Spurious rise in the automated platelet count because of bacteria.

The era of automation in haematology, although improving the accuracy and precision of results, has also introduced the laboratory haematologist to a vast array of spurious parameters. The identification of these results is important so that inappropriate management decisions are avoided. The case presented here illustrates a spuriously raised automated platelet count resulting from bacterial overgrowth in the blood sample.

Botryomycosis--a series of six integumentary or visceral cases from India.

Botryomycosis is characterized by a chronic suppurative lesion with distinctive fungus-like grains that resemble the sulphur granules of actinomycosis. Both integumentary and visceral forms of the disease are recognized. The visceral involvement occurs predominantly in the lungs.

Improvement in fresh frozen plasma transfusion practice: results of an outcome audit.

Blood components have been in use in clinical practice for many decades now. In spite of fairly clear guidelines regarding their use, inappropriate prescriptions for components are still rampant. We undertook this work to assess the appropriateness of fresh frozen plasma (FFP) transfusions in our hospital.

An audit of splenectomies in a teaching hospital in North India. Are postsplenectomy guidelines being complied with?

Aims: Patients with an absent or dysfunctional spleen are at risk of infection by encapsulated and other bacteria. Overwhelming postsplenectomy infection (OPSI) causes most concern because it can result in significant mortality. A retrospective review of splenectomised patients in a tertiary care setting over an eight year period was carried out to determine whether current postsplenectomy guidelines were being followed.

Intracavitary metastatic non-Hodgkin's lymphoma simulating an atrial myxoma.

We describe a case of intracavitary metastasis of Mantle Cell Lymphoma of gastrointestinal tract, which mimicked an atrial myxoma. The gastrointestinal lymphoma led to widespread metastasis and a large metastatic tumor deposit at the hilum of the right lung caught up the hilar vessels. This led to infiltration into the pulmonary veins and intracavitary metastatis to the left side of the heart.

Abnormal leukocyte histogram with a factitious automated white cell count due to Plasmodium vivax parasitemia--a case report.

Automated hematology analyzers are designed to produce accurate and precise blood counts on specimens which are either normal or show only numerical abnormalities. However they alert the operator in samples with unusual characteristics which could result in inaccurate measurement or require review of the blood smear. Even the most sophisticated instruments cannot recognize all the significant abnormalities that can be recognized by a human observer.

Paraganglioma of the urinary bladder--a case report.

Paragangliomas of the urinary bladder are extremely rare tumors accounting for less than 1% of all bladder tumors. Males and females are affected roughly equally with an average age of 41 years. Hypertension and headache during or immediately after voiding in association with intermittent hematuria is virtually diagnostic of urinary bladder paragangliomas.

Use of the gel-based DiaMed-ID microtyping system for crossmatching enhances sensitivity.

A host of newer techniques have been introduced over the past decade in blood bank serological testing. One such technology which has been in vogue in the west since early 1990s is the gel test. The procedures used are standardized and they provide clear and stable reactions that improve result interpretation.

Metanephric adenoma of the kidney--a case report.

Metanephric adenoma is a relatively novel renal epithelial neoplasm. Herein we report a case of metanephric adenoma in a 38 year male patient.

Mucoepidermoid carcinoma of the bronchus: is conservative surgery always justified?

A case of mucoepidermoid carcinoma of the bronchus in a 7-year-old boy is reported. The patient underwent right pneumonectomy. Histologically, the tumor was a low-grade muco-epidermoid carcinoma arising from the bronchus with lymph node metastasis in the drainage area.

Giant-cell-rich myxoma of right atrium. An ultrastructural analysis.

Myxoma is the commonest primary tumor of the heart, arising more frequently in the left than the right atrium. Here, we report a case of right atrial myxoma, arising close to the entry of the inferior vena cava, which is rich in multinucleated giant cells. No glandular elements were identified.

Subependymomas in children: a report of five cases including two with osseous metaplasia.

Subependymomas are highly differentiated slow growing gliomas. They are one of the few gliomas which are biologically benign. They are extremely rare in children.

Wilms' tumor: transureteral intravesical extension and presentation as urinary retention.

The authors report an unusual case of Wilms' tumor. The tumor grew transureterally into the urinary bladder, became dislodged, and presented as recurrent urinary infection with retention of urine after the child underwent nephroureterectomy. Such a presentation has not been reported earlier.

Celiac crisis.

Celiac crisis is a life-threatening cause of acute diarrhea and multiple metabolic emergencies. It is extremely rare these days. We successfully managed a 5-year old girl with celiac crisis for multiple metabolic problems viz.

Familial hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis: an autopsy study.

We describe four classical cases of familial hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis (FHL), a macrophage-related, autosomal recessive fatal disorder. Parental consanguinity was present in three cases. All patients presented with fever, neurological involvement of varying degrees, hepatosplenomegaly, cytopenias, deranged liver function tests, and coagulogram, hypofibrinogenemia (three cases), and hyperlipidemia (one case).