Correlation and path analysis in ginger (Zingiber officinale Rose.)

Twelve morphological characters recorded from 40 genotypes of ginger were subjected to correlation and path analysis. The results revealed that all characters studied have positive correlation with yield and direct selection based on leaflet number, rhizome length and thickness of secondary rhizome could help to improve the yield. The lowest residual effect indicates the optiInistic nature of the characters taken for the study. &nbsp

Adnexal torsion-five-year retrospective study

Background: Adnexal torsion is one of the gynecologic emergency conditions requiring prompt diagnosis and surgical treatment to save the ovarian function. This retrospective study is intended to analyze the clinical manifestations and treatment in a tertiary care center.Methods: This is a retrospective study Case records during five-year period of February 2012-2017 in PSG Institute of Medical Sciences and research, Coimbatore, India.Results: Adnexal torsion was seen in all age groups and commonly in reproductive age. It was seen in few pregnant patients also. Lower abdominal pain of acute onset associated with nausea and vomiting was the commonest clinical feature. Ovarian cyst and PCOD were the common risk factors predisposing torsion. Though ultra sound was the common modality used, the diagnosis was done based on strong clinical suspicion with surgical confirmation. The ovaries were preserved in some patients of reproductive age group.Conclusions: Adnexal torsion is one of the gynecologic emergencies. The symptoms and signs are nonspecific and may not have a confirmatory lab or imaging study. Hence a strong clinical suspicion followed by prompt surgical management in both pregnant and non -pregnant patients of any age group saves the ovary and further complications

Intestinal obstruction in pregnancy: three case reports

The occurrence of intestinal obstruction is uncommon in pregnancy and so it is rarely considered as a cause for acute abdominal pain. It is also a life threatening condition to the mother if proper medical intervention is delayed. In this review we present three cases of intestinal obstruction during pregnancy and puerperium. The incidence in our tertiary care center over a period of last 5 years is 1 in 3196 deliveries. These cases were diagnosed preoperatively with x-ray and sonogram. Laparotomy with definitive surgical treatment was performed. The first patient had large bowel obstruction due to sigmoid volvulus, the second patient had a stricture in ileum leading to small bowel obstruction, and the third patient had ileocecal intussusception. There were no maternal deaths but one patient had fetal loss

Uterine Angioleiomyoma with Atypia, Raised CA-125 Levels, and Pseudo-Meigs Syndrome: An Alarming Presentation

Angioleiomyomas are benign mesenchymal tumours commonly occurring in the subcutis of extremities. They are typically composed of interlacing fascicles of smooth muscle cells with intersecting vascular channels. Angioleiomyomas of the uterus are rare with only very few case reports available in literature. Herein, we report a case of this rare entity in a 47-year-old woman owing to its highly unusual features of cellular atypia, raised CA-125 levels, and pseudo Meigs syndrome

Correlation and path analysis in ginger (Zingiber officinale Rose.)

Twelve morphological characters recorded from 40 genotypes of ginger were subjected to correlation and path analysis. The results revealed that all characters studied have positive correlation with yield and direct selection based on leaflet number, rhizome length and thickness of secondary rhizome could help to improve the yield. The lowest residual effect indicates the optiInistic nature of the characters taken for the study. &nbsp

Clinico-pathological analysis of lymphoproliferative disorders: a 3 year study

Background: The incidence of lymphoproliferative disorders has increased in many parts of the world. Newer subtypes have been identified by the new WHO classification. Accurate subtyping of lymphomas is crucial for prompt treatment. Objective of the study was to assess the clinicopathological pattern of lymphoproliferative diseases diagnosed in Rajagiri hospital over a period of 3 years.Methods: A retrospective study on all patients who were diagnosed with lymphoma in Rajagiri hospital during January 2016 to December 2018 was conducted and the data were reviewed and analyzed.Results: A total of 151 patients were included in the study. Majority of the subjects (63%) were males. The predominant age group affected was 61-80 years. Mean age group was 58.46 years (SD=19.05 years). Most common presenting symptom was painless lymphadenopathy. B symptoms were seen in 18% of subjects and was found to be more commonly associated with B cell Non-Hodgkin lymphoma. Most common lymph node involved was cervical lymph node, while the most common extra nodal site was bone marrow. Most common lymphoproliferative disorder was Diffuse large B cell Lymphoma. Lymph node involvement was found in 74% of patients, while hepatomegaly and splenomegaly were seen in 11% and 18.5% of patients. 20% of patients had secondary bone marrow involvement. 8 patients developed recurrent lesions involving other organs.Conclusions: Clinicopathologic patterns of lymphoproliferative disorders vary across various regions. A proper understanding of demographical distribution of lymphomas is very essential, as it can provide valuable clues for accurate diagnosis and treatment

