Malarial parasites species; Jacobabad District Sindh, Pakistan

To determine the pattern of malarial parasites species in Jacobabad District Sindh. A retrospective observational study. This study was conducted at District Malarial control Centre Jacobabad with collaboration of pathology Department C.M.C Larkana and Leishmaniasis / Mosquito Zoology Lab: University of Balochistan Quetta. One year 2005. During the study period blood smears were prepared from the suspected cases of malaria. The suspected cases with fever referred from various areas of Jacobabad District by General Practitioners, Basic Health Units, Rural Health Centres and Taluka Hospital were included in the study for conformation of malaria. The parasites were identified by using Giemsa stained thick and thin smears. During the study period total of 58,989 blood smears were examined irrespective of age and sex and were conformed for malarial parasites, giving over all positivity rate of 0.91% [540 cases]. Plasmodium falciparum was identified in 154 [28.52%] and Plasmodium vivax in 386 [71.48%] cases. The positive cases for malarial parasites were 0.91% and Plasmodium vivax found as most predominant species in the region

Skin tag over breast

We report here a case of skin tag over breast. A young unmarried girl aged 20 years presented with soft, pedunculated growth over breast. The lesion was soft and freely motile with wrinkled surface. There was no symptom in lesion. We suspected skin tag. It was excised with dual intention to confirm diagnosis by histopathological examination and treat the patient. The histopathological report confirmed our diagnosis. This site for skin tag has not been reported before

Frequency and pattern of herpes zoster at Liaquat University Hospital Hyderabad [six months hospital based descriptive study]

Objective: to determine the frequency and pattern of herpes zoster at Liaquat University Hospital, Hyderabad

Patiehts and methods: this hospital based descriptive study of six months was carried out at Liaquat University Hospital, Hyderabad [Sindh] Pakistan; from March 2008 to August 2008. All patients who were above 12 years of age, attended the dermatology OPD and were diagnosed as cases of Herpes Zoster were evaluated and enrolled in the study. The diagnosis was established by history and relevant clinical examination. The data were collected on pre-designed proforma, saved and analyzed in SPSS version 10.00. The frequency and percentage of herpes zoster was calculated by detecting the number of positive cases while the pattern was assessed through prodromal, presenting symptoms, dermatome involved and observation of certain complications

Result: one hundred and ten patients were diagnosed as herpes zoster infection with mean age 38.9 +/- 10.79 years. Majority [80%] of the patients was presented in the Department of Dermatology and 76% were males. The most common prodromal symptom was paresthesia in 40 patients, itching in 35 patients, fever and headache in 20 patients, tingling in 15 patients, watering from eyes in 12 patients and burning in 10 patients. The dermatomes involved were thoracic in 78 patients, trigeminal nerve in 12 patients, lumber in 10 patients, cervical in 08 patients, and sacral in 02 patients. The complications seen were secondary infection in 42 [38%] patients, scarring in 18 [16%] patients, and post-herpetic neuralgia [PHN] in 15 [14%] patients

Conclusion: herpes zoster is a common viral infection and can be prevented when necessary by patient isolation and passive prophylaxis with varicella-zoster immune globulin. An experimental live vaccine also prevents varicella, but problems regarding its virulence for immunosuppressed patients and the durability of the protective response are still being addressed