In this article, we present a case of retroperitoneal schwannoma localized in the pelvic cavity mimicking ovarian carcinoma. A 60-year-old woman presented with a feeling of pelvic heaviness and dyspareunia for 3 months. On physical examination, a hardened mass is palpated on the cul-de-sac of Douglas, measuring approximately 10 cm. The sonographic study showed a retro-uterine solid mass, containing cystic areas, measuring 14 cm. Magnetic resonance imaging showed a solid left tumor in the small pelvis, posterior to the uterus, suspicious of an ovarian malign tumor. Surgery revealed a retroperitoneal pelvic tumor and uterus and adnexa without macroscopic changes. Pathology examination of the pelvic mass confirmed the diagnosis of schwannoma. In the present case, it is emphasized that it is easy to misdiagnose a pelvic mass as an ovarian tumor. While prompt recognition of ovarian cancer remains essential, awareness of processes that mimic ovarian tumors can avoid potential misdiagnosis. The pelvis has a complex anatomy and there are some imaging signs that help assessing the origin of a mass, especially in cases of masses abutting the ovary.

Previous experimental studies show that exposure to noise with high and audible frequencies causes multiple metabolic alterations, such as increased liver glycogen and triglycerides. However, the effect of exposure to sound with lower frequencies, such as high-intensity infrasound (frequency 90 dB), on the liver lipid content is still unclear. As such, we aimed to study the effect of exposure to high-intensity infrasound of both normal and glucose intolerant rats on the liver lipid content. For this study, 79 wild-type male Wistar rats were randomly divided into two groups: G1, no treatment, and G2, induced glucose intolerance. Each of these two groups was randomly divided in two subgroups: s (animals kept in silence) and i (animals continuously exposed to high-intensity infrasound noise). At three noise-exposure time-points (1, 6 and 12 weeks) the rats were sacrificed, the liver was excised and hepatic lipids extracted. Data analysis was performed using a two-way ANOVA (p = 0.05). No significant effects due to interactions between the several factors exist on the liver lipid content (p=0.077). Moreover, no significant effects due to infrasound exposure (p=0.407) or glucose tolerance status (p=0.938) were observed. Our study shows that continuous exposure to high-intensity infrasound has no influence on the lipid content of the liver of both normal and glucose intolerant animals. This finding reinforces the need for further experimental studies on the physiological effects of infrasound due to its possible hazardous effects on human health.

Introduction: Low-frequency noise (LFN) is a ubiquitous physical stressor known to cause degenerative cellular changes and organ alterations with functional repercussions both in humans and animals. Materials and methods: After acceptance of the study protocol by a local ethics committee, 20 Wistar rats were randomly divided into two equal groups. One group was kept in silence and the other continuously exposed to LFN during 13 weeks. The rats had unlimited access to water and were fed standard rat chow. After exposure, the animals were sacrificed and the parotid glands were excised and prepared for transmission electron microscopy. Results: The acinar cells showed marked ultrastructural alterations, such as intracellular vacuolization, loss of cell polarity, increased heterochromatin, cytoplasmic inclusions, and oncocytic transformation. Conclusions: LFN induces ultrastructural changes in the rat parotid gland that correlate with previously described functional changes.

Background/Objectives: Oral cancer is a significant global public health concern. Understanding the prevalence and associated risk factors of oral lesions is essential for developing effective preventive strategies. This study aimed to assess the prevalence and risk factors of oral lesions submitted for biopsy in a Portuguese subpopulation. A retrospective cross-sectional analysis was conducted using data from patients who sought dental care at the Egas Moniz Dental Clinic (EMDC) in the Lisbon metropolitan area. Methods: Data analysis was performed on a sample of 264 patients who attended the EMDC between October 2016 and December 2019 to ascertain the presence of oral lesions, their different types, and their correlation with potential risk factors. The analysis included all patients who underwent biopsy, and their pathology reports were reviewed. Results: The prevalence of oral lesions was 10.3%, affecting 58.7% females and 41.3% males, with a mean age of 55 years. The most frequently biopsied site was the buccal mucosa (23.5%). Non-neoplastic lesions accounted for 75.0% of cases, while mesenchymal lesions were the most common neoplastic category (58.5%). The most prevalent diagnosis was fibroepithelial hyperplasia (36.7%). A statistically significant association was observed between neoplastic lesions and statin use, as well as between both neoplastic and non-neoplastic lesions and the use of antidiabetic medications. Conclusions: Oral lesions are prevalent, with non-neoplastic lesions being the most frequent. Understanding their nature, prevalence, and associated risk factors is crucial for early and accurate diagnosis, aiding in disease prevention and management.

Introduction: Urban noise pollution has been associated with an increased risk of developing metabolic syndrome. Nevertheless, existing observational studies relating to noise exposure and metabolic syndrome are based on non-generalizable cohorts. Lisbon remains a noisy city where this association has not been evaluated, and for this reason, we studied the relationship between exposure to urban noise and the prevalence of type 2 diabetes mellitus, obesity, and hypertension. Methods: Diurnal, evening and nocturnal noise emission levels were obtained for each street in the city from the Lisbon noise map. After allocation of all roads to the respective parish of Lisbon, the noise emission for each parish was averaged for each day period. The number of adult patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus, obesity and hypertension in 2014, 2015 and 2016 in each parish of Lisbon was obtained from the Regional Health Administration of Lisbon and Tagus Valley. Prevalence as a percentage of the population was determined using the number of residents in each parish determined in the 2011 population census. Spearman’s non-parametric correlation coefficient was used due to the non-normal distribution of the variables, at the 5% significance level (α = 0.05). Results: No correlations were found between daytime, afternoon or night-time noise exposure and the prevalence of type 2 diabetes mellitus, obesity or hypertension, although correlations were found between the cardiometabolic variables. Nevertheless, noise levels in Lisbon were above the legally established limit and the World Health Organization guidelines for environmental noise exposure in the European region. Conclusion: Our results do not agree with previous studies and should be faced as preliminary due to a strong biological plausibility for an association between noise exposure and cardiometabolic diseases and to encourage further studies, with longitudinal cohorts.