A descriptive study on diagnostic timelines, and factors influencing delayed diagnosis among adult head and neck cancer patients at Uganda cancer institute.

Background: Many patients with head and neck cancer (HNC) often present with advanced disease. This may result from delay in deciding to seek care, delay in reaching the healthcare facility and or delay in accessing care in the healthcare facility. We therefore set out to determine the time to definitive diagnosis and factors associated with delayed diagnosis among patients with HNC at the Uganda Cancer Institute (UCI).

'Seeing is believing' - gender disparities in otolaryngology-head and neck surgery in Africa: a narrative review.

Purpose Of Review: Various factors affect otolaryngology - head and neck surgery (OHNS) services in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs); including inadequate infrastructure, limited academic positions, unfavorable hospital research policies, and traditional misconceptions about gender and surgery, among others. Although gender inequalities exist globally, they are particularly pronounced in LMICs, especially in Africa.

Recent Findings: A comparative narrative literature review for relevant manuscripts from January 1, 2017 to through January 10th, 2024, using PubMed, Embase and Google Scholar for articles from the United States/Canada and Africa was done.

19 Months Toddler with a Giant Oral Capillary Hemangioma, a Case Report.

Head and neck vascular tumors are common in children. Capillary hemangiomas are often easily confused with pyogenic granulomas due to histopathological resemblance. Furthermore, predisposing factors to pyogenic granulomas include an existing hemangioma, which may be co-existing entities.

Spontaneous Retropharyngeal Haematoma Causing Upper Airway Obstruction in a Child: Case Report.

Bleeding into the retropharyngeal region in children is an unusual cause of acute upper airway obstruction. Even in the absence of known risk factors or aetiology, this rare entity should be considered as one of the differential diagnoses of retropharyngeal swellings in children. Prompt surgical intervention is required whenever rapid progression to airway obstruction is observed.

Implementing hearing screening among children aged 0-59 months at established immunization clinics in Uganda: A multi-center study.

Objective: The prevalence of childhood hearing loss (HL) is high in low and middle income countries (LMICs), with many of the affected children facing communication delays and poor opportunities for education. Despite the increased advocacy for childhood hearing screening globally, Uganda has no established childhood hearing screening programs. This study set out to introduce hearing screening services by non-specialist health workers at routine immunization clinics among children aged 0-59 months and describe the prevalence and factors associated with failed hearing screening (HS) in these children.

Bloody Wiggler, a Case Report of a Leech in the Pharynx.

Leeches are an unusual cause of epistaxis and haemoptysis that should be considered in places with poor access to water. In this case report, we present a 7-year-old girl previously mismanaged as bacterial pharyngitis but later discovered to be a leech in the pharynx. She had ingested a leech from a spring that caused a foreign body sensation in the throat, frequent throat clearing, epistaxis, haemoptysis, and mild anaemia.

Smell and Taste Symptoms Among Patients With Mild and Moderately Severe COVID-19 Infection in Uganda.

Objective: Patients with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) may present with smell/taste dysfunctions in addition to the most frequent symptoms (fever, cough, and shortness of breath) or as the first symptom or even the only symptom. There is paucity of documentation of prevalence and characteristics of smell/taste dysfunction in COVID-19 in sub-Saharan Africa. The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence of smell/taste symptoms in our setting to institute local evidence-based practice.

A descriptive study of human papilloma virus in upper aero-digestive squamous cell carcinoma at Uganda cancer institute assessed by P16 immunohistochemistry.

Background: Cancer burden in sub-Saharan Africa is on the rise with one-third of cancers estimated to be caused by infectious agents. Head and neck squamous cell cancer (HNSCC) is the sixth most common malignancy in sub-Saharan Africa and includes tumors in the Upper Aero-digestive Tract (UADT). The established risk factors are tobacco and alcohol exposure with a recent recognition of the role of Human Papilloma Virus (HPV).

Barriers and facilitators of surgical care in rural Uganda: a mixed methods study.

Background: Surgical care delivery is poorly understood in resource-limited settings. To effectively move toward universal health coverage, there is a critical need to understand surgical care delivery in developing countries. This study aims to identify the barriers and facilitators of surgical care delivery at Soroti Regional Referral Hospital in Uganda.