Publications by authors named "Meel R"

We report a rare case of late-onset vitamin K deficiency bleeding in a 3-month-old boy who presented with orbital compartment syndrome due to massive bleed in the right orbit. The coagulation profile was highly abnormal. The patient was treated with vitamin K injections, following which the coagulation profile normalized.

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High pigmentation and the abundance of M2 macrophages have been identified as negative predictors in uveal melanoma (UM). Risk factors associated with UM that are prevalent in high-risk White populations are still present, although less common, in relatively low-risk Asian populations. Research indicates that proangiogenic M2 macrophages and monosomy 3 play significant roles in UM progression.

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  • A significant increase in cases of sino-orbital mucormycosis (SOM) was observed during the COVID-19 pandemic, leading to a need for effective treatment options beyond traditional orbital exenteration.
  • A study comparing the use of intraorbital injections with Amphotericin B (IOAB) showed that most patients (88.5%) had stable orbital disease after treatment, with minimal deterioration in visual acuity.
  • The findings suggest that IOAB may improve outcomes for patients with mild to moderate SOM, as only a small percentage experienced relapse, highlighting its potential as a globe-conserving therapy.
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Purpose: The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic led to overall interrupted medical care, resulting in disease progression and morbidity. The study aimed to evaluate clinicopathological presentations and severity of eyelid malignancy during the COVID era, comparing the results with patients presented during pre-COVID era and evaluating the reasons for delayed presentation in patients with advanced eyelid malignancy in the COVID-era.

Methods: This was a comparative, ambispective observational study.

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Background: The aim of the study was to evaluate the outcomes of voriconazole in terms of functional recovery and response on imaging in the management of invasive aspergillosis of orbit.

Methods: This was a prospective non-comparative interventional study Diagnosed cases of invasive orbital aspergillosis were studied in a tertiary care hospital. Intravenous voriconazole followed by oral treatment was given.

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Pediatric orbital tumors encompass a wide spectrum of neoplasms, many of which are malignant small round cell tumors with overlapping histology. Sarcomas with genetic alterations are undifferentiated round cell sarcomas (URCS) characterized by rearrangements or internal tandem duplications, having distinct clinical features. Being previously unrecognized in the orbit, they have potential for misdiagnosis.

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  • Eyelid sebaceous gland carcinoma (SGC) is a serious cancer, typically treated through surgical excision, but this study looked at the impact of neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NACT) on treatment outcomes.
  • Over a 24-month period, 30 patients were evaluated, with 10 receiving NACT, which resulted in a 90% regression rate of tumors and some downstaging.
  • Despite significant tumor shrinkage, the perceived ease of surgery improved for only 40% of patients, indicating the need for adjustments in surgical approaches when using NACT.
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Regulating innate immunity is an emerging approach to improve cancer immunotherapy. Such regulation requires engaging myeloid cells by delivering immunomodulatory compounds to hematopoietic organs, including the spleen. Here we present a polymersome-based nanocarrier with splenic avidity and propensity for red pulp myeloid cell uptake.

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Infective endocarditis (IE) in the context of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) is an emerging clinical entity. If not identified timeously, it is associated with high morbidity and mortality. Herein, we provide an overview of the literature supported by a clinical vignette, and highlight the importance of early recognition and management of IE in the context of COVID-19 infection.

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Aims: The right ventricle is affected by Coronavirus disease 19 (COVID-19) via multiple mechanisms, which can result in right ventricular dysfunction (RVD). This study aimed to provide an assessment of right heart function using conventional echocardiography and advanced strain imaging, in patients with hypoxic pneumonia during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Methods And Results: This study was an observational, prospective, single-centre study, including adults with hypoxic pneumonia, in two groups: COVID-19 pneumonia; and non-COVID-19 pneumonia.

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Introduction: recent worldwide data has shown a concerning decline in the number of acute coronary syndrome (ACS) related admissions and percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) procedures during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. We suspected a similar trend at Chris Hani Baragwanath Hospital (CHBAH).

Methods: a retrospective descriptive study was conducted to evaluate and compare all ACS-related admissions to the cardiac care unit (CCU) at CHBAH in the pre-COVID-19 (November 2019 to March 2020) and during COVID-19 periods (April 2020 to August 2020).

