danger of getting mucormycosis. The specific pathophysiology of COVID-19 may represent co-morbidity with Invasive Fungal diseases (IFI).

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Modern Diagnostic Approach of Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia in Children and Adolescents...

Acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) is the most frequent malignancy in children, representing 25% of all the neoplastic diseases in people younger than 15 years [1].
The peak of incidence is between ages 2 and 3 years [1]. In adolescents (15 to 19 years), ALL comprises only 7% of all cancers [2]. In the United States, it is estimated that 2500 - 3500 children are diagnosed with ALL every year [1]. The incidence appears to be increasing. In Europe it was reported a 1.4% increase in incidence from 1970 to 1999 [3].

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Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia. From Diagnosis to Treatment Decision

Chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL), haematological described since the early nineteenth century, is considered a haematological indolence, but of-a-time there was found that its evolution can be extremely varied.
Most of the patients were over 60 years at the time the diagnosis was established, and this may be due to decreased immune competence with age. Males are affected 2 times more frequently than the female, the male percentage: female being 2:1. Fewer than 10% of cases occur in adults and in children below 40 years old have been few reported cases of CLL. (1.2)

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