Assessment of venous Doppler ultrasound findings of acute unilateral lower limb swelling in a tertiary facility in central Ghana: a retrospective analytical study

Background Unilateral lower limb swelling has wide differential diagnoses with varying treatment plans, requiring an early and accurate diagnosis. Doppler ultrasound offers an extensive examination of the vascular system providing a platform for diagnosis and avoidance of unnecessary invasive procedures. Thus, it becomes pertinent to ensure that all the sonographic information required for the accurate diagnosis of a swollen lower limb is documented and critically analyzed in our setting, hence this study. Results The records of a total of 151 patients with acute unilateral lower limb swelling were retrieved, females constituted the majority (51.7%). The overall mean age was 58.70 ± 16.71 years. Statistical significance was specified at p ≤ 0.05 for this study. The males were on the average 1.86 years younger than the female, but this difference was not statistically significant (p = 0.495). Patients older than 60 years constituted the majority 72 (47.7%) followed by the 40–60-year age category 61 (40.4%), and the left lower limb was affected more often 82 (54.3%). Multiple inguinal lymphadenopathy 82 (35.7%) and edema with thickened skin and subcutaneous layers 67 (29.1%) were the two most recurrent ultrasound features. There was no significant association between the sonographic features and the diagnoses made for acute unilateral lower limb swelling, except for the feature of edema with thickened skin and subcutaneous layers (p = 0.004) and the diagnosis of cellulitis (p = 0.047) that increased significantly with age. Conclusion Multiple inguinal lymphadenopathy and edema of the skin and subcutaneous layers were the most recurrent ultrasound features with cellulitis as the main diagnosis for acute unilateral lower limb swelling in our setting. Edema with thickened skin and subcutaneous layers and cellulitis both increased significantly with age. Sonographers, sonologists, and radiologists must be on the look-out for these in their practices.

An Unusual Visit from an Old Foe: Oral Presentation of Syphilis in a Teenage Patient

The authors report an atypical case of secondary syphilis in an adolescent female presenting to a tertiary-care center with fever, weight loss, oral sores, painful inguinal lymphadenopathy, and transient macular rash. Given the lower prevalence of syphilis in adolescent females, this infection was not included on the initial differential diagnosis. The evolving presentation of syphilis over time complicates the diagnosis and management of these infections, as it did for the patient in this report. The authors provide a detailed discussion of the patient’s clinical findings, including the protean features of syphilis infection. This case is particularly relevant to the fields of general pediatrics and pediatric hospital medicine.

A PECULIAR CASE OF ISOLATED METASTATIC INGUINAL LYMPHADENOPATHY IN A YOUNG LADY – A CASE REPORT

Lymphadenopathy refers to the swelling of lymph nodes which can be secondary to bacterial, viral or fungal infections, autoimmune disease and malignancy. Lymphadenopathy can be localized or diffuse. About 75% of most lymphadenopathies are localized, and about 50% of those occur in the head and neck regions . Inguinal lymphadenopathy (3) occurs at the groin region and most common causes include infections of leg or foot, STDs, non Hodgkin's lymphoma, tuberculosis and pelvic malignancies. One of the rare causes includes distant metastasis of nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) which is present in our case. Nasopharyngeal cancer is an uncommon squamous cell carcinoma in the head and neck region, in most parts of the world. It has a high propensity for lymphatic spread and is known for regional metastases with occult primary at presentation . The incidence of distant (1) metastasis at presentation ranges from 4.4 to 6%. The most common sites of metastasis are bone (70%–80%) followed by liver (30%), lungs (18%) and distant lymph nodes (axillary, mediastinal, pelvic and inguinal, in that order) . About 98% of them are discovered within 3 (2) years of treatment. As it is a highly chemo and radio-sensitive tumor, radiotherapy with concurrent chemotherapy is the mainstay in the management of local and advanced diseases. Here we are presenting a peculiar case of previously treated NPC presenting as isolated left inguinal metastatic lymphadenopathy in a young lady

CYTOLOGICAL DIAGNOSIS OF LEISHMANIAL LYMPHADENITIS

Leishmaniasis is a chronic inammatory disease caused by obligate intracellular kinetoplast containing parasite of the genus Leishmania. Leishmaniasis produces varied group of clinical syndromes ranging from self-healing cutaneous ulceration to fatal visceral disease. In India it is endemic in Bihar, Sub-Himalayan regions and other north Indian states. We present a rare Cytology case of Leishmaniasis in a young boy, hailing from a non-endemic area, presenting as Isolated Inguinal Lymphadenopathy.

Necrotising granulomatous mass of the foreskin with inguinal lymphadenopathy: a rare presentation of syphilis

We report the case of a 24-year-old man who presented with a 5-week history of painful right inguinal lymphadenopathy, weight loss and non-ulcerative foreskin mass. The patient’s symptoms progressed despite initial antibiotic therapy. The foreskin mass was clinically suspicious for squamous cell carcinoma; however, histopathology of both the foreskin mass and inguinal lymph node showed necrotising granulomatous inflammation. Extensive immunohistochemistry testing was inconclusive and could not identify a causative microorganism. Ultimately, serology was positive for Treponema pallidum and he was treated with intramuscular benzathine penicillin. This is an unusual case, which highlights the importance of extensive investigation for differential diagnoses of penile mass and exemplifies the resurgence of syphilis in developed countries.