Impact of blood group in dengue: a study

Background: Dengue can result in high mortality. Several studies have shown an association of blood groups with the severity of dengue. In our study we attempt to associate the prevalence of blood groups with the known hematological prognosticators and thus derive its impact on the severity of dengue. We aim to study the patterns and prevalence of different ABO blood groups in dengue fever.Methods: A total of 100 serologically proven dengue cases over a month’s period in November 2016 were recruited for our study. Their relevant hematological data (obtained by automated haematology analyser and peripheral smears) and blood grouping results were recorded and analyzed.Results: The age range was 5 months to 65 years with a slight male predominance. Analysis of the blood group patterns showed prevalence of O group (42%) followed by A and B group (27% each). B group was more prevalent in children (34%) and females (31%) with dengue.The patients with B group showed increased derangement in hematological parameters namely higher number of cases with B group showed rise in haematocrit (59%), an increased number of cases with leucopenia (56%), higher proportion of cases with lymphocytosis (45%) and severe thrombocytopenia (74%) when compared to the other blood groups.Conclusions: Our study shows that blood groups can impact severity of dengue and that B group is a risk factor for severity hence, such individuals warrant close supervision especially in the presence of other risk factors.

Dynamics of differential count in dengue

Background: Dengue can occur as epidemics in India. Early diagnosis reduces mortality. Differential white cell count can aid in diagnosing and prognosticating Dengue in resource limited areas. Aim and objectives of this study were to assess patterns and utility of Differential counts in Dengue.Methods: A total of 132 serologically positive Dengue cases were analysed over the month of November 2016. Hematology data obtained from analysers and Leishman smears were tabulated and analysed.Results: The study showed lymphocytosis as the predominant pattern (65%) followed by neutropenia (30%), neutrophilia (11%), eosinophilia (5%), monocytosis (5%) and basophilia (4%). Atypical lymphocytosis ? 15% were noted in 65% of the cases with 83% showing Plasmacytoid lymphocytes, 8% apoptotic lymphocytes and 43% showed other atypical lymphocytes. Also, 52% of lymphocytosis and 33% of neutrophilia cases showed severe thrombocytopenia (? 0.5 lakhs per cu mm). Lymphocytosis was noted to be an early event but was established in later stages as seen with serology pattern association, 28% associated with NS1 antigen test (non-structural protein 1) and 42% with antibody pattern. However, neutrophilia with 60% of cases seen in antibody pattern was a late event. Plasmacytoid lymphocytosis was noted uniformly through all serology patterns in contrast with other atypical lymphocytosis which was seen mostly (48%) in antibody pattern. Apoptotic lymphocytosis was also a late event associated mainly with antibody pattern (55%).Conclusions: The Differential white cell count can be a useful supplementary test along with serology in resource limited peripheral areas. It additionally serves to drastically reduce morbidity and mortality.

Isolated Hindgut Malrotation: A Rare Variant of Intestinal Malrotation.

Intestinal malrotation occurs in approximately 1 in 500 births. They are considered to correspond to 3‑5% of surgical obstructions, and they appear in 0.5% of radiological series. The overall incidence of malrotation, however, is unknown because some patients present later in life or remain asymptomatic for life and many are detected as an incidental finding. The presentation is nonspecific, and the index of suspicion for malrotation progressively decreases as age increases, the clinical diagnosis is usually not considered in the initial evaluation. We present you very unusual type of intestinal malrotation, an isolated inferior mesenteric artery (hindgut) malrotation with its multidetector computed tomography findings in two young males.

Posterior reversible encephalopathy syndrome revealing Takayasu's arteritis.

Posterior reversible encephalopathy syndrome is a rare neuroradiologic condition associated with headache, seizures, altered sensorium, visual disturbances, and characteristic lesions on neuroimaging predominantly affecting the posterior regions of the brain. We report a 10-years-8-months-old girl who presented with headache, multiple seizures, and altered sensorium. Her blood pressure was 130/100 mmHg and left brachial pulse was not palpable. CT scan brain showed typical non-enhancing hypodensities in bilateral parieto-occiptal lobes. Prompt treatment of the hypertension led to rapid reversal of neurological symptoms. CT aortogram revealed aortoarteritis with bilateral renal artery stenosis.

Tuberculous meningitis and HIV.

OBJECTIVE: To identify factors associated with HIV-infected status in children admitted with tuberculous meningitis (TBM), and to find out whether HIV co-infection affects in-hospital outcome. METHODS: This prospective hospital-based study was conducted from May 2000 to August 2003. All consecutive children, aged 1 month to 12 years of age, admitted with a diagnosis of TBM were enrolled. Relationship between 35 features viz., two demographic factors, nine clinical features, 13 neurological features, five laboratory (including cerebrospinal fluid) parameters, six radiological (including computed tomography scan brain) features, and the two outcomes (disabled survivor or death); with HIV-infected status was assessed. RESULTS: Of a total 123 TBM cases enrolled, eight (6.5%) were HIV-infected. There was no significant difference between the two groups, except that more children in the HIV-infected group had Hb < 8 gm/dl: both on bivariate analysis, (OR, 12.0; 95% CI, 2.6-55.9; P = 0.001) and on multivariate analysis (OR, 12.30; 95% CI, 1.9-79.6; P = 0.008). Outcome was similar in both the groups. CONCLUSION: Only presence of Hb < 8 gm/dl was associated with HIV-infected status. HIV co-infection did not affect the outcome.

