Rosacea and Its Association With Malignancy: Systematic Review.

Background: Rosacea is a chronic inflammatory skin condition that predominantly manifests as facial flushing, irritation, and acne. Rosacea and cancer are thought to be linked by the commonality of inflammatory and immune response dysfunction. Studies that have looked into this possible association have reported mixed results.

The uni-directional association of atopic dermatitis and rheumatoid arthritis: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Atopic dermatitis (AD) is a highly pruritic, inflammatory skin disease with a strong immune component. Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a systemic autoimmune disease that causes synovitis and destruction of small joints. Researchers have attempted to quantify an association between both diseases with mixed conclusions.

Effects of Active Compounds of Nigella sativa in COVID-19: A Narrative Review.

Background: SARS-CoV-2 infection that led to the COVID-19 pandemic has changed human health and the economy globally. SARS CoV-2 is a type of Coronaviruses that has caused pneumonia and its complications with many deaths over the past two years. The use of hydroxychloroquine and chloroquine, accepted as generally safe for patients with autoimmune diseases or malaria, was attempted in many trials for COVID-19 treatment.

A systematic review and meta-analysis of sexual dysfunction in patients with hidradenitis suppurativa.

Hidradenitis suppurativa (HS) is a chronic inflammatory skin condition associated with significant psychosocial comorbidity. To date, the relationship between HS and sexual dysfunction has not been assessed through meta-analysis. A systematic review was performed by OVID Medline, EMBASE, Cochrane Central, PsycINFO via EBSCO, Web of Science, and LILACS.

CK20/CK7 double-negative Merkel cell carcinoma in situ: A case report.

An 83-year-old male with a history of both melanoma and non-melanoma skin cancers presented with a light pink non-ulcerated slightly raised 0.6 × 0.5-cm papule on his left lower extremity.

Vitiligo and Metabolic Syndrome: Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

Background: Metabolic syndrome (MetS) has been associated with various skin conditions including vitiligo. However, the association between these 2 conditions has yet to be determined by quantitative meta-analysis.

Objective: The aim of this paper was to determine the association between vitiligo and metabolic syndrome via systematic review and meta-analysis.

Detection of typhoid carriers by duodenal fluid culture in a tertiary care hospital, Karachi: A cross-sectional study.

We aimed to detect typhoid carriers by performing duodenal fluid culture in patients in a tertiary care hospital in Pakistan. A cross-sectional study was conducted during 2017 at the Aga Khan University Hospital, Karachi. Patients who underwent upper gastrointestinal endoscopy were included.

Pain medicine as a career.

Pain is one of the most common causes of seeking medical care. In the day to day clinical practice, incidence of pain of some origin is next only to common cold. The average life span of an Indian has also increased and this population is vulnerable to chronic and cancer pain.

Glyoxal Induced Transition of Transferrin to Aggregates: Spectroscopic, Microscopic and Molecular Docking Insight.

Background & Objective: The present study was aimed at characterizing the conformational alterations induced in human transferrin, the iron regulatory protein by glyoxal. Since protein aggregation is at the core of many disorders, thus interest in this domain has increased significantly during the past years.

Methods: In our present study, the effect of glyoxal was monitored on human transferrin using multispectroscopic and multi-microscopic studies.

Intraperitoneal pre-insufflation of 0.125% bupivaciane with tramadol for postoperative pain relief following laparoscopic cholecystectomy.

Background And Aims: Laparoscopic cholecystectomy is associated with a fairly high incidence of postoperative discomfort which is more of visceral origin than somatic. Studies have concluded that the instillation of local anesthetic with opioid around gall bladder bed provides more effective analgesia than either local anesthetic or opioid alone.

Material And Methods: The study included 90 American Society of Anesthesiologists I-II patients of age 16-65 years scheduled for laparoscopic cholecystectomy under general anesthesia.

Survival following accidental scarf strangulation.

Injury or death by strangulation, unless otherwise explained, is almost always homicidal. Accidental strangulation may occur but only very rarely. We present such a case of accidental strangulation and survival in a motorbike pillion rider.

A comparison of the analgesic efficacy of transforaminal methylprednisolone alone and with low doses of clonidine in lumbo-sacral radiculopathy.

Background: Although transforaminal epidural steroid injections under fluoroscopic guidance have become a common mode of treatment of lumbosacral radiculopathy due to herniated disc, the efficacy of steroid with low doses of clonidine has not been compared yet.

