A rare case of disseminated pulmonary cryptococcosis in an immunocompetent patient.

Pulmonary cryptococcosis is an uncommon invasive fungal infection of the lungs seen in immunocompromised individuals but increasingly reported among the immunocompetent. We report a rare case of pulmonary cryptococcosis in an immunocompetent host highlighting its unique clinical and radiological presentation.Clinical trial number: Not applicable.

Tuberculosis patients with diabetes co-morbidity experience reduced complex clearance.

Objective: This study aimed to investigate the impact of diabetes mellitus (DM) on tuberculosis (TB) treatment response using bacterial clearance as a surrogate marker.

Method: We compared smear microscopy, culture, and tuberculosis molecular bacterial load assay (TB-MBLA) for treatment monitoring. Following that, bacterial clearance was longitudinally monitored among TB-only (TB without DM) and TB-diabetes (TBDM) patients using TB-MBLA.

Profile of Patients With Obstructive Sleep Apnea: An Initial Experience in a Tertiary Health Facility.

Introduction Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is the most common sleep-related breathing disorder with increasing prevalence worldwide. The disease is, however, underdiagnosed in many resource-limited countries, especially in sub-Saharan Africa with unknown prevalence. Study aim The aim of this study was to determine the demographic and clinical characteristics, as well as measured sleep study parameters of suspected OSA patients.

Relationship between fraction of exhaled nitric oxide and peripheral eosinophilia in asthma.

Background: Achieving disease control is the goal of asthma management. Serum or sputum eosinophil counts have been known traditional means of assessing eosinophilic airway inflammation in asthma, which is vital in predicting response to corticosteroid therapy which ultimately promotes control of the disease. Evidence suggests that fraction of exhaled nitric oxide (FeNO) may be a more useful non-invasive surrogate biomarker for the assessment of eosinophilic airway inflammation and could help with the timely adjustment of inhaled corticosteroid therapy in the uncontrolled asthma patient.

A three-year review of lung cancer patient characteristics in a tertiary hospital.

Objective: The study sought to determine clinical characteristics and histologic subtypes of a cohort of lung cancer patients in a tertiary facility.

Design: Retrospective review of the medical records of histology-confirmed lung cancer cases at the respiratory clinic over a 3-year period.

Setting: Respiratory Clinic, Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital, Accra, Ghana.

Adult Pneumococcal Vaccination in Ghana: Current Status and Future Recommendations - Expert Opinion.

Vaccination programs have proven successful in the prevention and control of infectious diseases among children on a global scale, but the majority of adult populations remain unvaccinated. immunocompromised adults as well as older adults aged low-income countries as Streptococcus pneumoniae infections are associated with substantial morbidity and mortality among 65 years and above. Despite the introduction of pneumococcal conjugate vaccines (PCVs), the burden of vaccine-type serotypes remains high in there are no clear policies for adult vaccination.

The Burden of Bacteriologically Negative TB Diagnosis: A Four-Year Review of Tuberculosis Cases at a Tertiary Facility.

Aim: We aimed to investigate the demographic and clinical factors associated with TB mortality in patients managed at a tertiary TB referral center.

Methods: We conducted a retrospective review of the medical records of 1,933 TB patients seen between January 2017 and December 2020 at the Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital (KBTH) Chest Department in Accra, Ghana. TB mortality was defined as any TB patient who died for any reason during the course of treatment.

A rare mimic of adult-onset asthma: Case report and review of the literature.

Adult-onset asthma is extremely variable in its phenotypic presentation and has gained notoriety for the overall poorer treatment outcomes even on standard asthma therapy. Tracheal tumours are rare but when present, exhibit asthma-like phenomenon in adult patients posing great diagnostic challenges. We report two adult patients with tracheal adenoid cystic tumours who were initially treated for adult-onset asthma.

Importance of -Specific Antibody Screening for Diagnosis of Chronic Pulmonary Aspergillosis after Tuberculosis Treatment: A Prospective Follow-Up Study in Ghana.

Chronic pulmonary aspergillosis (CPA) often occurs in patients that have been previously treated for pulmonary tuberculosis (PTB). A limited number of studies have looked at the development of CPA at different times following the completion of a PTB treatment course. This prospective longitudinal study aimed to determine the incidence of CPA at two timepoints, at the end of the PTB treatment (T) and six months post-treatment (T).

Improving awareness, diagnosis and management of invasive fungal infections in Ghana: establishment of the Ghana Medical Mycology Society.

