Background: Pregnancy induced hypertension and preeclampsia (hypertension in pregnancy in association with the excretion of >300 mg of urinary protein per day after 20 weeks of gestation) is one of the most common complications of pregnancy seen in Benin City, Nigeria. It contributes significantly to maternal mortality, premature birth, intrauterine growth retardation and perinatal mortality. Studies have been performed to evaluate the role of electrolytes in etiopathogenesis of pregnancy induced hypertension and preeclampsia. The outcome of the studies has varied ina different environment and population. Objective: The objectiveof this study is to determine the role of serum sodium, potassium, magnesium and calcium in etiopathogenesis of preeclampsia in this environment. Materials and Methods: A total of 60 subjects were involved in the study. 20 were normotensive non-pregnant women, 20 normotensive pregnant women, 20 with preeclampsia. They were of similar age groups, with singleton pregnancies and in the second and third trimester of pregnancy. Serum sodium, potassium, calcium, magnesium was assayed in the three groups. Serum sodium and potassium was assayed using the ion-selective electrode method. Statistical analysis was done using SPSS Student Version 13 for Windows. Results: Mean serum sodium was non-significantly raised in women with preeclampsia above the upper limit of normal reference interval (151 ± 1.5 mmol/l) (P > 0.05) while it was within normal reference interval of 140 ± 2.3 mmol/L for normotensive pregnant women and 144 ± 4.2 mmol/L for normotensive non-pregnant women. Serum potassium, calcium, magnesium were all within normal reference intervals across the three groups studied. Conclusion: Serum sodium, potassium, calcium, magnesium do not seem to play a vital role in the etiopathogenesis of preeclampsia in this environment as there was no statistically significant difference in the values of the electrolytes assayed across the three groups studied.

Background: Non-ulcer dyspepsia refers to dyspepsia with no organic cause. Upper gastrointestinal (GI) endoscopy provides superior diagnostic accuracy in detecting organic causes of dyspepsia than radiography. Objective: The objective of this study is to determine the prevalence of non-ulcer dyspepsia in the University of Benin Teaching Hospital (UBTH), Benin City, Nigeria. Patients and Methods: A review of the upper GI endoscopy register of the endoscopy unit of the UBTH was undertaken to cover a 7 year period from February 2006 to January 2013. All consecutive adult patients who had dyspepsia as the indication for endoscopy were included in the study. The bio-data and findings from the procedure were obtained from the endoscopy register. Results: A total of 1075 patients had diagnostic upper GI endoscopy during the study period. Of these patients, 597 (55.5%) had dyspepsia as the indication for endoscopy and were studied. The ages ranged from 16 to 90 years with a mean age of 48.6 ± 15.7 years. Those in the 6 ^th decade of life constituted the largest cohort. Patients consisted of 201 (33.7%) males and 396 (66.3%) females giving a male to female ratio of 1:2. Non-ulcer dyspepsia constituted 15.4% (92/597) of the patients undergoing endoscopy for dyspepsia while the remaining 84.6% (505/597) was accounted for by organic dyspepsia. Conclusion: This study shows that the prevalence of non-ulcer dyspepsia in UBTH is low as compared with findings from other centers in the country. This finding needs to be explored further in alarger cohort study in Nigeria.

Background: Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is a public health problem world-wide and its management puts a huge financial burden on persons with the disease and those responsible for their treatment. Early identification of CKD risk factors and prevention of its progression is the best option. Objective: The objective of the following study was to determine the prevalence of some CKD risk factors in a population of traders in Benin City. Materials and Methods: Traders in Oba market Benin City were invited for CKD screening on world Kidney Day 2012. Information obtained from participants included age, sex, weight, height; body mass index and blood pressure. Their urine was tested for protein while capillary blood was tested for glucose. Data obtained were analyzed using SPSS 16.0 (Chicago SPSS Inc). Results: A total of 176 persons comprising 83 men and 93 women participated in the study. Their mean age was 42.6 ± 13 years. The prevalence of hypertension (HTN), obesity, proteinuria and hyperglycemia in the study population were 33.5%, 18.2%, 5.7% and 1.7% respectively. Conclusion: HTN and obesity were the most common CKD risk factors in the study population.

