Correlation of Body Mass Index and age with Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI) in elderly of Guwahati City, Assam

Introduction: Obesity is on rise globally and may have a impact on cognition. Very limited research was done on the association of weight with neurocognition among the elderly. The study purpose was to determine the correlation between BMI and age with MCI and after stratifying for BMI and socio-demographic characteristics.Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted among 576 elderly (≥60 years) in Guwahati city using a multi-stage sampling technique. Hindi Mini-Mental State Examination (HMMSE) tool was used for screening for dementia and MCI. Results: HMMSE scores were not significantly correlated with BMI (r =0.07). However, when strati-fied, a significantly negative correlation of BMI with HMMSE scores was seen for illiterates (r =-0.21), primary school education (r =-0.48) and unskilled workers (r =-0.49). There was a significant negative correlation between age and cognition for elderly belonging to OBC, (r =-0.21), Lower middle (III), (r =-0.39), Upper Lower (r =-0.17), Lower (V), (r =-0.26), Graduate, Post Graduate,(r = -0.23), Middle School, (r =-0.36), Illiterate, (r =-0.34), Clerical, (r =-0.60), Semi Professional, (r =-0.62), skilled worker (r=-0.68), Unemployed, (r =-0.15) and Obese, (r =-0.30). Conclusion: Various factors like age, category, socioeconomic status, and Body Mass Index (BMI) were found to be predictors of cognition among the elderly.

A study on incidence of vitamin B12 deficiency in patients with pancytopenia

Background: Pancytopenia is a serious and life threatening illness presented with multiple etiologies. The current study was done with the objective to evaluate the clinic-pathological factors responsible for incidence of pancytopenia in patients with vitamin B12 deficiency and their response to the therapy with vitamin B12.Methods: It was an observational study carried out at Department of Medicine, Mahatma Gandhi Memorial Government Hospital, Trichy, Tamilnadu during the period between December 2016 to December 2017. A total 50 patients with pancytopenia were clinically evaluated along with hematological parameters and bone marrow aspiration.Results: A total of 50 patients were included in the study. The mean age of the patients was 32.84 years with a male to female ratio of 1.5:1. All patients had history of fatigability. Commonest physical presentation was pallor (100%). Megaloblastic anaemia was the predominant blood picture in 58% patients. The common bone marrow finding was hyper cellular marrow with megaloblastic picture. Management with cyanocobalamin preparations and folate supplementations, significantly improved the reticulocyte count percentage in patients with pancytopenia (p=0.01)Conclusion: The study concluded that the most common cause of pancytopenia was megaloblastic anaemia. Detailed haematological investigations along with bone marrow aspiration in patients with cytopenia provided a clear understanding of disease process to identify the etiologies of pancytopenia.

Umbilical hemorrhage as first manifestation in a case of cirrhosis.

Portal hypertension is often associated with an extensive collateral circulation. The paraumbilical vein is a relatively common collateral pathway recognized in these patients but cutaneous bleeding from the umbilicus is rare; the same as first manifestation of cirrhosis is exceptional. We report a case of umbilical venous bleed causing hemodynamic compromise, which turned out to be a case of alcoholic cirrhosis with portal hypertension. The patient was managed with suture ligation of the vessels.

A dancer with an unusual cause of neck pain.

A girl presented with a dull ache in the neck and mild difficulty in neck movements. She had limited clinical signs and her initial work up failed to reveal the cause. With the help of imaging modalities and CT guided needle biopsy, she was diagnosed to have an eosinophilic granuloma of the fifth cervical vertebra. There were no neurological symptoms. She was successfully managed with immobilization of spine, local irradiation and systemic vinblastine. The literature is briefly reviewed for clinical features, diagnosis and management.

Unilateral internal jugular phlebectasia.

Jugular phlebectasia is a rare cause of cervical swelling in children. It is a fusiform dilatation of any part of the jugular venous system and can involve the external, internal or anterior jugular veins. Previous reports suggest that the entity is often ignored or misdiagnosed. Unilateral internal jugular phlebactasia presenting as an intermittent neck swelling in a ten-year-old girl is reported. The clinical features are analyzed and the appropriate use of noninvasive imaging modalities is highlighted. The literature is also briefly reviewed.

Allgrove syndrome--a syndrome of primary adrenocortical insufficiency with achalasia of the cardia and deficient tear production.

Primary adrenal insufficiency is an uncommon disease which has worldwide distribution. The commonest cause in underdeveloped countries is tuberculosis followed by autoimmune destruction of the adrenal gland. We report a case of a 15 years boy who had congenital adrenal insufficiency associated with achalasia of the cardia and deficient tear secretion.