Search Results (6)

Cryptococcosis is a severe systemic mycosis affecting humans and animals, caused primarily by members of the Cryptococcus neoformans/Cryptococcus gattii species complex. In cats, it is the most common systemic fungal infection and may present with non-specific signs involving the upper respiratory tract, skin, lymph nodes, eyes, or the central nervous system. This study presents two feline cases of cryptococcosis diagnosed by cytological examination and provides an updated literature review. Fine-needle aspiration biopsies were performed in two cats with chronic nasal swelling and submandibular enlargement. Cytological smears stained with hematoxylin and eosin revealed spherical to oval yeast-like organisms with a characteristic thick, non-staining capsule, narrow-based budding, and absence of pseudohyphae, consistent with Cryptococcus spp. Based on cytological findings, both patients were treated with oral itraconazole, resulting in favorable clinical outcomes. A limitation of this study is the lack of mycological culture or molecular confirmation, owing to the owners’ refusal of further diagnostic testing. These cases highlight the diagnostic value of cytology as a rapid tool for differentiating fungal infections from neoplastic processes. Early diagnosis and antifungal therapy are crucial for successful management. From a One Health perspective, feline cryptococcosis may indicate shared environmental exposure risks relevant to both animal and human health. Full article

Previous reports on the benefits of using local therapy with azelastine in rhinitis focus on the assessment of clinical symptoms and the analysis of nasal lavage for the presence of inflammatory cells and the expression of adhesion molecules. Little attention has been paid to studies assessing the effect of azelastine on individual cytotypes of the nasal mucosa, especially epithelial cells, also in the context of inducing morphological changes. The aim of this study was the cytological analysis of swabs taken from the surface of the nasal mucosa of patients with allergic rhinitis (AR) and nonallergic/vasomotor rhinitis (NAR/VMR) who were subjected to 4 weeks of therapy with azelastine and then comparing the obtained results with the pre-treatment condition. The technique of obtaining materials for cytoanalysis included sampling, staining of smears, microscopic analysis, and preparation of cytograms. Our studies confirmed the therapeutic benefits of azelastine in both study groups. Significant changes were demonstrated, confirming the regeneration of ciliated cells and the induction of autophagy and apoptosis in epithelial cells. Such changes indicate new mechanisms of action of azelastine, which play a significant role in restoring homeostasis in the nasal mucosa. The presented research also results in a detailed description of cytological changes in both studied rhinitis types, which complements the knowledge regarding prognostic indicators. Full article

Allergic rhinitis (AR) is a type I allergic disease characterized by immunoglobulin E (IgE) -mediated hypersensitivity of the nasal mucosa. Here, we focused on a commercial test kit named Allerwatch^® (AW) for the diagnosis of allergic conjunctivitis (AC) in which total tear IgE is qualitatively detected based on immunochromatography. We evaluated the usefulness of the AW test for detecting total IgE in the nasal discharge of AR and non-allergic rhinitis (non-AR) patients in comparison and combination with the conventional nasal smear examination for eosinophils. Using the AW test, total IgE in nasal fluid was detected in 64.76% of the AR patients and 11.11% of the non-AR patients, with a significant difference between the groups (p < 0.001). As compared to non-AR, the sensitivity and specificity of the detection of total IgE in nasal fluid for detecting AR were 64.76% and 88.89%, respectively. In the AR patients, house dust mites (57.1% of patients) and Japanese cedar pollen (93.3% of patients) were the major sensitizing antigens. When we considered a positive result in either of the two examinations to indicate a positive result, the rate of positivity in AR patients increased to 78.10%. As compared to non-AR, the sensitivity and specificity of the combination of both examinations for detecting AR were 78.10% and 83.33%, respectively. The AW test in the nasal cavity and the qualitative measurement of total IgE in nasal fluid may enable the detection of allergic elements in patients who present to a medical institution with nasal symptoms. In addition, the detection rate is increased when combined with the nasal smear examination for eosinophils. Full article

