It is widely recognized that the COVID-19 pandemic has adversely affected the psychological well-being of pregnant and postpartum women. Consequently, it is of the utmost importance to identify effective strategies that can mitigate the negative emotional experiences of pregnant women during any pandemic period. This review seeks to identify the most effective approaches to managing stress among pregnant women during the COVID-19 pandemic and emphasizes the significance of providing support to pregnant women throughout this period. A comprehensive literature review was conducted, and studies that met the inclusion criteria were analysed. The primary criterion was that the studies examined strategies employed by pregnant women to cope with stress during the COVID-19 pandemic. A total of 16 studies were included in the analysis. Adaptive coping strategies were found to be more effective in ameliorating the impact of the pandemic on mental health compared to dysfunctional coping strategies. While pregnant women generally exhibited maladaptive coping behaviours, psychological support and promoting beneficial coping strategies were the most frequently described methods for improving their mental health during the pandemic and preventing adverse outcomes of pregnancy. Additionally, avoiding misinformation and seeking social and family support were considered essential components of effective support. It is crucial to prioritize psychological, emotional and mental health support for pregnant women during the pandemic.

Endobronchial hamartoma is a benign mesenchymal tumor. It contains fat, cartilage and even bone tissue. It can be asymptomatic or cause respiratory symptoms such as cough and pneumonias. We report a case of a 68-year-old male who suffered from cough for the last four years. During this period of time, he was treated with different therapeutic approaches, including antibiotics, inhaled corticosteroids, pregabaline and bronchodilators, without clinical improvement. Allergic and gastrointestinal diseases were excluded. Pulmonary function tests were all normal. His symptoms had been attributed to anxiety disorder as psychogenic cough. However, a chest computed tomography (CT) was never conducted. Chest CT and bronchoscopy revealed an endobronchial hamartoma. Its endoscopical removal led to impressive remission of symptoms.

While there remains no universally accepted definition for resistant edema, it is generally acknowledged as edema that fails to respond to maximally administered doses of diuretics. Nephrotic edema is characterized by high levels of proteinuria, notably urinary concentrations of serine proteases, which possess the ability to activate the epithelial sodium channel (ENaC), resulting in persistent fluid retention. Loop diuretics are typically preferred as first-line therapy for hypervolemia. However, the sustained activation of ENaC channels may lead to resistance to treatment. Consequently, the blockade of ENaC represents a potential therapeutic approach. We report the case of a 36-year-old man presenting with nephrotic edema managed with a combination of furosemide and human albumin. Despite an initially favorable response, the patient subsequently developed oliguria and progressive weight gain. On the third day, a regimen comprising amiloride (5 mg/day) and hydrochlorothiazide (50 mg/day) was initiated, resulting in complete resolution of edema after 11 days. No hyperkalemia was observed, with only a slight elevation in serum creatinine levels. Although clinical trials are limited, mounting evidence from human and animal studies supports the concept of nephrotic syndrome as an overfill phenomenon and underscores the potential benefits of ENaC blockers in the management of nephrotic edema.

Tolosa-Hunt syndrome (THS) is a disorder related to inflammation of cavernous sinus and superior orbital fissure that usually presents with ophthalmoplegia and oculomotor nerve palsies. The etiology of the syndrome is unknown and the diagnosis is set by exclusion of other clinical conditions that manifest in a similar way. Intracranial aneurysms, such as intracavernous ones, should be included in the differential diagnosis as they can compress cranial nerves leading to similar clinical presentation. We present a case of a 51-year-old woman who was referred to our clinic after 24-hour hospitalization in an ophthalmology clinic due to periorbital cellulitis in her right eye. A nose and paranasal sinuses computed tomography (CT) scan with contrast revealed sinusitis affecting the maxillary sinus, the ethmoidal cells and the sphenoid sinus on the right side. The patient underwent endoscopic sinus surgery on the right side, where middle meatal antrostomy, anterior and posterior ethmoidectomy and Draf I frontal sinus drainage were performed. There was an immediate improvement of the orbital edema and the neuro-opthalmologic examination of the right eye was normal. However, on the ninth postoperative day she presented headache, retro-orbital pain and diplopia of her left eye. In 24 hours, the symptoms progressed to ophthalmoplegia and ipsilateral palpebral ptosis. Intravenous treatment with corticosteroids was initiated under the suspicion of Tolosa-Hunt syndrome, without resolution of her symptoms. Emergency CT and CT-angiography scans revealed a possible intracavernous carotid artery aneurysm on the left side. The diagnosis was confirmed by a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scan and the patient was referred to neurosurgery department, where a cerebral angiography was performed and the giant intracavernous aneurysm was treated with guglielmi detachable coils. Our case indicates that an intracavernous aneurysm can present with painful ophthalmoplegia in all directions, mimicking the Tolosa-Hunt syndrome. One must underline the importance of radiological examination focusing on the vascular structures, as it is essential for the differential diagnosis, defining the course of treatment applied in such cases.