Context: Infertility is rife in Nigeria. Grand multiparous women are also affected and do seek management for various reasons. Objective: The objective of this study is to evaluate the factors, which compel women with at least five living children and a history of secondary infertility to seek further conception in rural Nigeria. Materials and Methods: This was a qualitative study employing in depth interview to study consented participants in a rural mission hospital in Ebonyi state of Nigeria. Research assistants interviewed participants at their second clinic visit for infertility management using a pre tested interview guide. The study lasted for eight months. Principal themes were isolated from the recorded interview and analyzed. Results: Ten women were interviewed with three men who accompanied their wives to the clinic. The main themes evident from the interviews included acquiescence to the male partner's wishes , desirability for male children, desire for more off springs, replacement of demised children, fulfillment of reproductive potentials and not being "out done" by co-spouses in a polygamous setting. Conclusion: Grand multiparous women still consult for infertility in rural Nigeria. Desires for male children or replacement of lost ones are some of the main reasons for such consultations.

Context: Energy drinks are popular caffeinated beverages believed to improve cognitive function and concentration. They contain two main ingredients taurine and caffeine, which have both been reported to have effects on blood pressure (BP) and intraocular pressure (IOP). Aim: The aim of this study is to investigate the acute effects of consumption of energy drinks on IOP and BP of healthy black young subjects. Materials and Methods: A total of 50 undergraduates from the University of Benin, Nigeria, aged 18-30 years (mean 24.43 ± 1.54) were randomly selected to participate in this study. The subjects were of either gender and were divided into experimental and control groups of 25 subjects each. The subjects were told to abstain from caffeine for 48 h prior to and during the study. Baseline IOP and BP were measured. The experimental group consumed one can of Red Bull (containing 85 mg of caffeine in 250 ml) and measurements were repeated at 30, 60 and 90 min while the control group drank 250 ml of water and were tested over the same period of time. Results: When compared to baseline, a significant decrease in mean IOP was observed at 30, 60 and 90 min (P < 0.05) in the experimental group, but there was no significant difference in the mean change of the systolic and diastolic BP (P > 0.05). Conclusion: Results suggest that energy drinks produce a significant reduction in IOP, but have no effect on blood pressure. These findings may however reflect the combined effect of caffeine and taurine, as present in Red Bull.

Background: In resource-poor countries, Papanicolau smear (Pap smear) is not usually available and evaluation of alternative cost-effective screening methods is a public health priority. Objective: To assess the accuracy of visual inspection with acetic acid (VIA) as a cervical cancer screening test in Aminu Kano Teaching Hospital, Kano, a tertiary hospital in a resource-poor country, i.e. Nigeria. Materials and Methods: This is a 3-year cohort study of 428 patients who had cervical cancer screening tests, with initial diagnosis following Pap smear and VIA, before the final diagnosis following colposcopy, between 1 June 2008 and 31 May 2011. Conventional accuracy estimates for VIA and Pap smear tests, using colposcopy as the reference standard, were done using tests of validity. Results: Among the 428 women who had Pap smear and VIA, 52 women had abnormal Pap smear while 95 had abnormal result following VIA, and 46 were confirmed following colposcopy to have precancerous lesions of the cervix, giving a period incidence of 10.8% for precancerous lesion of the cervix. In making the diagnosis of precancerous lesion of the cervix, the sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value (PPV), and negative predictive value (NPV) estimates of VIA were 80.4%, 84.8%, 39.0%, and 97.3%, respectively, compared to 84.8%, 96.6%, 75.0%, and 98.1%, respectively, for Pap smear. Conclusion: The accuracy of naked eye VIA is comparable to that of Pap smear in detecting cervical dysplasia, which makes it a suitable and valuable alternative screening method to cytology in resource-poor countries.

Background: The determination of the nature of mesenteric nodules and the possible identification of the primary site of metastatic neoplasm is imperative as this defines both prognosis and future management of the patients. Aims: This study is aimed at evaluating the pattern of mesenteric nodules in the University of Benin Teaching Hospital, Benin City, Nigeria. Setting: The University of Benin Teaching Hospital, between January 2005 and December 2011. Design: A descriptive retrospective study. Materials and Methods: The appropriate data were obtained from the surgical day book of the department of histopathology. The data were analyzed to reflect age, sex, pathological diagnosis, and site of the lesions. Statistical analysis used: Statistical analysis was done using the SPSS version 16 statistical package. Results: A total of 65 cases of mesenteric nodule biopsies were reported during the 7-year period. There were 34 males and 31 females with a male:female ratio of 1.1:1. The age ranged from 4 to 78 years with a mean age of 52.1 ± 13.8 years. The highest incidence was in the 6th decade. Seventy-one percent of the cases were metastatic lesions and 29% were infectious and inflammatory lesions. Of the metastatic lesions, 87% were carcinomas [adenocarcinomas constituted 97.5%], 4.3% were sarcomas, and 8.7% were lymphomas. Of the infectious and inflammatory lesions, 89.5% were nonspecific reactive lymph node hyperplasia and 10.5% were tuberculosis. Thirty-three percent of the metastatic lesions were of gastrointestinal origin, 20% of ovarian origin and 9.2% of unknown primary site. Conclusion: The preponderance of adenocarcinomas in metastatic nodules is similar to those already established in the literature with the gastrointestinal tract and the ovary been the most common sites of origin. Specialized ancillary technique like immunuhistochemistry is highly coveted to confirm the characterization and identification of the site of origin of metastatic mesenteric neoplasms.

