Causes of new cases of major thalassemia in Sistan and Balouchistan province in South-East of Iran

Thalassemia is the most common monogenic disease in South-East of Iran. Despite the 70% reduction in Iranian thalassemia cases after thalassemia control comprehensive program, 601 affected babies were born in Sistan and Balouchistan Province, Iran from 2002 to 2010, so this study aims at investigating the causes of new thalassemia cases. Data from this retrospective cross-sectional study was collected through interviews and information in the patients' hospital records. Data revealed that 52.4% of fathers and 78.4% of mothers of thalassemic children had elementary education or less. In addition, 78.6% of the couples did not undergo premarital screening for thalassemia and 71.2% of the couples were not notified of their own minor thalassemia until a child was born with major thalassemia. Of the diagnosed minor couples, about 25% did PND and the others did not carry out because mothers were unaware of proper gestational age and of the importance of this issue, financial problems, and the husbands' disagreement to take the tests. Moreover, 16 mothers, in spite of being diagnosed of having a major fetus, refused to terminate the pregnancy. The most preventable causes for affected births include couples' unawareness of being minor and unawares of the PND importance and process

[Adenoid tissue: a comparative bacteriological study]

Adenoid hypertrophy and its complications such as otitis media and sinusitis are common problems in childhood. Rapic and appropriate detection of interfering microorganisms in chronic nasopharyngitis is very important for better medical and surgical interventions. The aims of this study were to detect major core adenoidal microorganisms and to compare similarity of pernasal and oropharyngeal cultures with adenoidal culture, and also to compare bacteriological resistance in patients with and without complications. In this descriptive study, 50 patients with adenoid hypertrophy and chronic nasopharyngitis were recruited and divided into 2 groups: group I [n=25] with complications such as otitis media with effusion and group II [n=25] without complication. All patients underwent adenoidectomy. A pressure equalizing tube was inserted for patients in group I. The smear and culture specimens were collected for bacteriological study. After 26 months of prospective bacteriological study on 50 patients with adenoidal enlargement, major results were as follow: the most common adenoidal growing microorganisms in two groups of patients, in decreasing frequency were hemophilus influenza. Type B beta hemolytic streptococcus and staphylococcus auresus. Pernasal smear and culture results were more similar than oropharyngeal results to core adenoidal cultures [p<0.01]. 70.1% of adenoidal microorganisms in group I patients and 21.2% in group II patients were resistant to ordinary antibiotics [without anti-betalactamase activity] [P<0.0001]. For better medical management of chronic nasopharyngitis [pre and/or post adenoidectomy], were recommend that in antibiotic selection, the hemophilus influenza type B should be considered as the major growing organism. Pernasal culturing is more appropriate for detection of interfering microorganisms. In complicated patients [cases or otitis media with effusion and /or sinusitis] it is advisable to use more potent antibiotics with anti-betalactamase activity. For infection control in non-complicated patients, use of ordinary antibiotics can reduce the resistance to potent antibiotics in general population

[Fibroblastic osteosarcoma in mandible: a rare case report and review of literature]

Osteosarcoma is a malignancy of mesenchymal cells that have the ability to produce Osteoid or immature bone. Osteosarcoma of the jaw is uncommon and represents 6-8% of all osteosarcomas. This tumor occurs most often in the third and fourth decades of life, which is 10-15 years older than the mean age for Osteosarcomas of the long bones. The Maxilla and Mandible are involved with a boot equal frequency and a slight male predominance, is noted. Mandibular tumors arise more frequently in the posterior body and horizontal ramus. Maxillary lesions are discovered more commonly in the alveolar ridge, sinus floor and palate. This article is a report of fibroblastic Osteosarcoma in the mandible of a 35 years old man that has been referred to pathology Department of Shahid Beheshti dental school. The specific characteristic of this case, is its histologic features, because fibioblastic Osteosarcoma is rare in jaws and most cases are chondroblastic Osteosarcoma

Pregnancy outcome of two patients with chronic myelogenous leukemia treated with imatinib

Although chronic myelogenous leukemia in pregnancy is rare, its management and treatment is more difficult and complicated. Treatment of patients with chronic myelogenous leukemia includes bone marrow transplantation, however in less than 30% of patients the donor's organ would be accepted. To this end, cytotoxic therapy is considered as an alternative therapeutic option. This option provides satisfactory hematologic and clinical response, while cytogenetic response is poor. Imatinib [Gleevec] is a new drug with highly specific efficacy in the treatment of chronic myelogenous leukemia. Prescription of this drug during pregnancy and lactation is not a classic approach and most physicians suggest that this drug should be discontinued during the pregnancy. Here we report the use of imatinib during the pregnancy in two women with chronic myelogenous leukemia