Rare case of hereditary spherocytosis with rheumatic mitral stenosis

A rare case of hereditary spherocytosis (HS) and rheumatic mitral stenosis coexisting in a patient having severe stenosis, atrial fibrillation, and symptoms of the left ventricular dysfunction, along with hemolytic anemia attributed to HS. We present the case of a 58-year-old lady who presented to the emergency department with complaints of increasing shortness of breath for the past week. She was examined to have atrial fibrillation with a fast ventricular rate. On investigations, she was found to have severe rheumatic mitral stenosis with evidence of hemolytic anemia. Further, evaluation of the cause of her anemia revealed HS.This case highlights the importance of the evaluation of anemia in patients with valvular heart diseases. If a treatable cause is found, anemia can be treated to reduce the cardiac burden

Infectious mononucleosis with follicular tonsillitis and urinary tract infection

Despite the prevalence of Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) infection, new reports of weird and atypical manifestations of the infection continue to emerge, raising the question of how well we know this pathogen. The clinical appearance of patients who become infected throughout their youth or early adulthood is changing as the infection age rises in developed countries. Other physical symptoms are less noticeable and liver involvement is more noticeable throughout these stages. To inform health-care professionals of this change, an update on infectious mononucleosis variable manifestation is necessary. This case presented a 28-year-old female presented with a history of fever, nausea, and vomiting with odynophagia and cervical lymphadenopathy. Complete blood count and peripheral blood film examination revealed lymphocytic leukocytosis with many reactive lymphocytes. Her monospot test for EBV was positive along with a urine culture positive for Staphylococcus aureus.

Triple A syndrome.

Triple A syndrome (Allgrove syndrome) is an autosomal recessive disorder consisting of achalasia, alacrima and Addison insufficiency. We report an 11-year-old girl with predominant symptom of achalasia who was diagnosed as Triple A syndrome almost 3 years after initial presentation.

Prevalence of coronary heart disease and risk factors in an urban Indian population: Jaipur Heart Watch-2.

BACKGROUND: The prevalence of risk factors for coronary heart disease has been inadequately studied in India. A repeat cross-sectional survey was carried out to evaluate the changes in the major coronary risk factors in the urban population of Jaipur previously studied in the early 1990s. METHODS AND RESULTS: Randomly selected adults > or =20 years of age were studied using stratified sampling. The target study sample was 1800 with a population proportionate gender distribution (males 960, females 840). Coronary risk factors, anthropometric variables, blood pressure, ECG, fasting blood glucose and lipids were evaluated. A total of 1123 subjects (62.4%) (males 550, females 573) were examined. Fasting blood samples were available in 523 males and 559 females. Overall coronary heart diesase prevalence, diagnosed by history or ECG changes, was found in 34 males (6.18%) and 58 females (10.12%). Risk factor prevalence showed that smoking/tobacco use was present in 201 males (36.5%) and 67 females (11.7%). Physical inactivity, either work-related or leisure time, was seen in 157 males (28.5%) and 130 females (22.7%). Hypertension (> or =140 and/or 90 mmHg) was present in 200 males (36.4%) and 215 females (37.5%). Diabetes diagnosed by history or fasting glucose > or =126 mg/dl was found in 72 males (13.1%) and 65 females (11.3%). Obesity, body mass index > or =27 kg/m2 was present in 135 males (24.5%) and 173 females (30.2%), while truncal obesity (waist:hip >0.9 males, >0.8 females) was found in 316 males (57.4%) and 392 females (68.4%). The most common dyslipidemia in both males and females was low HDL-cholesterol (<40 mg/dl: males 54.9%, females 54.2%). High total cholesterol levels of > or =200 mg/dl (males 37.4%, females 4.1%), high LDL-cholesterol levels of > or =130 mg/dl (males 37.0%, females 45.8%) and high levels of triglycerides > or = 150 mg/dl (males 32.3%, females 28.6%) were also seen in a significant number. Hypertension, obesity, truncal obesity, diabetes and dyslipidemias increased significantly with age in both males and females (Mantel-Haenzel chi2 for trend, p<0.05). CONCLUSIONS: There is a high prevalence of standard coronary risk factors--smoking, physical inactivity, hypertension, hypercholesterolemia, diabetes and obesity--as well as factors peculiar to south Asians--truncal obesity, low HDL-cholesterol and high triglycerides--in this urban Indian population. As compared to a previous study in the early 1900s in a similar population, there is a significant increase in the number of people with obesity, diabetes and dyslipidemias.

Assessment of utility of Siriraj Stroke Score (SSS) in stroke patients of Pt. BD Sharma PGIMS hospital, Rohtak, India.

India has predominantly poor rural population where brain CT scan, most often advised investigation in patients of stroke, may not always be available, hence Indian physician in such setting base his diagnosis on bed side sign evaluation for which Siriraj Stroke Score (SSS) could be helpful. Objective of study: to assess the utility of SSS in patients of stroke. Methodology: sixty subjects of stroke were evaluated on SSS and 'probable' diagnosis so made was compared with CT scan's (brain) 'certain' diagnosis. Main findings: by using SSS, the probable bedside diagnosis was cerebral infarct (score < -1) in 32 subjects and cerebral haemorrhage (score > +1) in 24 subjects while 4 subjects had indeterminant score (-1 to +1). Fifty subjects had their probable diagnosis matched with brain CT scan certain diagnosis. The above findings showed that SSS had 93.7% sensitivity, 76.6% specificity, 81.2% positive predictive value, 92% negative predictive value with an overall accuracy as 93.7% for diagnosis of cerebral infarction. For patients of cerebral haemorrhage the sensitivity was 83.3%, specificity was 92.5%, positive predictive value was 86.9%, negative predictive values was 92.5% with overall accuracy as 83.3%. Principal conclusion: physicians in the rural settings may find SSS to be quite useful in the management of stroke especially where more sophisticated radiological investigations may not be available for confirmation of diagnosis due to high cost or attended due to transportation risk.

Observations on human bone-marrow for Leishmania donovani.

During the recent epidemic in North Bihar, a total of 65 cases which were clinically designated as Kala-azar had been subjected to bone-marrow aspiration from the iliac crest, out of which the L.D. body was demonstrated in 55 cases (84.61 per cent). Culture analysis of bone-marrow on modified Tobie's medium, revealed that ten cases (15.39 per cent) which were negative for L.D. body did not show any leptomonads, whereas out of 55 L.D. body positive cases, the promastigote forms developed in 22 cases (40.00 per cent). The probable reasons for the negative findings and also the age and sex distribution in Kala-azar are discussed in brief.