Burden of frailty and its correlates among the elderly: a cross-sectional study in a rural community of West Bengal.

Context: With the ageing of Indian society, providing a healthy life among older people is a public health precedence. Therefore, beforehand discovery and possible forestalment of frailty may help promote healthy ageing and dwindle the social, mental and financial burden of their families and caregivers.

Aims: The study aimed to assess the proportion of frailty and its associated factors among the elderly aged 65 years and above in a rural community of West Bengal.

Chondroid Syringoma on the Tip of the Nose: A Case Report.

Chondroid syringoma is a benign, rare, asymptomatic, slow-growing mixed tumor. The authors present the case of a 17-year-old adolescent boy who had a tumor on the tip of his nose for a duration of 8 months. An excisional biopsy was performed under local anesthesia.

Expression of stathmin in oral squamous cell carcinoma and its correlation with tumour proliferation.

Background: Stathmin is a member of microtubule-associated protein. Inhibition of Stathmin expression can interfere with tumour progression and also alter the sensitivity of tumour cells to microtubule-targeting agents. Thus, it could be a potential therapeutic target for planning new treatment strategies.

A comparative study of ultrasound assisted versus landmark technique for combined spinal-epidural anaesthesia in patients undergoing lower limb orthopaedic surgery.

Background And Aims: Spinal anatomy is better visualised in the para sagittal oblique view with the aid of ultrasonography. The present study was undertaken to investigate whether preprocedural ultrasonography can facilitate the ease of establishing combined spinal epidural (CSE) via paramedian approach versus landmark approach in patients undergoing lower limb orthopaedic surgery.

Methods: This prospective randomised study was conducted in 100 American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) grade I-II patients, aged 18-60 years requiring CSE and randomly divided into two groups: Ultrasound-assisted (USG) group (n = 50) and Surface landmark (SLG) group (n = 50).

Vitamin D in Hypothyroid Patients and Association between Vitamin D and Anti-TPO in Autoimmune Hypothyroidism.

Background: To find out the incidence of vitamin D deficiency in autoimmune hypothyroidism and the correlation between vitamin D and anti-TPO antibodies.

Methods: This observational study was undertaken in the Biochemistry Department of ESI-PGIMSR & Model Hospital Andheri Mumbai from March 2015 to September 2015. Vitamin D and anti-TPO levels of 101 known cases of hypothyroidism were measured on a Cobas e411.

Issues in antifungal stewardship: an opportunity that should not be lost.

Many countries have observed an increase in the incidence of invasive fungal infections (IFIs) over the past two decades with emergence of new risk factors and isolation of new fungal pathogens. Early diagnosis and appropriate antifungal treatment remain the cornerstones of successful outcomes. However, due to non-specific clinical presentations and limited availability of rapid diagnostic tests, in more than half of cases antifungal treatment is inappropriate.

Outstanding Prevalence of Methicillin Resistant in Neonatal Omphalitis.

Introduction: Omphalitis is the infection of the umbilical cord stump, which can lead to septicaemia and significant neonatal morbidity and mortality. Very little data is available on the aetiology of neonatal omphalitis in India.

Aim: To identify the causative agents of omphalitis in neonates and determine the antimicrobial susceptibility patterns of the isolates.

Primary cutaneous angioplasmocellular hyperplasia.

Angioplasmocellular hyperplasia is a rare clinical condition with blood vessel proliferation and a reactive plasma cell infiltrate. To the best of our knowledge fewer than 20 cases of cutaneous angioplasmocellular hyperplasia have been published in English literature. We report a case of a 65-year-old man who presented with a long standing asymptomatic flesh colored ulcerated nodule on the back.

Conjoint Lumbosacral Nerve Root-A Case Report.

Introduction: Conjoint nerve root is embryological nerve root anomaly mainly involving lumbosacral region. The anomalous roots present primarily as a bifid, conjoined structure arising from a wide area of the dura. Because of their size and attachment to surrounding structures, they are uniquely susceptible to trauma.

Establishment of reference interval of serum prolactin in an Indian population.

Background: Reference data on serum prolactin levels based on a representative Indian sample are still lacking. The western normative laboratory values used for clinical diagnosis may not be applicable to Indian population. The objective of the study was to measure the serum prolactin levels in healthy Indian male and female in order to establish reference interval and to compare with the available reference intervals.

Keloidal plaque in a patient with pulmonary tuberculosis: A rare morphological variant of tuberculosis verrucosa cutis.

Tuberculosis verrucosa cutis (TVC), also known as warty tuberculosis, anatomist's wart or prosector's wart is characterized by the presence of verrucous plaque-like lesions, resulting from direct inoculation of the causative organism into the skin of a previously infected patient. A 59-year-old man presented with a hyperpigmented plaque on the chest wall which closely mimicked a keloid. He was a case of sputum-positive pulmonary tuberculosis and had repeatedly been applying early morning saliva on the lesion as a part of the indigenous practices for quick healing.

Tuberculosis the great mimicker: 18F-fludeoxyglucose positron emission tomography/computed tomography in a case of atypical spinal tuberculosis.

Tuberculosis (TB) has aptly been called the great mimicker. A 14-year-old boy, who had been treated for Hodgkin's Lymphoma 2 years back and had been in remission, underwent a whole body 18F-fludeoxyglucose positron emission tomography/computed tomography (18F-FDG PET/CT) scan, owing to a recent onset of backache and difficulty in walking. The study showed an FDG avid destructive lesion of the posterior elements of the sixth, seventh and eighth dorsal vertebrae along with a hypermetabolic collection in the adjacent paraspinal muscles with extension into the spinal canal, causing encasement of the thecal sac as well.

Malakoplakia of Proximal Tibia- A Case Report.

Introduction: Malakoplakia is chronic granulomatous disorder resulting from an abnormal immunological response resulting in accumulation of histiocytes [1].It normally involves the urinary bladder, colon, skin etc. But bone is rarely involved.