Invasive fungal infections (IFIs) and medical mycology receive little attention in Ghana. However, the present evolution of biomarker assays for IFIs, offers an opportunity for an increased access to fungal laboratory testing in resource-limited settings, and probably make a case for availability of essential antifungal agents. Using surveys and personal communications, the state of medical mycology and IFI in Ghana were highlighted.

Chronic pulmonary aspergillosis is common among patients with presumed tuberculosis relapse in Ghana.

Chronic pulmonary aspergillosis (CPA) may mimic pulmonary tuberculosis (PTB). The two diseases are clinically indistinguishable and may result in CPA misdiagnosed as PTB or vice versa. Although PTB is largely recognised as a differential diagnosis of CPA and often ruled out prior to CPA diagnosis, the reverse is uncommon.

Cardiac sarcoidosis: Two case reports.

The clinical presentation of cardiac sarcoidosis is variable. We report two cases of cardiac sarcoidosis to highlight the varied clinical presentations and diagnostic challenges in our setting, and encourage the consideration of sarcoidosis as a differential in unexplained arrhythmias and heart failure.

Clinical characteristics of COVID-19 patients admitted at the Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital, Accra, Ghana.

Unlabelled: The study examined the clinical characteristics and outcomes of 2019 novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) infections among hospitalized patients.

Design: Study design was a retrospective single-center review of hospital data.

Setting: The study was conducted at the COVID-19 Treatment Center of the Department of Medicine and Therapeutics of the Korle-Bu Teaching hospital in Accra, Ghana.

Clinical and therapeutic outcomes of COVID-19 intensive care units (ICU) patients: a retrospective study in Ghana.

The COVID-19 pandemic had caused significant morbidity and mortality, with over a million deaths recorded to date. Mortality recorded among severe-critically ill patients admitted to intensive care units (ICU) has been significantly high, especially in most COVID-19 epicenters. Reports on the unique clinical characteristics and outcomes from the ICU admissions are on-going with isolated studies in Africa.

Bleomycin-induced pneumonitis in a young Ghanaian male with Hodgkin's Lymphoma.

We report a case of a young Ghanaian male who developed Bleomycin Induced Pneumonitis (BIP) after being treated for Hodgkin's Lymphoma. Pulmonary toxicity is the most feared complication of bleomycin therapy despite its effectiveness in achieving cure in patients with Hodgkin's lymphoma and germ cell tumors. BIP has a significant mortality rate if detected late and a high index of suspicion is required in all patients on bleomycin-based therapies with sudden onset of respiratory symptoms.

Exercise-induced haemoglobin oxygen desaturation in patients with SCD.

Background: Patients with sickle cell disease (SCD) may experience severe clinical complications when there is low tissue oxygenation due to the increased risk of the polymerization of haemoglobin S in deoxygenated environment. The predictors of oxygen desaturation after exercise is not clear in patients with SCD. The current study compared lung function and six-minute walk test (6MWT) between SCD patients with oxygen desaturation after exercise and those without oxygen desaturation.

Flexible bronchoscopy in a tertiary healthcare facility: a review of indications and outcomes.

Objectives: Flexible Fibreoptic bronchoscopy (FFB) is a major diagnostic and therapeutic tool employed largely in respiratory medicine but its use in our country has been quite limited. We performed a retrospective review of the indications, overall diagnostic yield and safety of FFB at the Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital (KBTH).

Study Design: Retrospective study.

Pseudotumour presentation of pulmonary tuberculosis.

Unlabelled: Pulmonary tuberculosis manifesting as a mass lesion, thus, mimicking a lung carcinoma is an unusual radiographic presentation of tuberculosis (TB). The common radiologic patterns and clinical presentations are well known and documented. We report two cases of pulmonary tuberculosis with a neoplastic appearance on chest imaging diagnosed histologically.

Lung Function Abnormalities in Sickle Cell Anaemia.

Background: Abnormalities in lung function tests have been shown to commonly occur in a majority of patients with sickle cell disease (SCD) even at steady state. The prevalence and pattern of these lung function abnormalities have been described in other populations but this is unknown among our sickle cell cohort. There is generally little information available on risk factors associated with the lung function abnormalities and its relevance in patient care.

Pneumonia in Ghana-a need to raise the profile.

Despite the high mortality, pneumonia retains a relatively low profile among researchers, funders and policymakers. Here we reflect on the problems and priorities of pneumonia in Ghana, briefly review the evidence base and reflect upon in-person discussions between Southampton-based authors MGH and JB and academic, clinical and policy colleagues in Ghana. The discussions took place in Accra in August 2017.