Inguinal hernia repair is one of the most performed surgical procedures worldwide. The introduction of prosthetic mesh has significantly reduced recurrence rates and transformed the management of groin hernias. Among the various tension-free techniques developed, the mesh plug repair, popularized by Rutkow and Robbins in the 1990s, emerged as a simple and effective method that combines a conical polypropylene mesh plug inserted into the hernia defect with supplementary mesh reinforcement when necessary. The procedure gained widespread acceptance because of its technical simplicity, short operative time, low recurrence rates, and suitability for ambulatory surgery. However, concerns regarding mesh-related complications, including migration, chronic pain, erosion into adjacent organs, and foreign body sensation, have led to increasing scrutiny of the technique. Recent international hernia guidelines have increasingly favored flat mesh repairs and laparo-endoscopic approaches over mesh plugs. This review discusses the mesh plug repair, its clinical outcomes, advantages, limitations, complications, and contemporary role of mesh plug repair in inguinal hernia surgery. We also compare the mesh plug repair with the other open mesh inguinal hernia repairs and the laparoscopic inguinal hernia repairs.

Background: Cancer is an expanding cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide, with a growing share of the burden occurring in low- and middle-income countries. In sub-Saharan Africa, deficiencies in population-based registration, pathology, imaging, screening, and treatment access continue to limit cancer control. Hospital-based data, while not population-representative, remain useful for characterizing local service demand and identifying priority cancer types. Objective: To describe the demographic and site-specific pattern of malignancies and factors associated with female cancer presentation at the Federal University of Health Sciences Teaching Hospital (FUHSTHO), Otukpo, Benue State, Nigeria, from January 2023 to December 2025. Methods: This three-year retrospective hospital-based descriptive study included histologically confirmed malignancies and clinically diagnosed malignancies supported by radiological evidence where histology was unavailable. Cancer records were identified from the Hospital Cancer Registry and Medical Records Department using ICD-10 codes C00–C97. Age, sex, residence, and primary cancer site were extracted. Categorical variables were summarized using frequencies, percentages, and 95% confidence intervals. Binary logistic regression was used to examine demographic factors associated with female cancer presentation. Analyses were performed in IBM SPSS Statistics version 26. Results: Of 160 cancer records identified, 145 were eligible for analysis after exclusion of 5 duplicate and 10 incomplete records. Females accounted for 91 cases (62.8%) and males for 54 (37.2%), giving a female-to-male ratio of 1.7:1. Most cases occurred among adults aged 35–64 years (87/145; 60.0%), followed by those aged ≥65 years (40/145; 27.6%). Among males, prostate cancer was the leading recorded malignancy (16/54; 29.6%), followed by lung cancer (5/54; 9.3%) and acute myeloid leukemia (4/54; 7.4%). Among females, breast cancer (33/91; 36.3%) and cervical cancer (17/91; 18.7%) together accounted for 55.0% of female cases. In adjusted analysis, age 35–64 years (AOR 3.46; 95% CI 1.52–7.88; p=0.003) and residence in Otukpo LGA (AOR 2.14; 95% CI 1.12–4.09; p=0.021) were associated with female cancer presentation; the estimate for age ≥65 years was of borderline statistical significance (AOR 2.41; 95% CI 0.99–5.84; p=0.051). Conclusion: The hospital cancer case mix was dominated by breast and cervical cancers among females and prostate cancer among males, with most cases occurring in middle-aged and older adults. These findings support strengthened cancer registration, evidence-based early detection, diagnostic capacity, and oncology referral pathways. Because the study is hospital-based, the results should not be interpreted as population incidence or prevalence estimates for Benue State.

Introduction: Asthma and tuberculosis (TB) are two major lung diseases whose coexistence could alter the risk of onset, clinical course, and therapeutic management of TB. This review aimed to synthesize the available data on the impact of asthma on these various aspects. Methods: A narrative literature review was conducted in PubMed, Semantic Scholar, Google Scholar, and the Cochrane Library. Publications in English or French published between 2010 and 2025 were considered. Original articles, systematic reviews, meta-analyses, and clinical guidelines addressing the asthma–tuberculosis relationship were included. Results: The data suggested that asthma may increase susceptibility to TB, primarily through the prolonged use of inhaled or systemic corticosteroids, with a dose-dependent effect. A Th1/Th2 immune imbalance, certain genetic factors, and common environmental and socioeconomic determinants may also play a role. The coexistence of the two diseases could lead to atypical clinical presentations and therapeutic challenges, particularly due to interactions between rifampin, corticosteroids, isoniazid, and theophylline. However, some data suggested a possible protective effect of eosinophilic inflammation. Conclusion: Asthma may promote the onset, reactivation, and progression of TB, but the evidence remains mixed and is primarily observational. Longitudinal and interventional studies are needed to clarify this association and optimize the management of patients with this comorbidity.

