ABSTRACT
Purpose: To study the clinical profile of serpiginous choroiditis in eastern India. Materials and Methods: Ninety‑one eyes of 54 patients with serpiginous choroiditis presenting to a tertiary care centre in eastern India between January 2006 and December 2010 were included in the study. Clinical presentation, treatment given, and visual outcome of the eyes were studied. Results: Thirty‑five (64.8%) patients were male and 19 (35.2%) were female in the age group of 13‑62 years (mean age: 34.1 ± 18.7 years). Blurring of vision (71; 78%) and floaters (36; 39.5%) were commonest symptoms. In 75 (82.4%) eyes, choroiditis started from optic nerve head and spreading centrifugally. Overall, 38 (41.75%) eyes had macular involvement at first visit. Mantoux test reading was 10 mm or more (Group A) in 12 (22.22%) patients and less than 10 mm (Group B) in 42 (77.77%) patients. Difference between Groups A and B in macular involvement at first visit (10; 50% vs. 28; 39.4%) and rate of recurrence (3; 15% vs. 14; 19.7%) was not statistically significant (P = 0.37 and 0.68). Oral steroid (51; 94.4%) was the commonest mode of treatment. Fifty‑one (56%) eyes had two lines or more improvement in vision. Conclusions: The present study details the clinical presentation, treatment, and visual outcome of serpiginous choroiditis. Mantoux test reading does not affect the clinical presentation or the treatment outcome in these eyes.
ABSTRACT
Background: Experimental evaluation of antidepressants (ADs) in diverse animal models is the need of time. There is a constant search for newer models with ease and rapid screening of AD activity. As earlier studies highlight AD effect of tramadol in animal models, the study was undertaken to compare antidepressant-like effect of tramadol in two models of behavioural despair in mice. Methods: Tramadol was administered intraperitoneally (i.p.) at two different doses of 20 and 40 mg/kg, once daily for 7 days to Swiss albino mice. The immobility period of control and drug-treated mice was recorded in tail suspension test (TST) and forced swim test (FST). The antidepressant (AD) effect of tramadol was compared with control (NS) and reference drug imipramine (10 mg/kg, p.o.), administered orally (p.o.) for seven successive days. Results: Tramadol in tail suspension test (TST) produced significant antidepressant effect at 20 and 40 mg/kg doses, as depicted by reduction in immobility period of drug-treated mice compared to control group. The efficacy of tramadol at dose of 40 mg/kg was comparable to that of imipramine treated group (p<0.001). Tramadol in forced swim test (FST) produced significant antidepressant effect only at the dose of 40 mg/kg as compared to control, while the results were insignificant as compared to imipramine treated group (p>0.05). Conclusion: The results of the present study depict antidepressant-like activity of tramadol in both the models of depression TST and FST. But TST in mice seems to be more efficacious in appraising the antidepressant like effect of tramadol.
ABSTRACT
Aims: To provide a fact file on the etiology, clinical presentations and management of retinal vasculitis in Eastern India. Materials and Methods: Retrospective, record based analysis of retinal vasculitis cases in a tertiary care center in Eastern India from January 2007 to December 2009. Results: One hundred and thirteen eyes of 70 patients of retinal vasculitis were included in this study. Sixty (85.7%) patients were male (mean age 33± 11.1 years) and 10 (14.3%) were female (mean age 32.4 ± 13.6 years). Vasculitis was bilateral in 43 (61.4%) and unilateral in 27 (38.6%) patients. Commonest symptoms were dimness of vision (73; 64.6%) and floaters (36; 31.9%). Vascular sheathing (82; 72.6%) and vitritis (51; 45.1%) were commonest signs. Mantoux test was positive in 21 (30%) patients but tuberculosis was confirmed in only four (5.71%) patients. Raised serum angiotensin-converting enzyme level and positive antinuclear antibody level were reported in four (5.71%) patients each. Human leukocyte antigen B5 (HLA B5) marker was present in one (1.4%) patient. However, none of the total 70 patients were found to have a conclusively proven systemic disease attributable as the cause of retinal vasculitis. Oral corticosteroid (60; 85.7%) was the mainstay of treatment. Forty-eight (42.5%) eyes maintained their initial visual acuity and 43 (38%) gained one or more line at mean follow-up of 16.6± 6.3 months. Conclusion: Retinal vasculitis cases had similar clinical presentations and common treatment plan. There was no systemic disease association with vasculitis warranting a careful approach in prescribing investigations.
ABSTRACT
We report a case of an 18-year-old boy presenting with features of right middle lobe collapse. On bronchoscopy, a tumorous type of endobronchial tuberculosis was found to be obstructing the lumen of the right middle lobe bronchus. On treatment with anti-tuberculous drugs the growth resolved significantly within three months. The patient, however, developed mild stenosis of the airway.