ABSTRACT
Patients with transfusion-dependent thalassemia are expected to have an unfavorable quality of life due to multiple factors. We studied the quality of life in 72 patients (age 5-39 y) with transfusion-dependent thalassemia in the era of improved care, and assessed different parameters affecting it.
ABSTRACT
Background: Granulocytic sarcoma, an uncommon solid, extra-medullary tumor is a rare presentation of acute myeloid leukemia. Case characteristics: A seven-year old boy admitted to the hospital for treatment of leukemia having radiological findings of consolidation in one lung. Observation/Intervention: A bronchoalveolar lavage was done which was negative for tubercular, bacterial, and fungal infection but showed blast cells. Outcome: On day seven of chemotherapy, a repeat chest x-ray showed resolution of the lesion. A highresolution Computerized tomography of chest repeated after one month of induction showed resolution. Message: A consolidation on chest radiograph in acute myeloid leukemia can be a granulocytic sarcoma of the lung; a bronchoalveolar lavage may be offered to confirm or refute this diagnosis.
ABSTRACT
Prematurity is a significant contributor to neonatal mortality in India. Conventionally, assessment of gestational age of newborns is based on New Ballard Technique, for which a paediatric specialist is needed. Anthropometry of the newborn, especially birthweight, has been used in the past to predict the gestational age of the neonate in peripheral health facilities where a trained paediatrician is often not available. We aimed to determine if neonatal anthropometric parameters, viz. birthweight, crown heel-length, head-circumference, mid-upper arm-circumference, lower segment-length, foot-length, umbilical nipple distance, calf-circumference, intermammary distance, and hand-length, can reliably predict the gestational age. The study also aimed to derive an equation for the same. We also assessed if these neonatal anthropometric parameters had a better prediction of gestational age when used in combination compared to individual parameters. We evaluated 1,000 newborns in a cross-sectional study conducted in Guru Teg Bahadur Hospital in Delhi. Detailed anthropometric estimation of the neonates was done within 48 hours after birth, using standard techniques. Gestational age was estimated using New Ballard Scoring. Out of 1,250 consecutive neonates, 1,000 were included in the study. Of them, 800 randomly-selected newborns were used in devising the model, and the remaining 200 newborns were used in validating the final model. Quadratic regression analysis using stepwise selection was used in building the predictive model. Birthweight (R=0.72), head-circumference (R=0.60), and mid-upper arm-circumference (R=0.67) were found highly correlated with gestation. The final equation to assess gestational age was as follows: Gestational age (weeks)=5.437×W–0.781×W2+2.815×HC–0.041×HC2+0.285×MUAC–22.745 where W=Weight, HC=Head-circumference and MUAC=Mid-upper arm-circumference; Adjusted R=0.76. On validation, the predictability of this equation is 46% (±1 week), 75.5% (+2 weeks), and 91.5% (+3 weeks). This mathematical model may be used in identifying preterm neonates.
ABSTRACT
Psoriasis and leprosy are almost mutually exclusive, with the prevalence of psoriasis in leprosy patients being as low as 0.014%. We present a case of a patient of psoriasis who was treated and developed Leprosy. We also did a review on the hypothesis which states that psoriasis protects from clinical progression of leprosy, and that leprosy was contained because of increase in prevalence of psoriasis. This inverse phenomenon is supported from our review but needs genetic and paleoepidemiological confirmation.