COVID-19 was first reported in Wuhan, China, and subsequently spread worldwide. There were numerous restrictions on daily life activities, including lifestyles, social distancing, isolation and access to many forms of exercise and home confinement. All these activities have health benefits, as they enhance the immune system, which is the need of the hour during the COVID-19 pandemic. There is little data regarding the occurrence of COVID-19 among marathon runners, cyclists and yoga practitioners. The aim of the present study was to find the prevalence of COVID-19 among physically active and physically inactive individuals and to compare it among those groups. Physically active individuals were selected as per the Global Recommendations on Physical Activity for Health 2010, in the age group of 18-60 years, and included runners, yoga practitioners and cyclists from the Hyderabad club. A prevalidated questionnaire was circulated among the study groups through Google form. The data was analyzed statistically. There was a high proportion of persons affected by COVID-19 in the physically inactive group (75.75%) when compared to the active group (17.17%). The percentages of subjects who tested positive for COVID-19 were as follows: 16.16% cyclists, 29.29% runners and 27.27% yoga practitioners among the physically active individuals, and 51.51% of physically inactive subjects. Physical activity acts as a barrier against COVID-19 infections and enhances the immune system. Therefore, it has to be prioritized by public health agencies and incorporated into routine medical care.

Oral carcinogenetic is based on a variety of genomic imbalances (gross chromosome or specific gene alterations) that drive the normal oral mucosa to its neoplastic/dysplastic epithelial form and finally to a totally malignant tissue transformation. In this multi-step procedure, down-regulation of suppressor genes combined with overactivation of oncogenes are two crucial and partially early genetic events involved in the onset and progression of neoplastic/malignant epithelia transformation. More specifically, deregulation of strong transcription factors negatively affects the normal expression of a broad spectrum of genes that are involved in cell proliferation and signalling transduction to the nucleus. The purpose of the current molecular review was to explore the c-Jun (chromosome location: 1p32-p31) transcription factor transformation mechanisms to oncogene in oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC). A systematic review of the literature was carried out by searching in PubMed international database. The year 2010 was set as a prominent time limit for the publication date of the articles in the majority of them, whereas specific references of great importance and historical value in the field of the c-Jun gene discovery and analysis were also included. The following keywords were used: c-Jun, oncogene, signaling pathway, oral, carcinoma, transcription. A pool of 45 important articles were selected for the present study at the basis of combining molecular knowledge with new targeted therapeutic strategies. C-Jun - as a part of the c-Jun/c-Fos transcription factors' complex -critically regulates the expression levels in a variety of genes inside the cellular microenvironment. A broad spectrum of malignancies, including OSCC, demonstrate c-Jun alterations driving the gene to its oncogenic phenotype. Interestingly, c-Jun oncogenic activation is mediated by high-risk human papilloma virus (HR-HPV) persistent infection in significant subsets of these malignancies. C-Jun was the first oncogene - acting as a strong transcription factor - that was discovered and cloned 35 years ago. C-Jun is the living history of oncogenes and its discovery marks a significant step in the evolution of molecular biology.

Coronary artery disease (CAD) is a major and multifaceted health problem but also the first cause of death in modern Western societies. Furthermore, myocardial infarction (MI) constitutes a challenge for analysis in the field of molecular mechanisms, early diagnosis and therapeutic approaches, as its incidence increases every year worldwide. Concerning the histopathological diagnosis in the corresponding cases, a variety of immunohistochemistry (IHC) markers and methods are available to support conventional histology diagnosis. Immunohistochemistry techniques are effective for use in forensic pathology, expanding the limits of differential diagnoses in borderline cases, as they can be applied to tissue samples fixed in formalin and embedded in paraffin. The purpose of the current review was to explore the role of connexin 43 (gene locus: 6q22.31) as a reliable biomarker of myocardial disease/infarction and its impact on MI pathology. A systematic review of the literature was carried out based on the international database PubMed. The majority of medical data referred to articles published after the year 2020, whereas specific references of great importance and value were also included. The following keywords were used: coronary, artery, myocardial, infarction, connexin and immunohistochemistry. A pool of 38 significant articles focused on the mechanisms and novel experimental biomarkers was selected for the present study at the basis of combining molecular knowledge with new clinical features in CAD, and MI histodiagnosis. The role of connexin 43 - as a significant gap junction intermediate protein - in MI pathology, clinical symptoms and prognosis is critical because its dysfunction is involved in myocardial conduction and the onset of ventricular arrhythmias due to a crucial interruption of the intra-cardiomyocyte's conjunction.

Being associated with a systemic infection, SARS-CoV-2 affects multiple organs, including the placenta. SARS-CoV-2 placentitis is a new condition that shows the destructive effects of fibrin deposition in the perivillous area, chronic histiocytic intervillositis and trophoblast necrosis after the placenta is infected with SARS-CoV-2. Until now, there have been no published reports regarding the ultrasound signs of massive perivillous fibrin deposition and the recommended monitoring for these cases. Our aim was to analyze the sonographic appearance of the placenta in a series of SARS-CoV-2 infected pregnant women during their third trimester. In all cases included in the present study, we performed serial obstetrical ultrasounds every seven days until delivery, followed by histopathological examination of the placenta postpartum. In women with intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR), sonographic images of the placentas revealed that they matured faster within three weeks of receiving a COVID-19 diagnosis and reached a more rapid senescence. In all cases, there was a gradual increase in placental calcification from week to week, but only in pregnant women with a grade 3 placenta at the moment of inclusion in the study the deterioration was severe, leading to placental insufficiency and subsequently to IUGR. The cases who had an increased placental degree at the time of infection were associated with abnormally rapid placental aging. These aspects can be evaluated sonographically.