The clinicopathological spectrum and driver mutation profile in classic BCR-ABL1 negative myeloproliferative neoplasms: a three-year study from a tertiary care center in Kerala, South India

Background: Myeloproliferative neoplasms (MPNs) are clonal hematopoietic stem cell disorders primarily of the adults. The 2016 World Health Organization (WHO) classification of MPNs include the molecular landscape as one of the diagnostic criteria. JAK2 exon14 (JAK2 V617F), JAK2 exon12, Myeloproliferative leukemia virus oncogene exon 10 (MPL 515), and calreticulin exon 9 (CALR) mutations are the main somatic driver mutations detected in classic BCR-ABL1 negative MPNs. Methods: A retrospective, cross-sectional study was conducted including 99 patients diagnosed with classic BCR-ABL1 negative MPNs during a 3-year time period, from March 2018 to February 2021 in the departments of pathology and clinical haematology- haemato oncology of a tertiary care teaching hospital. Clinical, haematological and morphological features were analysed and correlated with MPN associated mutation studies done in blood/bone marrow samples. Results: The prevalence of polycythaemia vera (PV) was found to be higher than other MPN, two third of which were JAK2 positive. More than half of the cases of primary myelofibrosis (PMF) and essential thrombocythemia (ET) also showed JAK2 mutation. CALR was positive in 17.4% of ET and 31.3% of PMF; MPL in 4.4% of ET and 3.1% of PMF. Conclusions: The prevalence of triple-negative MPN point towards the need for whole-exome sequencing of triple-negative MPN

Compassionate use of convalescent plasma for the management of severe pneumonia in critically ill COVID-19 patients-a single center experience, Kerala, India

We assessed treatment effectiveness with convalescent plasma in critically ill COVID-19 pneumonia patients and their association with reduction in C reactive protein level as a sensitive inflammatory marker to the ongoing cytokine storm. Retrospective cohort study based on the detailed electronic medical chart review. The primary outcome was a clinical improvement on day 14, defined as the reduction in cytokine storm as demonstrated by a drop in acute phase reactant C reactive protein; de-escalation from the prior mode of oxygen delivery or not on mechanical ventilation in critically ill COVID-19 patients. C reactive protein was measured by using immunoturbidimetry. IgG antibody against spike protein S1 was measured by chemiluminescent immunoassay. Of 14 patients, all had severe COVID-19 pneumonia [category C], and 9 (64%) were mechanically ventilated soon after the admission into the medical intensive care unit. De-escalation of the oxygenation strategy mode was noted in 11 (79%) patients after convalescent plasma infusion. All patients showed a significant drop in C reactive protein when compared to pre-infusion and post-infusion day 5.  Early compassionate use of convalescent plasma with higher titters of IgG antibodies against S1may positively benefit the overall outcome in critically ill COVID-19 patients with severe pneumonia

The associated expression of Maspin and Bax proteins as a potential prognostic factor in intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma

BACKGROUND: Maspin, a member of the serpin family, is a suppressor of tumor growth, an inhibitor of angiogenesis and an inducer of apoptosis. Maspin induces apoptosis by increasing Bax, a member of the Bcl-2 family of apoptosis-regulating proteins. In this exploratory study, we investigated the associated expression of Maspin and Bax proteins as a potential prognostic factor in intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma (IHCCA). METHODS: Twenty-two paraffin-embedded samples were analyzed by immunohistochemical methods using Maspin, Bax and CD34 antibodies. Maspin was scored semiquantitatively (HSCORE). Apoptosis was assessed using an antibody against cleaved caspase-3. RESULTS: The strong relationship observed between the expression of Maspin and Bax, indicates that Bax is likely to be the key effector of Maspin-mediated induction of apoptosis as indicated by the activation of cleaved caspase-3. We categorized Maspin HSCORE by calculating the optimal cutpoint. A Maspin HSCORE above the cutpoint was inversely related with tumor dimension, depth of tumor and vascular invasion. Uni/multivariate analysis suggests that a Maspin HSCORE below the cutpoint significantly worsens the patients' prognosis. Tumors with Maspin HSCORE below the cutpoint had a shorter survival (11+/-5 months) than did patients with Maspin HSCORE above the cutpoint (27+/-4 months), whereas Kaplan-Meier analysis and logrank test showed no significant difference in overall survival between the patients. CONCLUSION: The associated expression of Maspin and Bax might delay tumor progression in IHCCA. Maspin above the cutpoint might counteract tumor development by increasing cell apoptosis, and by decreasing tumor mass and cell invasion. The combined expression of Maspin and Bax appears to influence the susceptibility of tumor cholangiocytes to apoptosis and thus may be involved in delaying IHCCA progression