Vision centre helps reduce blindness and vision impairment. Proof of concept in a four-year longitudinal study in an urban area in India.

Purpose: To estimate the prevalence of blindness and severe visual impairment (SVI) by using a door-to-door screening and vision center (VC) examination strategy in an urban area in western Maharashtra (Pune), India and repeat the exercise after 4 years to study its impact.

Methods: Four trained community health workers measured the visual acuity and performed an external ocular examination in patients' homes. People with vision <6/18 were requested to visit the VC for a comprehensive eye examination by an optometrist.

Association of IL1RN VNTR polymorphism with chikungunya infection: A study from Western India.

Chikungunya, caused by the chikungunya virus (CHIKV) mostly presents as acute and chronic articular inflammatory manifestations. Interleukin 1 receptor antagonist (IL-1RN) is a potent endogenous competitive inhibitor of IL-1α and 1β and has an anti-inflammatory role. The present study evaluated the possible association of IL1RN variable number tandem-repeat (VNTR) alleles and genotypes, and CHIKV stimulated IL-1RN cytokine production with resistance and/or susceptibility to chikungunya infection and disease state in 224 patients with chikungunya (61 patients with acute chikungunya and 163 patients with chronic chikungunya) and 355 healthy controls.

Parathyroid adenoma in a young female presenting as recurrent acute pancreatitis with a brown tumour of the mandible-A case study.

Introduction: Primary hyperparathyroidism is usually seen in females above the age of 50 years, with a prevalence of 21/1000,(1) whereas the incidence in patients aged 12-28 years is less than 5%.(2) A solitary adenoma is responsible for 80% of cases of primary hyperparathyroidism.(3) Primary hyperparathyroidism is most commonly asymptomatic.

Primary angiosarcoma of the skull: A rare case report.

Background: Angiosarcomas are rare high grade endothelial tumors characterized by rapidly proliferating anaplastic cells derived from blood vessels and lining irregular blood filled spaces. Primary neoplasms of the skull are rare, representing 2.6% of primary neoplasms of bone.

Pulmonary function tests in type 2 diabetes mellitus and their association with glycemic control and duration of the disease.

Background: Pulmonary complications of diabetes mellitus (DM) have been poorly characterized. Some authors have reported normal pulmonary functions and even concluded that spirometry is not at all necessary in diabetic patients. Some studies have shown abnormal respiratory parameters in patients of DM.

Evan's syndrome in HIV infection.

Haematological complications are common in HIV patients and it can be because of infection per se or secondary to opportunistic infections and antiretroviral therapy. Evan's syndrome, i.e.

Coexistent malignant peripheral nerve sheath tumor and lateral spinal meningoceles.

Malignant peripheral nerve sheath tumor (MPNST) is a malignant spindle cell tumor of the soft tissue thought to be derived from the components of nerve sheath. MPNSTs are mainly located in the buttocks, thighs, brachial plexus, and paraspinal region. The objective of this article is to describe a case of neurofibromatosis type 1 who developed neurofibrosarcoma of the right lateral thoracic nerve with thoracic meningoceles, a rare coincidental finding which has not yet been reported in the English medical literature, and how both the conditions were managed in the same sitting.

Mycobacterium avium-intracellulare brain abscess in HIV-positive patient.

Mycobacterial opportunistic infections are a major cause of morbidity and mortality among patients living with HIV (PLHIV) worldwide. Nontuberculous mycobacterial (NTM) infection is one of the leading causes of opportunistic infection in patients with advanced acquired immunodeficiency syndrome i.e.

Oral fluid, a substitute for serum to monitor measles IgG antibody?

We have analyzed the suitability and potential of Oral Fluid (OF) to substitute serum in estimating measles IgG antibodies, during community surveys, by comparing the Optical Density (OD) of measles IgG antibodies in OF and serum of 100 apparently asymptomatic children. IgG antibody status was determined using commercially available - Measles IgG Capture ELISA. Sensitivity 89.

A comparative study of the glycemic control of various antidiabetic agents and the role of homocysteine in the therapy of type 2 diabetes mellitus.

Objectives: The objectives of this study were to evaluate and to compare the glycemic control of various antidiabetic agents and the role of homocysteine in type 2 diabetes mellitus.

Research Design And Methods: Two hundred forty patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus, divided into Groups 1-6 (n=40), received glipizide, glipizide-SR, glimepiride, glibenclamide, metformin, and insulin followed by an oral hypoglycemic agent, respectively. They were evaluated with respect to glycemic control, serum insulin, safety, and quality of life (QoL) for 24 weeks.

