Publications by authors named "Ashok K Bala"

Article Synopsis
  • Scrub typhus, primarily transmitted by chigger mites, has seen a resurgence in Eastern India, prompting a study to evaluate its prevalence and clinical profiles in children aged 1-12 years.
  • Conducted at a pediatric hospital in Kolkata during 2019, the study involved testing fever-related illnesses for scrub typhus, revealing that 4.5% of 1,473 patients were positive, with common symptoms including gastrointestinal issues and fever lasting over a week.
  • The study found a high complication rate among affected children, notably thrombocytopenia and meningoencephalitis, suggesting the need for laboratory testing in suspected cases and emphasizing the effectiveness of prompt treatment to lower risks and mortality.
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De Sanctis-Cacchione syndrome (DCS) formerly known as xerodermic idiocy is characterised by cutaneous photosensitivity, microcephaly, mental retardation, short stature, hypogonadism, spasticity, peripheral neuropathy and sensorineural deafness. Here in, we present the case of a four and half years old male child with features of severe acute malnutrition (SAM) with a typical bird like facies and sunken eyes who had history of photosensitive pruritic pigmentary skin lesions on sun exposed areas from a very early age of six months. Gross developmental delay, ataxia, microcephaly, short stature, hypogonadism and cachectic wasting were identified on examination and hypertransaminasemia and hypothyroidism were recorded from biochemical profile.

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Introduction: Familial glucocorticoid deficiency (FGD) is a rare autosomal recessive potentially life-threatening condition, characterized by glucocorticoid deficiency, preserved aldosterone/renin secretion, and secondary rise in plasma adrenocorticotropic hormone level. This occurs due to either mutation in adrenocorticotropic receptor (25%, FGD Type-1) or in the MC2 receptor accessory protein (15%-20%). However, in about 50% patients, no identifiable mutations have been identified.

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Morgagnis hernia is rare in pediatrics, representing 1%-6% of all congenital diaphragmatic hernias (CDH). We report a young boy presented with obstructive jaundice caused by compression of common bile duct (CBD) due to stretching and rotation of second part of duodenum in right-sided Morgagni hernia. Such presentation is rarely reported in literature.

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