Objectives: Comparison of the analgesic efficacy of methylprednisolone alone and with low doses of clonidine for transforaminal injection in lumbosacral radiculopathy.

Study Design: A randomized, double-blind trial.

PARP inhibitors: current status and implications for anticancer therapeutics.

Poly(ADP-ribose) polymerases (PARPs) comprise of a large family of 17 proteins encoded by various genes which participate in genome maintenance, apoptosis, inflammatory responses and the regulation of gene expression programs. PARP inhibitors, as therapeutic agents, come into play acting on both PARP 1 and PARP 2. These drugs seem to target tumor cells in a moment of vulnerability when they are undergoing DNA repair.

Reasons for non-vaccination in pediatric patients visiting tertiary care centers in a polio-prone country.

Background: The Expanded Program on Immunization (EPI) was initiated by World Health Organization (WHO) in 1974 in order to save children from life threatening, disabling vaccine-preventable diseases (VPDs). In Pakistan, this program was launched in 1978 with the main objectives of eradicating polio by 2012, eliminating measles and neonatal tetanus by 2015, and minimizing the incidence of other VPDs. However, despite the efforts of government and WHO, this program has not received the amount of success that was desired.

Bilateral paediatric optic neuropathy precipitated by vitamin B12 deficiency and a novel mitochondrial DNA mutation.

We present an 11-year-old girl with sudden, severe, sequential optic neuropathy. Investigations revealed severe vitamin B12 deficiency, and identified a novel mitochondrial ND5 variant. She was treated with steroids followed by plasma exchange, but the vision continued to deteriorate to eventual bilateral blindness over the next few months.

Effectiveness of a multidisciplinary facial function clinic.

Objectives: To analyse the usefulness of a multidisciplinary facial function clinic (FFC).

Design: Retrospective case-note review.

Setting: The FFC was established in July 2006 at the Manchester Royal Eye Hospital with attending consultants from Ophthalmology, Skull-Base Otolaryngology, Plastic Surgery, and Physiotherapy.

Efficacy of intrathecal midazolam with or without epidural methylprednisolone for management of post-herpetic neuralgia involving lumbosacral dermatomes.

Background: Post herpetic neuralgia is a chronic neuropathic pain syndrome which remains one of the most difficult pain disorders to treat. Epidural injection of methylprednisolone with or without local anesthetic provides relief for neuralgia for a short duration only. Recent studies have shown a promising anti nociceptive effect for intrathecal midazolam, a water soluble benzodiazepine, due to its interaction with benzodiazepine-GABA-A receptor complex within the spinal cord.

A Study of the Use of Laryngeal Mask Airway (LMA) in Children and its Comparison with Endotracheal Intubation.

Laryngeal mask airway (LMA) is increasingly being used in children as it is less invasive compared to endotracheal intubation and causes less discomfort in the postoperative period. However, some concerns remained about its safety during positive pressure ventilation in children. In a prospective randomized trial, 100 ASA I and II children weighing between 10-20 kg in the range of 2-10 years of age, scheduled for elective surgery were randomly allocated to one of the two groups of 50 patients each.

A comparison between EMLA cream application versus lidocaine infiltration for postoperative analgesia after inguinal herniotomy in children.

Background: EMLA cream (eutectic mixture of local anesthetics) has been shown to penetrate intact skin and provide analgesia of superficial layers. There are no studies on the effects of topical application of EMLA cream for postoperative pain relief after inguinal hernia repair.

Objective: : This randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study compared the efficacy of topical application of 5% EMLA cream before surgery, with wound infiltration with 1% lidocaine for postoperative analgesia in children.

Interaction of anesthetic supplement thiopental with human serum albumin.

Thiopental (TPL) is a commonly used barbiturate anesthetic. Its binding with human serum albumin (HSA) was studied to explore the anesthetic-induced protein dysfunction. The basic binding interaction was studied by UV-absorption and fluorescence spectroscopy.

Cervical cancer: outcome of treatment and causes of failure.

Objective: To summarize the data and look into the various treatments offered to cervical cancer patients at Institute of Nuclear Medicine and Oncology (INMOL) to highlight the most likely causes of treatment failure.

Methods: In this retrospective study, case files of all patients presenting with invasive carcinoma of uterine cervix during 1993-2002 were studied in respect to personal profile, disease related risk factors, pathological characteristics, treatment administered and outcome in the form of tumour response and survival.

Results: Early age at marriage, multiple marriages of self or spouse, multiparty, prolonged use of contraceptives and smoking were some of the risk factors for cervical cancer in this group of patients.