Disseminated cutaneous rhinosporidiomas in an immunocompetent male.

Rhinosporidiosis is a chronic recurrent infective granulomatous disease of man and animals. It is endemic in India and Sri Lanka. Rhinosporidiosis is a chronic disease commonly involving the nose and nasopharynx.

Treatment of pemphigus with intravenous pulse cyclophosphamide.

Background: The complications associated with the use of systemic corticosteroid therapy have prompted a search for alternative agents. However, these agents are themselves associated with increased risk of myelosuppression or malignancy.

Methods: The present study included twenty patients with recalcitrant pemphigus or steroid induced side effects who were treated with intravenous cyclophosphamide pulse therapy.

Progressive systemic sclerosis in childhood: a report of three cases.

Systemic sclerosis is unusual in childhood. We describe three children who presented with diffuse hidebound skin associated with gastrointestinal and pulmonary abnormalities. Cardiac and renal dysfunctions, which are often encountered in these patients, were notably absent in our cases.

Encephalocraniocutaneous lipomatosis: a rare neurocutaneous syndrome.

Encephalocraniocutaneous lipomatosis is a congenital hamartomatous disorder with unique ocular, cutaneous and neurological features. A 13-year-old boy presented with history of mental retardation and delayed developmental milestones. Bulbar conjunctiva of left eye showed hypertrophy with a soft reddish limbal nodule encroaching on the cornea.

FNAC of salivary gland lesions with histopathological correlation.

Hypothesis: Analysis of salivary gland lesions by FNAC and correlation with histopathology. To evaluate utility of FNAC in salivary gland lesions.Back ground: Salivary gland lesions form about 2-6.

Platelet volume indices in patients with coronary artery disease and acute myocardial infarction: an Indian scenario.

Aims: To study platelet volume indices (PVI) in the spectrum of ischaemic heart diseases.

Methods: A total of 210 cases were studied; 94 patients had unstable angina (UA) or acute myocardial infarction (AMI) diagnosed on the basis of history, characteristic electrocardiographic changes, and increased cardiac enzyme activities. Seventy patients had stable coronary artery disease (stable CAD) or were admitted for a coronary angiography or coronary artery bypass graft procedure.

A study of serum nitric oxide levels in psoriasis.

Background: M any inter and intracellular mediators have been implicated in the pathogenesis of psoriasis. Nitric oxide has been shown to play an important role in many diseases. Previous studies have demonstrated raised levels of nitric oxide in psoriatic plaques which may be attributed to its effect on keratinocytes, on local cGMP levels or its ability to induce angiogenesis.

A study of mast cells in granulomatous lesions of skin, with special emphasis on leprosy.

76 skin biopsies that included material from 7 controls, 65 granulomatous skin lesions and 2 each of granulation tissue and chronic non-specific inflammation, were subjected to histopathological evaluation on haematoxylin and eosin and pertinent special stains. Mast cell study was done on slides stained by toluidine blue method, with special reference to their location, and morphology and cell count were done with the help of occculomicrometre. In normal skin, mast cell density was 11.

Pneumocystis carinii pneumonia and its association with other opportunistic infections in AIDS--an autopsy report of five cases.

Pneumocystis carinii pneumonia (PCP) has been reported as one of the opportunistic pathogens in AIDS. The significance of this pathogen in AIDS is well established so that, the diagnosis of PCP in an adult simultaneously establishes the diagnosis of AIDS. This point is well emphasised in the CDC case definition of AIDS.

Fine-needle aspiration cytology in lymphadenopathy of HIV-positive patients.

Fine-needle aspiration cytology (FNAC) of 32 HIV-positive cases presenting with lymphadenopathy was performed to evaluate its role in this group of patients. For each case air-dried smears were stained with Leishman, hematoxylin and eosin, and Zeihl-Neelsen stains for acid fast bacilli (AFB). The results were tuberculous (TB) lymphadenopathy (15), reactive lymphadenopathy (10), acute lymphadenitis/abscess (5), and suspected malignancy (2).

Immunomodulatory activity of septilin, a polyherbal preparation.

Septilin is a polyherbal preparation, claimed to be effective in conditions such as chronic stubborn URTI, tonsillitis, cutaneous infections, dental infections and also prescribed as a health supplement. In view of this, the present experimental study was undertaken to evaluate the effect of Septilin on different arms of the immune system. The experimental animals (male albino rats and mice) were divided into three groups.