18F-FDG PET and PET/CT in diagnosis and treatment monitoring of pyrexia of unknown origin due to tuberculosis with prominent hepatosplenic involvement.

The potential of (18)F-FDG PET/CT in the diagnosis and treatment response monitoring of fever of unknown origin (resulting from hepatosplenic tuberculosis) is demonstrated in this report. The patient was a 32-y-old woman who had presented to us with a history of pyrexia of unknown origin for the past 2 mo. On investigation, she was found to have hepatic and splenic granulomas, with whole-body (18)F-FDG PET demonstrating abnormal (18)F-FDG-avid foci in the liver and spleen.

X-linked hyper IgM syndrome: clinical, immunological and molecular features in patients from India.

Background: X-linked hyper-IgM (XHIM) is a primary immunodeficiency disorder characterized by recurrent infections, low serum IgG and IgA and normal or elevated IgM. It results from mutations in the CD40 ligand (CD40L) gene. Confirmation of diagnosis with identification of underlying molecular defect is important for the initiation of appropriate therapeutic interventions, including immunoglobulin replacement, antibiotics and bone marrow transplantation.

Carboxyl decorated Fe3O4 nanoparticles for MRI diagnosis and localized hyperthermia.

We report the development of carboxyl decorated iron oxide nanoparticles (CIONs) by a facile soft-chemical approach for magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and hyperthermia applications. These superparamagnetic CIONs (~10 nm) are resistant to protein adsorption under physiological medium and exhibit good colloidal stability, magnetization and cytocompatibility with cell lines. Analysis of the T2-weighted MRI scans of CIONs in water yields a transverse relaxivity (r2) value of 215 mM(-1) s(-1).

Magnesium deposition in brain of pregnant patients administered intramuscular magnesium sulphate.

We present three cases of T1 hyperintense signal in the MRI scans of the brains of pregnant patients who were administered magnesium sulphate intramuscularly for control of hypertension during eclampsia. The increase in signal is symmetric and is seen in the globus pallidi of these patients. We postulate it to be secondary to deposition of magnesium in the brain parenchyma.

X linked agammaglobulinemia: a single centre experience from India.

The authors report a series of seven cases of X-linked Agammaglobulinemia, diagnosed and receiving treatment at a tertiary care centre in Mumbai. The ages of the patients ranged from 15 mo to 15 y. After diagnosis at a mean age of 3 ½ y, all were advised intravenous immunoglobulin (IvIg) infusion therapy in doses of 400-600 mg/kg every 3-4 wk.

Pictorial essay: Role of magnetic resonance imaging in evaluation of brachial plexus pathologies.

Brachial plexopathies, traumatic and nontraumatic, often present with vague symptoms. Clinical examination and electrophysiological studies are useful but may not localize the lesion accurately. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) with its multiplanar imaging capability and soft tissue contrast resolution plays an important role in evaluation of the abnormal brachial plexus.

Association between periapical lesions and maxillary sinus mucosal thickening: a retrospective cone-beam computed tomographic study.

Introduction: Odontogenic infections are a common cause of maxillary sinusitis. This study aimed to evaluate the relationship between teeth with periapical lesions or periodontal disease and sinus mucosal thickening using cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT) imaging.

Methods: CBCT scans of 243 patients (485 sinuses) were evaluated retrospectively for the presence of periapical lesions and/or periodontal disease in posterior maxillary teeth and associated sinus mucosal thickening.

Acute encephalopathy with biphasic seizures and late reduced diffusion.

Acute encephalopathy with biphasic seizures and reduced diffusion (AESD) is a syndrome of encephalopathy characterized by biphasic seizures and altered consciousness in the acute stage followed in the subacute stage by restricted diffusion in the subcortical white matter on magnetic resonance imaging. The etiology of AESD has been attributed to viral infection like influenza A and human herpes virus 6. The exact pathogenesis of AESD is uncertain.

Effect of deferasirox chelation on liver iron and total body iron concentration.

Objective: To determine efficacy of Deferasirox (DFX) on total body iron and liver iron concentration (LIC) as estimated by serum ferritin (SF) and liver MRI T2.

Methods: Thirty patients had baseline MRI T2 of the liver performed to determine LIC before starting DFX therapy and classified as normal >6.3 milliseconds (ms), mild 6.

Surgical management of selected pituitary macroadenomas using extended endoscopic endonasal transsphenoidal approach: early experience.