Objectives: Since 11 March 2020, when the World Health Organization declared the COVID-19 pandemic, trials have found that the pediatric population is the least affected, and most positive cases are asymptomatic or have mild symptoms such as fever and cough. Aims: The main objective of this study was to describe the percentage of positive tests among children who presented to the emergency department for symptoms compatible with SARS-CoV-2. Additional objectives were to identify clinical screening criteria to identify candidates to perform a polymerase chain reaction or antigen screening test. Patients/Methods: The study had a mixed cross-sectional and case-control design. Data were obtained from the electronic medical records of the emergency service of Hospital Sant Camil, Sant Pere de Ribes (Spain), from May 2020 to September 2021. Patients included had symptoms compatible with COVID-19 and a positive polymerase chain reaction or antigen SARS-CoV-2 screening test. Results: The study included 1508 patients with a mean age of 4.5 years (SD 4.2): 670 of whom were female (44.4%). The percentage of children with a positive polymerase chain reaction or antigen test was 3.51%. For the secondary objectives, some rules were created to create groups in which all patients tested negative: (1) Patients with abdominal pain, who did not present with diarrhea or fatigue, (2) Patients with asthma or allergies, (3) patients older than 3.5 years, with asthenia but without abdominal pain, and (4) patients younger than 3.5 years with abdominal pain and rash. Conclusions: The frequency of children who tested positive for COVID-19 was low among those with a clinical suspicion tested in the emergency room. Some combinations of symptoms and personal history were without exception associated with a negative polymerase chain reaction result for SARS-CoV-2 and could therefore help rule out the disease. Full article

Early diagnosis and treatment of rhino-orbital-cerebral mucormycosis (ROCM) are crucial. Potassium hydroxide with Calcofluorwhite (KOH + CFW) smears can demonstrate the fungal hyphae, but mixed infections caused by both mucorales and non-mucorales pose a diagnostic challenge. Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) can detect mixed infections and differentiate mucorales from non-mucorales. This study aimed to evaluate the utility of a single reaction PCR in the diagnosis of ROCM and the efficacy of nasal biopsy and endonasal swab in the detection of fungus. Sixty-six clinical samples were collected from 33 patients and were subjected to KOH + CFW smear, culture and PCR. PCR was performed using pan-fungal primers targeting the 28S large subunit rRNA gene, and the amplified products were further sequenced to identify the fungi. KOH + CFW smear, culture and PCR detected mucorales in 54.6%, 27.3% and 63.6% patients, respectively. PCR detected mixed infection in 51.5% patients compared to 9.1% by KOH + CFW smear. PCR detected fungus in 90% of nasal biopsies and 77.8% of endonasal swabs. Rhizopus spp. was the most common fungi identified in 43.2% of PCR-positive samples. PCR is effective in detecting mixed infection and in the diagnosis of ROCM. Nasal biopsies had better fungal detection rates than endonasal swabs. Full article

Cytological study of the nasal mucosa (also known as rhino-cytology) represents an important diagnostic aid that allows highlighting of the presence of some types of rhinitis through the analysis of cellular features visible under a microscope. Nowadays, the automated detection and classification of cells benefit from the capacity of deep learning techniques in processing digital images of the cytological preparation. Even though the results of such automatic systems need to be validated by a specialized rhino-cytologist, this technology represents a valid support that aims at increasing the accuracy of the analysis while reducing the required time and effort. The quality of the rhino-cytological preparation, which is clearly important for the microscope observation phase, is also fundamental for the automatic classification process. In fact, the slide-preparing technique turns out to be a crucial factor among the multiple ones that may modify the morphological and chromatic characteristics of the cells. This paper aims to investigate the possible differences between direct smear (SM) and cytological centrifugation (CYT) slide-preparation techniques, in order to preserve image quality during the observation and cell classification phases in rhino-cytology. Firstly, a comparative study based on image analysis techniques has been put forward. The extraction of densitometric and morphometric features has made it possible to quantify and describe the spatial distribution of the cells in the field images observed under the microscope. Statistical analysis of the distribution of these features has been used to evaluate the degree of similarity between images acquired from SM and CYT slides. The results prove an important difference in the observation process of the cells prepared with the above-mentioned techniques, with reference to cell density and spatial distribution: the analysis of CYT slides has been more difficult than of the SM ones due to the spatial distribution of the cells, which results in a lower cell density than the SM slides. As a marginal part of this study, a performance assessment of the computer-aided diagnosis (CAD) system called Rhino-cyt has also been carried out on both groups of image slide types. Full article