true human tail in a neonate: Case report and literature review

A true human tail is a benign vestigial caudal cutaneous structure composed of adipose, connective tissue, muscle, vessels, nerves and mechanoreceptors. A true human tail can be distinguished from a pseudotail as the latter is commonly associated with underlying spinal dysraphism, which requires specialised management. True human tails are very rare, with fewer than 40 cases reported to date. We report a healthy one-day-old male newborn who was referred to the Bharath Hospital, Kottayam, Kerala, India, in 2014 with a cutaneous appendage arising from the lumbosacral region. Magnetic resonance imaging of the spine ruled out spinal dysraphism. The appendage was removed by simple surgical excision. Clinicians should emphasise use of 'true tail' and 'pseudotail' as specific disparate terms as the clinical, radiological and histological findings of these conditions differ significantly, along with management strategies and outcomes

Study of Prevalence of Koilocytes in Oral Squamous Cell Carcinoma

Ever since Dr. Harald zur Hausen won the noble prize in medicine in 2008 for discovering human papilloma virus (HPV) as the etiological factor for cervical cancer, the research has been robust in this field. More recent data from case–control studies and systematic review indicate that HPV is an independent risk factor for oral and oropharyngeal carcinomas. Oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) represents 90% of all malignant tumours that affect the oral cavity. The most known viral cytopathic effect is koilocytosis, considered to be a major characteristic of HPV infection. Koilocytes are epithelial cells characterised by perinuclear haloes surrounding condensed nuclei and is accepted as pathognomonic (characteristic of a particular disease) of HPV infection. Aim The aim of this study was to verify the prevalence of koilocytes in OSCCs. Methodology A retrospective analysis was conducted on 60 paraffin-embedded tissue specimens that were obtained from patients with a histopathological diagnosis of OSCC. Haematoxylin and eosin-stained slides were submitted to examine under light microscopy, specifically for the determination of the presence of koilocytes and were analysed. Conclusion The results suggest that the presence of koilocytes is reliable for the detection of HPV presence in routine histopathology in OSCCs.

Laser Blended Vision-LASIK for Presbyopia and Initial Clinical Experience in 100 Indian Patients.

Aim: The aim was to study the visual results of laser blended vision (LBV), (LASIK with a nonlinear aspheric micromonovision protocol) for presbyopia correction. Materials and Methods: Binocular and uniocular vision and postoperative outcome of 100 patients undergoing LBV were studied. The study included myopes (−0.25 to −7.25 DS), hypermetropes (+0.25 to +4 DS) and emmetropic presbyopes between ages 39 and 55 years (mean 47) with a minimum follow-up of 6 months. Results: Binocular distance vision: 83% read 6/6 or better, 100% read 6/9 or better at 6 months. Near vision: 96% read near n6, remaining read n8. All patients had an intermediate vision (n6). An adaptation rate of more than 95% within first 3 months was noted without significant loss of visual acuity due to the procedure. Conclusion: LBV may be a safe approach to presbyopic LASIK treatment with high adaptation rates. Long-term studies are needed to establish the stability of treatment results over time.

Expression of maspin in benign and malignant salivary gland tumors: An immunohistochemical study.

Context: Maspin is a novel serine protease inhibitor (serpin) with multifaceted tumor‑suppressive activities. It was originally identified in normal human breast myoepithelial cells and shows variable expression in different types of cancer cells. Maspin displays anti‑metastatic properties in mammary and prostate cancer. Its expression is maintained during ovarian, lung and pancreatic carcinogenesis, indicating that Maspin regulated metastatic potential is tissue specific. Thus, it is possible that Maspin participates in salivary gland tumor biology as well. In this study, expression pattern of maspin in benign and malignant salivary gland tumors is analyzed, to understand the biological behavior of salivary gland tumors with respect to maspin expression. Aims and Objectives: The aim of this study was to demonstrate, record, and correlate the expression pattern of maspin in benign and malignant salivary gland tumors. Settings and Design: A retrospective study of maspin expression in 30 diagnosed cases of benign and malignant salivary gland tumors retrieved from archives of our department. Materials and Methods: Anti‑maspin antibody and horseradish peroxidase detection system. Statistical Analysis: Descriptive statistical analysis and Chi‑square/Fisher Exact test. Results: Intense expression with P < 0.001 is associated with benign tumors, nuclear staining with P < 0.001 is significantly associated with benign tumors and cytoplasmic staining with P = 0.020 is associated with malignant tumors. Conclusion: Intensity of expression is more in benign tumors when compared with malignant tumors. The benign tumors showed both nuclear and cytoplasmic expression. Some malignant tumors did express maspin, but mainly in the cytoplasm.

Benign fibrous histiocytoma of the tongue.

Benign fibrous histiocytoma (BFH) is a benign fibrohistiocytic neoplasm. It is documented to occur in all anatomic sites with a strong predilection for sun exposed skin surfaces. Intra oral occurrence of BFH comprises a lesser percentage of cases with tongue being the least reported site. We report a case of BFH of the tongue with an emphasis on its histogenesis and a review of the literature.