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  • - Retinoblastoma (RB) is the most common eye cancer in children, and its advanced stages are often seen in low and middle-income countries (LMICs) due to factors like lack of awareness and limited healthcare access.
  • - Significant advancements in treating extraocular retinoblastoma (EORB) have been made, focusing on reducing treatment toxicity through the use of chemotherapy, surgery, and radiotherapy.
  • - The article discusses ICMR consensus guidelines for managing EORB and metastatic RB, highlighting ongoing challenges and the generally poor prognosis in LMICs.
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  • Retinoblastoma (RB) is the most common eye cancer in children, but many cases are diagnosed late in low-middle income countries due to a lack of awareness.
  • Recent treatment advancements, like systemic and targeted chemotherapy, have improved outcomes, but their use remains limited in LMICs due to cost and accessibility issues.
  • The article discusses the ICMR consensus guidelines for managing advanced intraocular RB, emphasizing the importance of considering treatment costs, risks, and parental discussions in decision-making.
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  • - Retinoblastoma (RB) is the leading eye cancer in children, primarily caused by mutations in the RB1 gene and affecting about 8,000 children worldwide each year, with 1,500 cases in India.
  • - The survival rate for RB exceeds 90% in developed countries, with typical symptoms in Indian children being leukocoria (white pupil) and proptosis (bulging eye), diagnosed mainly through fundus exams and ultrasounds.
  • - The review outlines the International Classification of Retinoblastoma for staging, emphasizes the significance of genetic testing for high-risk families, and discusses histopathologic factors that influence treatment decisions and metastasis prediction.
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Purpose: Retinoblastoma (RB) is the most common intraocular tumor in pediatric age group. The role of genetics has been explored in predicting survival prognosis, but its role in predicting globe salvage remains largely unexplored. We hereby aim to isolate cell-free DNA (cfDNA) from aqueous humor (AH) in RB eyes and validate its use for genetic studies.

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  • This study aimed to analyze the reasons for orbital exenteration, the demographics of patients undergoing the procedure, and how these findings compare to past research over 20 years at a tertiary eye care center.
  • Researchers evaluated 352 cases, revealing that most patients were middle-aged and that eyelid malignancy, specifically squamous cell carcinoma (SCC), was the primary reason for exenteration.
  • The study found an increase in the absolute number of exenterations but a decrease in the ratio compared to other tumor-related surgeries, highlighting changing trends in clinical practice and patient demographics.
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Objectives: To explore the magnitude of sex bias and determinants of treatment abandonment (TA) in childhood cancer in India.

Methods: Individual data of children (0-19 y) registered between January 1, 2017 and July 31, 2022, was compiled. TA was defined as defaulting curative intent treatment ≥4 wk.

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Background: Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) associated aortopathy is associated with considerable morbidity and mortality. The pathophysiology of aortic wall strength in HIV thoracic aortic aneurysm has not been studied.

Methods: The patients with HIV associated thoracic ascending aortic aneurysm (TAAA) were enrolled in the study and underwent surgery as part of their routine management.

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Innate immune memory, also called "trained immunity," is a functional state of myeloid cells enabling enhanced immune responses. This phenomenon is important for host defense, but also plays a role in various immune-mediated conditions. We show that exogenously administered sphingolipids and inhibition of sphingolipid metabolizing enzymes modulate trained immunity.

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• Penetrating chest injuries vary in presentation and are associated with mortality. • Pericardial compliance and rate of bleeding cause hemodynamic lability. • Objective judgment of the mechanism of injury is needed to anticipate exact injuries.

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  • * While trained immunity can boost resistance to diseases, it can also lead to problems like weakened immune responses during severe infections or contribute to autoimmune and inflammatory diseases if not properly regulated.
  • * The review discusses the mechanisms behind trained immunity and suggests that it could be a key focus for developing new vaccines and therapies, particularly in cancer treatments and managing inflammatory disorders.
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Receptor tyrosine kinases (RTKs) serve as molecular targets for the development of novel personalized therapies in many malignancies. In the present study, expression pattern of receptor tyrosine kinases and its clinical significance in orbital RMS has been explored. Eighteen patients with histopathologically confirmed orbital RMS formed part of this study.

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Introduction: Optic nerve (ON) enhancement alone without ON thickening on contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging (CE-MRI) can be associated with post-laminar optic nerve invasion (PLONI) in eyes with group E retinoblastoma. A few case reports and retrospective studies in the literature show a poor correlation between ON enhancement on MRI and ON invasion on histopathological examination (HPE). There is no universal consensus on the management of such cases.

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