Background And Objectives: The endoscopic transsphenoidal approach is commonly used surgical approach for pituitary adenomas. However, adenomas with dumbbell configuration, pure suprasellar location, and fibrous consistency are difficult to remove by this approach. Recently, the extended endoscopic endonasal approach (EEEA) has been utilized to excise this subgroup of pituitary adenomas successfully.

Type І hyper IgM syndrome with novel mutation from India.

Hyper IgM syndrome is a primary immunodeficiency disorder characterized by normal or raised levels of immunoglobulin (Ig) M with low or absent IgG, IgA, and IgE. Five genetic causes of Hyper IgM have been identified. CD40L is deficient on T cells in Type І Hyper IgM, leading to defective interaction between T and B lymphocytes and consequently an inability to switch from production of IgM to other classes of antibodies.

Repression of death consciousness and the psychedelic trip.

Death is our most repressed consciousness, it inheres our condition as the primordial fear. Perhaps it was necessary that this angst be repressed in man or he would be hurled against the dark forces of nature. Modern ethos was built on this edifice, where the 'denial of death' while 'embracing one's symbolic immortality' would be worshipped, so this ideology simply overturned and repressed looking into the morass of the inevitable when it finally announced itself.

Central nervous system tuberculosis: pathophysiology and imaging findings.

With the onset of the human immunodeficiency virus pandemic, the incidence of tuberculosis, including central nervous system (CNS) tuberculosis, has increased in developed countries. It is no longer a disease confined to underdeveloped and developing countries. The imaging appearance has become more complex with the onset of multidrug-resistant tuberculosis.

Common clinical problems in children living with HIV/AIDS: systemic approach.

Clinical manifestations in children living with HIV/ AIDS differ from those in adults due to poorly developed immunity that allows greater dissemination throughout various organs. In developing countries, HIV-infected children have an increased frequency of malnutrition and common childhood infections such as ear infections, pneumonias, gastroenteritis and tuberculosis. The symptoms common to many treatable conditions, such as recurrent fever, diarrhea and generalized dermatitis, tend to be more persistent and severe and often do not respond as well to treatment.

XDR TB in a case of IL12Rβ1 deficiency: a case report of Mendelian Susceptibility to Mycobacterial Disease from India.

Mendelian Susceptibility to Mycobacterial Disease (MSMD) is a relatively new term that describes a spectrum of inherited defects in the IL-12/23 and IFN- γ pathways that result in a selective predisposition to disease caused by poorly pathogenic mycobacteria. In contrast to previous reports of patients infected with environmental mycobacteria and BCG, this manuscript elucidates the clinical course and diagnosis of MSMD in a child harboring extensively drug resistant (XDR) Mycobacterium tuberculosis.

Chemotherapy, neurotoxicity, and cognitive changes in breast cancer.

Chemotherapy-induced cognitive changes have come under immense speculation in recent years. This mild cognitive impairment evinced in the form of short-term memory loss, and attention and concentration problems, finds itself unavoidably attached to the terms 'chemobrain' or 'chemofog'. The predicament between chemotherapy (CT) and neurotoxicity has been considerably examined and most of its attributes have been documented through neuropsychological studies.

Efficacy and safety of deferasirox for reducing total body and cardiac iron in thalassemia.

Objective: To assess the efficacy of deferasirox as an iron chelator, with specific reference to reducing cardiac iron overload.

Design: Prospective, open label, single arm study between 2008-2010. SETUP: Thalassemia center at a teaching hospital.

Temporary neonatal atrial pacing through the umbilical venous route: A novel technique.

Atrial pacing in the neonate is rarely done due to constraints of equipment, technical knowhow, and risk of complications. We describe a novel method of atrial pacing in the new born using equipment readily available in any intensive care unit. Atrial pacing can be achieved using an adult bipolar pacing wire directly introduced through the umbilical venous route.

Intensity-modulated radiation to spare neural stem cells in brain tumors: a computational platform for evaluation of physical and biological dose metrics.

Background: Neurocognitive effects following whole-brain and partial-brain irradiation can cause considerable morbidity. Sparing of neural stem cells (NSCs) is proposed as an avenue for reducing the long-term radiation-induced defects in learning, memory, and intelligence. We performed an analytical study to spare the NSC from partial-brain irradiation by intensity-modulated radiotherapy (IMRT).