Correlates of Trachoma Recrudescence: Results from 51 District-Level Trachoma Surveillance Surveys in Amhara, Ethiopia.

Trachoma recrudescence is a serious concern for trachoma control programs. Programs define recrudescence as the return of trachomatous inflammation-follicular (TF) prevalence above elimination threshold (≥5%) on district-level trachoma surveillance surveys (TSSs). This study aimed to determine potential correlates of trachoma recrudescence within a historically highly endemic region.

Successful Treatment of Peripheral Nerve Sheath Tumor-related Pain with Perineural Steroid Injection: a case report.

Pain associated with Neurofibromatosis Type 1 (NF1) is poorly understood. To date, no treatment options have been approved for NF1-related pain. We present the case of a young female NF1 patient with intermittent buttock pain radiating down the leg who presented with positive dural tension signs.

Leukocyte-Rich Platelet-Rich Plasma for Osteonecrosis of Sesamoid in a Performing Artist: A Case Report.

Sesamoid bones absorb and disperse weight from the metatarsal bones. Sesamoid injuries occur primarily in dancers and runners, with nonoperative management as the first line of treatment. Due to the lack of secondary blood supply, the sesamoids are at risk for osteonecrosis and nonunion fractures.

Impact of a School Trachoma Program Emphasizing Facial Cleanliness and Environmental Improvement in Amhara, Ethiopia.

The SAFE (Surgery, Antibiotics, Facial cleanliness, Environmental improvement) strategy is the WHO's endorsed approach for eliminating trachoma as a public health problem; however, not all components have been treated equally. Historically, the F and E components have not been prioritized owing to their perceived complexity. With school enrollment increasing in Ethiopia, development of a national school health program that is focused on the F and E components represents an opportunity to strengthen the SAFE strategy in the country.

Non-operative Management and Outcomes of Femoroacetabular Impingement Syndrome.

Purpose: To serve as a guide for non-operative physicians in the management of femoroacetabular impingement syndrome and provide an algorithm as to when to refer patients for potential surgical management.

Recent Findings: Supervised physical therapy programs that focus on active strengthening and core strengthening are more effective than unsupervised, passive, and non-core-focused programs. There is promising evidence for the use of intra-articular hyaluronic acid and PRP as adjunct treatment options.

Age at Initiation of Cigarette Use in a Nationally Representative Sample of US Youth, 2013-2017.

Importance: Cigarettes are still a commonly used tobacco product among youth despite recent declines in cigarette use.

Objective: The aim of this study was to prospectively estimate the age of cigarette use initiation among youth (aged 12-17 years) overall, by sex, and by race/ethnicity.

Design, Setting, And Participants: This cohort study used data from waves 1 through 4 of the nationally representative Population Assessment of Tobacco and Health (PATH) study, conducted from September 12, 2013, to January 3, 2018.

Twelve-Year Longitudinal Trends in Trachoma Prevalence among Children Aged 1-9 Years in Amhara, Ethiopia, 2007-2019.

Trachoma control in the Amhara region of Ethiopia, where all districts were once endemic, began in 2001 and attained full scale-up of the Surgery, Antibiotics, Facial cleanliness, and Environmental improvement (SAFE) strategy by 2010. Since scaling up, the program has distributed approximately 14 million doses of antibiotic per year, implemented village- and school-based health education, and promoted latrine construction. This report aims to provide an update on the prevalence of trachoma among children aged 1-9 years as of the most recent impact or surveillance survey in all 160 districts of Amhara.

Community Hand-Dug Wells for Trachoma: A Cluster-Randomized Trial.

The WHO recommends improving access to water as part of a comprehensive strategy for elimination of trachoma as a public health problem; however, this recommendation is not based on evidence from randomized trials. In a region of Ethiopia with hyperendemic trachoma, seven communities were randomized to a hand-dug well (HDW) and seven communities to no intervention to determine the impact of HDWs on the community prevalence of ocular chlamydia infection (primary prespecified outcome). All communities continued to receive government hygiene and sanitation services and outreach.

Population-Based Prevalence of Infection and Antibodies in Four Districts with Varying Levels of Trachoma Endemicity in Amhara, Ethiopia.

The Trachoma Control Program in Amhara region, Ethiopia, scaled up the surgery, antibiotics, facial cleanliness, and environmental improvement (SAFE) strategy in all districts starting in 2007. Despite these efforts, many districts still require additional years of SAFE. In 2017, four districts were selected for the assessment of antibody responses against antigens and infection to better understand transmission.

Comparison of Smartphone Photography, Single-Lens Reflex Photography, and Field-Grading for Trachoma.

Conjunctival examination for trachomatous inflammation-follicular (TF) guides public health decisions for trachoma. Smartphone cameras may allow remote conjunctival grading, but previous studies have found low sensitivity. A random sample of 412 children aged 1-9 years received an in-person conjunctival examination and then had conjunctival photographs taken with 1) a single-lens reflex (SLR) camera and 2) a smartphone coupled to a 3D-printed magnifying attachment.

Progress to Eliminate Trachoma as a Public Health Problem in Amhara National Regional State, Ethiopia: Results of 152 Population-Based Surveys.

At baseline in 2006, Amhara National Regional State, Ethiopia, was the most trachoma-endemic region in the country. Trachoma impact surveys (TIS) were conducted in all districts between 2010 and 2015, following 3-5 years of intervention with the WHO-recommended SAFE (surgery, antibiotics, facial cleanliness, and environmental improvement) strategy. A multistage cluster random sampling design was used to estimate the district-level prevalence of trachoma.

Active trachoma and community use of sanitation, Ethiopia.

Objective: To investigate, in Amhara, Ethiopia, the association between prevalence of active trachoma among children aged 1-9 years and community sanitation usage.

Methods: Between 2011 and 2014, prevalence of trachoma and household pit latrine usage were measured in five population-based cross-sectional surveys. Data on observed indicators of latrine use were aggregated into a measure of community sanitation usage calculated as the proportion of households with a latrine in use.

Association of community sanitation usage with soil-transmitted helminth infections among school-aged children in Amhara Region, Ethiopia.

Background: Globally, in 2010, approximately 1.5 billion people were infected with at least one species of soil-transmitted helminth (STH), Ascaris lumbricoides, Trichuris trichiura, hookworm (Ancylostoma duodenale and Necator americanus). Infection occurs through ingestion or contact (hookworm) with eggs or larvae in the environment from fecal contamination.

Prediction of Low Community Sanitation Coverage Using Environmental and Sociodemographic Factors in Amhara Region, Ethiopia.

This study developed and validated a model for predicting the probability that communities in Amhara Region, Ethiopia, have low sanitation coverage, based on environmental and sociodemographic conditions. Community sanitation coverage was measured between 2011 and 2014 through trachoma control program evaluation surveys. Information on environmental and sociodemographic conditions was obtained from available data sources and linked with community data using a geographic information system.

Sebaceous carcinoma of the eyelid: a review of 14 cases.

Background: Sebaceous carcinoma of the eyelid is a rare tumor. Treatment can be complicated by noncontiguous spread of the tumor.

Objective: Review a series of patients with sebaceous carcinoma to illustrate clinical presentations, treatments, and outcomes.

Microcystic adnexal carcinoma (MAC) of the scalp with extensive pilar differentiation.

Background: Microcystic adnexal carcinoma (MAC), or sclerosing sweat duct tumor, is an uncommon, locally aggressive tumor. It typically involves the upper lip or face of middle-aged adults and rarely involves the scalp. It is characterized histologically by both pilar and eccrine differentiation and is associated with frequent perineural invasion.