Objectives: Markers of low-grade inflammation such as high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (HSCRP) have been reported to be increased in individuals with hypertension. This study evaluated HSCRP levels and their correlation with other cardiovascular risk factors in hypertensive patients.Design: A cross-sectional study conducted in a hospital between October 2022 and March 2024.Setting: The study was conducted at a secondary health facility in southern Nigeria.Participants: The study recruited 400 participants, comprising 300 hypertensive and 100 normotensive individuals. Demographic and clinical data were collected with a structured interviewer-administered questionnaireMain outcome measures: Serum concentration of HSCRP and its correlation with blood pressure, obesity measures and other risk factors of cardiovascular disease.Results: Mean HSCRP was significantly higher in hypertensives than in controls (4.33 ± 3.52 vs 1.53 ± 1.51 mg/L, p < 0.001). Hypertension was associated with moderate and high risk of cardiovascular disease (based on HSCRP levels). There were statistically significant weak correlations between HSCRP and systolic blood pressure (SBP) (r = 0.178, p = 0.002), diastolic blood pressure (DBP) (r = 0.146, p = 0.011), body mass index (BMI) (r = 0.123, p = 0.033) and waist circumference (WC) (r = 0.131, p = 0.023) in the hypertensive population.Conclusion: Serum levels of HSCRP were significantly higher in the hypertensives than in the normotensive controls, and hypertension was associated with moderate and high risk of cardiovascular disease. HSCRP has a significant weak positive correlation with BMI and WC.
Modern high-field MRI systems (1.5T, 3T) have improved spatial resolution and can evaluate tissue microstructure and map tissue metabolites due to improved technology. However, their size, weight, power demands, and acquisition and maintenance costs make them largely inaccessible to healthcare institutions in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). Low-cost ultralow-field (ULF) portable MRI hardware technologies have been developed and deployed for clinical imaging applications and hold promise for addressing unmet healthcare and research needs in resource-poor countries. Korle Bu Teaching Hospital (KBTH) received a Hyperfine Swoop ULF portable MRI system from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation as part of the larger ‘Ultralow-field Neuroimaging in the Young (UNITY) Project’. Between May 2022 and October 2025, we performed 467 scans, including research participants, quality assurance scans, and acutely ill children from the paediatric intensive care unit. We report our experience with setting up and operating this system, highlighting key aspects of installation, patient positioning, image storage, image quality, equipment cost, and MRI research capacity in a sub-Saharan African setting. Our experience demonstrates that a portable ULF MRI system can be installed and operated successfully in a sub-Saharan African teaching hospital with minimal infrastructure and a modest training period, supporting its ability to improve access to neuroimaging in similar resource-limited settings.
Uterine torsion is a rare surgical condition that may present with vague symptoms or severe lower abdominal pain. It occurs when the uterus rotates more than 45 degrees around its long axis. It may be challenging to diagnose due to its rarity and the non-specific nature of presentation. The condition is more common among women during their reproductive years, especially in those who are pregnant.We present a 54-year-old postmenopausal woman who presented with a 4-day history of severe abdominal pain associated with copious projectile bilious vomiting. She also had a 3-year history of gradual abdominal distension. A Computed Tomography scan showed a large complex abdominopelvic mass with associated small bowel obstruction and minimal bilateral pleural effusions. On exploratory laparotomy, a 30cm x 25cm right ovarian mass and a purplish-blue-coloured, dusky, 18-week-sized uterus, which was dextrorotated 180 degrees at the level of the isthmus, were noted. A total abdominal hysterectomy with bilateral salpingo-oophorectomy was done for her. Uterine torsion can be considered as a differential for women with a huge ovarian mass presenting with sudden onset of severe abdominal pain. This will aid early intervention to save the uterus for those women with fertility wishes.
Deep vein thrombosis (DVT) is very uncommon in infancy and is often overlooked because of its nonspecific presentation and overlap with more common paediatric conditions such as cellulitis and sepsis. We report the case of a 10-month-old female infant who presented with acute unilateral lower-limb swelling and pain. Initial evaluation revealed markedly elevated inflammatory markers but no systemic instability, leading to a provisional diagnosis of cellulitis and initiation of intravenous antibiotics. Despite appropriate antimicrobial therapy, there was no clinical improvement, blood cultures remained sterile, and imaging for musculoskeletal infection was unremarkable. Diagnostic reconsideration on the third day of admission led to venous Doppler ultrasonography, which demonstrated an acute popliteal vein thrombosis. This case underscores the diagnostic challenges of paediatric DVT, particularly in infants, where widely validated clinical prediction tools are limited, clinicians rely heavily on imaging, and access to point-of-care ultrasound (POCUS) remains restricted in many low- and middle-income settings. Increased awareness and timely ultrasound use may improve early diagnosis and prevent potentially life-threatening complications.
Objectives: To investigate the epidemiology, clinical characteristics, management approaches, and outcomes of foreign body (FB) ingestion in a tertiary hospital in Ghana.Design: A retrospective reviewSetting: Ear, Nose, and Throat Department, Korle Bu Teaching Hospital, Ghana.Participants: Patients presenting with FB ingestion between January 2021 and December 2022. Inclusion criteria: confirmed FB ingestion cases in the ENT ward admission records. Exclusion criteria: missing records. Two hundred and fifty-eight patients met the criteria and were included in the analysis.Interventions: Patients managed for foreign body ingestion at the ENT Department of KBTH had their presentation, management and outcomes assessed.Main outcome measures: Demographics, FB type and location, presenting symptoms, intervention success rates, and patient outcomes.Results: FB ingestion accounted for approximately one-quarter to one-third of ENT ward admissions during the study period. Children accounted for 75.0% of the 258 participants. Coins and button batteries were the most common FBs in children; bone fragments and dentures predominated in adults. Common symptoms in children included drooling, vomiting, and dysphagia; in adults, dysphagia, foreign body sensation, and throat pain were most frequent. Endoscopic removal was successful in 96.8% of cases.Conclusions: Findings emphasise increasing prevalence of paediatric foreign body ingestion and the importance of preventive measures to minimise the risk of FB ingestion incidents among paediatric populations, particularly regarding the safe storage of small objects such as coins and button batteries, as they are potentially hazardous. Consistently educating denture users and/or their caregivers is recommended to reduce the risk of denture ingestion.