Acute appendicitis is the most common non-obstetric surgical emergency during pregnancy and remains a significant cause of maternal and fetal morbidity when diagnosis or treatment is delayed. The diagnosis of appendicitis in pregnant patients is particularly challenging because physiological, anatomical, and biochemical changes of pregnancy may obscure classical clinical manifestations. Delayed diagnosis increases the risk of appendiceal perforation, which is associated with preterm labor, fetal loss, maternal sepsis, and adverse neonatal outcomes. Imaging modalities, particularly ultrasonography and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), have become essential components of the diagnostic pathway. Surgical intervention continues to represent the cornerstone of treatment. Recent evidence and international guidelines support laparoscopic appendectomy as the preferred surgical approach in most pregnant patients because of its favorable maternal outcomes, shorter hospital stay, and lower wound complication rates. Nevertheless, open appendectomy remains appropriate in selected clinical situations. Emerging literature on non-operative management using antibiotics has generated interest; however, current evidence suggests that surgery remains the standard of care due to concerns regarding treatment failure, recurrence, and maternal-fetal complications. Multidisciplinary collaboration among surgeons, obstetricians, anesthesiologists, radiologists, and neonatologists is crucial to optimizing outcomes. This review examines the diagnostic and current recommendations regarding the management of acute appendicitis in pregnancy.

Acute appendicitis remains the most common surgical emergency in childhood and a leading cause of acute abdominal pain requiring operative intervention. Despite advances in diagnostic modalities and perioperative care, diagnosis in pediatric patients remains challenging because of age-dependent symptom variability, communication barriers, and overlap with other abdominal conditions. Delayed diagnosis may result in perforation, abscess formation, sepsis, and prolonged hospitalization. Conversely, overdiagnosis may lead to unnecessary appendectomies and increased healthcare costs. This management of acute uncomplicated appendicitis in children includes the non-operative treatment with antibiotics and the laparoscopic appendectomy in children. Laparoscopic appendectomy continues to represent the standard treatment for uncomplicated appendicitis; however, antibiotic-first approaches may be appropriate in selected patients. In this review, we will look at the role of non-operative treatment and laparoscopic appendectomy in the management of acute, uncomplicated appendicitis. We will also review the role of appendicolith in the non-operative management of acute appendicitis in children.

Acute appendicitis remains one of the most common surgical emergencies worldwide, traditionally managed by appendectomy or, more recently, conservative antibiotic therapy. In recent years, endoscopic retrograde appendicitis therapy (ERAT) has emerged as a novel, minimally invasive, appendix-preserving technique. ERAT utilizes colonoscopy access to the appendiceal orifice, allowing for decompression, irrigation, removal of obstructive material such as fecaliths, and stent placement where necessary. Evidence suggests that ERAT achieves high technical and clinical success rates, with reduced post-procedural pain, shorter recovery times, and preservation of appendiceal function. However, challenges including recurrence risk, operator dependency, limited global availability, and lack of standardized protocols persist. ERAT has the potential to redefine the treatment paradigm for appendicitis, particularly in patients seeking non-surgical management or those with high surgical risk. This review explores the role of ERAT in the management of acute appendicitis, including its procedural techniques, indications, clinical outcomes, advantages, limitations, and future perspectives.

Background: Routine immunization is one of the most effective public health interventions for preventing vaccine-preventable diseases and reducing childhood morbidity and mortality. However, inadequate maternal knowledge remains a major barrier to optimal immunization uptake and completion in Nigeria. Behaviour Change Communication (BCC) has been identified as a potentially effective strategy for improving maternal knowledge and promoting positive immunization behaviours. This study evaluated the effect of BCC on knowledge of routine immunization among women of childbearing age in Ebonyi State, Nigeria. Methodology: A quasi-experimental study involving intervention and control groups was conducted among 910 women of childbearing age attending antenatal, postnatal, and immunization clinics in selected health facilities in Ebonyi State. Participants in the intervention group received a structured three-month BCC package comprising health education sessions, posters, charts, audio-visual materials, and educational flyers, while the control group received routine health education. Data were collected at baseline and post-intervention using a structured questionnaire. Descriptive statistics, Chi-square tests, and Odds Ratios (ORs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were used for data analysis at a significance level of p < 0.05. Results: Baseline knowledge was poor and comparable between the intervention and control groups (5.4% vs. 6.9%; χ² = 3.02, p = 0.083). Following the intervention, adequate knowledge increased significantly from 5.4% to 74.4% among women in the intervention group (OR = 50.40; 95% CI: 31.67–80.21; p = 0.001), whereas only a marginal increase was observed in the control group (6.9% to 7.9%; p = 0.590). Post-intervention knowledge was significantly higher among participants exposed to BCC than controls (74.4% vs. 7.9%; p < 0.001). Conclusion: Behaviour Change Communication significantly improved maternal knowledge of routine immunization. Integrating structured BCC strategies into routine maternal and child health services may enhance maternal immunization literacy and improve vaccination outcomes.