Objective: The aim of this study is to describe the pattern of accidental deaths seen in University Benin Teaching Hospital (UBTH) and to highlight the need for implementation of preventive measures. Materials and Methods: This is a retrospective study of all cases of accidental deaths in which autopsy was performed at University of Benin Teaching Hospital (UBTH), Benin City, Edo state, Nigeria, from January 1990 to to December 2009. The major source of information was the autopsy registers of the DDepartment of Histopathology, UBTH. Result: A total of 35,914 bodies were received into the mortuary of UBTH during the study period; autopsy was performed on 5035 bodies out of which 4481 cases were medicolegal autopsies. Accidental deaths accounted for 1285 cases (26.8%): 1,016 cases were male's and269 cases were females, giving a male to female ratio of 3.8:1. The youngest victim was an infant and the oldest 100 years old, with a a mean age of 35.46 years and 2SD of 5.81. The mean age for males and females were 34.67 years and 33.80 years, respectively. Of the 1136 cases of road traffic accidentss, 927 (81.6%) were of of males and 209 (18.4%) were of of females. Road traffic accident death victims were drivers and passengers (48%), pedestrians (30.2%), and bike riders/passengers (21.8%). Conclusion: The pattern of accidental deaths in Benin shows that road traffic accidents is the major cause of death. Efforts must be made to improve our roads so as to reduce the number of lives lost.

Diabetes is a leading cause of premature deaths. Most common type of diabetes, type-2 diabetes, usually begins when a person is in his or her 40s, but diabetes is not inevitable. Minor changes in your life-style can greatly reduce your chances of getting this disease. Diabetes is a disorder in which the body does not use the sugars in food in the usual way. Normally, digested food, changes into glucose, which body uses for fuel. Blood carries glucose to the cells where a hormone called insulin allows it to enter the cells. Type-2 diabetics produce too little insulin in response to a given glucose load in a meal or resistant to insulin action and or dump excess glucose from the liver. High levels of blood glucose lead to serious complications. Type-2 diabetes is a non-communicable disease with increasing prevalence at a global level. As healthy dietary pattern has beneficial effects on both human health and regarding the development and treatment of type-2 diabetes, promoting adherence to this pattern is of considerable public health importance. Type-2 diabetes if not properly managed, can lead to: Heart disease, stroke, kidney disease, blindness, peripheral nerve damage, leg and foot amputations and death.

Endogenous endophthalmitis is a rare but serious metastatic ocular inflammation which occurs from hematogenous spread of infection that has crossed the blood ocular barrier. It has no age or sex predilection and is a sight-threatening condition with multifactorial etiology.It usually occurs in the setting of a relative immunosuppressive state from an underlying medical condition. The management of a case of endogenous endophthalmitis presenting to a tertiary centeris discussed. Visual outcomes are often poor, regardless of the choices in management. The presence of co-morbid diseases usually results in late presentation, a delay in diagnosis and treatment.There is still no clear consensus regarding the correct approach especially with regards to early surgical intervention.

The parasite Armillifer armillatus is a worm-like arthropod living in the respiratory tract of snakes in Africa, but which may be transmitted to man. The infestation in man is not known to cause pleural effusion or to lead to malignant changes in the lungs or pleura. This report is that of a female patient who had malignant pleural effusion in addition to calcified cysts of A. armillatus in her chest radiograph.

Renal adenocarcinoma makes up about 3% of all adult malignancies. Renal cell carcinoma is uncommon among women of child bearing age. Its management poses a challenge when there is an associated intrauterine pregnancy. We managed a 32-year-old multipara at a gestational age of 8 weeks who presented with a 2 year history of progressive right-sided abdominal swelling and mild loin pain. Abdominal ultrasonography finding was a renal tumor. She was subsequently worked up, and had right radical nephrectomy at a gestational age of 9 weeks. Histology of the mass was confirmed renal cell carcinoma. She had an eventful post-operative recovery. She was delivered of a live male child at term. Follow up has so far been uneventful. The management of renal cell carcinoma in pregnancy requires careful and thorough evaluation of the patient with prompt diagnosis and immediate treatment while taking into consideration the well being of the fetus.