Magnetic resonance urography (MRU) versus intravenous urography (IVU) in obstructive uropathy: a prospective study of 30 cases.

AIM: Intravenous Urography (IVU) as a diagnostic modality has limitations in patients of obstructive uropathy with impaired renal function. Our aim was to study the technique and diagnostic accuracy of Magnetic Resonance Urography (MRU) in obstructive uropathy and to correlate the findings with IVU. METHODOLOGY: Forty-eight patients, selected over a six-month period, based on mild to severe pelvicalyceal dilatation on screening ultrasonography, underwent an IVU; those having non-obstructive dilatation were excluded (18 patients). Thirty patients (age range 10 to 75 years) with definite obstructive dilatation underwent MRU. These were obtained using an open MRI unit (Siemens Magnetom Open Viva) with low-dose gadolinium-DTPA (0.01 mmol/kg body weight) using various MRI sequences. MRU studies were classified as 'excellent' or 'diagnostic' and data generated was compared with that of IVU. RESULTS: MRU studies were 'excellent' in twelve and 'diagnostic' in eighteen patients. Of the sixty pelvicalyceal systems (PCS) evaluated in thirty patients, there were thirty-seven calculi, nine pelvi-ureteric junction (PUJ) obstructions, six with impaired renal function, four malrotated kidneys and one each of horseshoe kidney, pancake kidney, pelvic mass (endometriomas), duplex moieties, ureterocele and vesico-ureteric reflux. MRU better depicted moderate-severe PCS dilatation, staghorn and urethral calculi, impaired renal function, extrinsic ureteric and PUJ obstruction. IVU better depicted small calculi and mild PCS dilatation. CONCLUSIONS: In these thirty patients of obstructive uropathy, low magnetic field, open MRI units and low-dose Gd-DTPA provided cost-effective MRU studies with excellent diagnostic utility. MRU scored over IVU in patients with moderate-severe dilatation, staghorn and urethral calculi, impaired renal function, extrinsic ureteric and PUJ obstruction.

Prognostic clinical variables in childhood tuberculous meningitis: an experience from Mumbai, India.

BACKGROUND: In India, tuberculous meningitis (TBM) is still a major cause of neurological disabilities and death. AIM: To identify the clinical variables which predict the outcome in childhood TBM. SETTING: Tertiary teaching hospital. DESIGN: Prospective observational study. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Thirty-six clinical variables were analyzed in 123 consecutive children with TBM admitted between May 2000 and August 2003. The outcome was assessed in terms of survival or death. Survival meant that the patient was discharged from hospital having made a complete recovery, or with disability. RESULTS: Twenty-five (20%) children recovered completely, 70 (57%) survived with disability, and 28 (23%) died. Employing univariate analysis nine variables correlated with survival with disability outcome: presence of tonic motor posturing, cranial nerve palsy, focal neurological deficit, hypertonia, moderate to severe hydrocephalus, cerebral infarction on cranial CT, and requiring shunt surgery, and absence of extracranial tuberculosis and no antituberculous-related hepatotoxicity; two variables correlated with fatal outcome: presence of deep coma (Glasgow coma scale score P = 0.012, d.f. = 1, OR 0.12, 95% CI 0.02-0.62) correlated with survival with disability outcome, and presence of deep coma (P = 0.030, d.f. = 1, OR 0.35, 95% CI 0.14-0.90) with fatal outcome. CONCLUSION: In children with TBM, the presence of hypertonia at admission is an independent predictor of neurological sequelae in survivors, and deep coma is an independent predictor of mortality.

Role of multidetector CT virtual bronchoscopy in the evaluation of post-tracheostomy tracheal stenosis--a preliminary study.

AIM: To study the technique and utility of virtual bronchoscopy (virtual reality endobronchial simulation, VRES) as a tool to evaluate post-tracheostomy tracheal stenoses and to correlate the findings of virtual and invasive bronchoscopy and to follow-up treated lesions or those currently under treatment that were initially diagnosed with VRES. METHODOLOGY: This prospective study comprised nine patients in the age group 13 to 65 years presenting with breathlessness and stridor following one or multiple tracheostomies. They underwent plain CT using a multidetector CT (MDCT) scanner (Siemens Volume Zoom) using narrow (1 mm) collimation. These thin slice images were post-processed using an Irix-based workstation with a 'Fly-Through' endoscopy application. These patients also underwent a rigid (three patients) or fiberoptic (six patients) bronchoscopy. RESULTS: Of the nine patients that underwent VRES, five were found to have stenoses, three had obstructing granulation tissue, one had an obstructing membrane and one had synechiae. The invasive bronchoscopic findings supported the VRES diagnosis in all but one case of stenosis, one of granulation tissue and the case with synechiae. Membranes and synechiae were relatively difficult to diagnose without the corresponding axial and multiplanar images. VRES achieved a higher sensitivity, while invasive bronchoscopy a higher specificity. CONCLUSIONS: VRES proved to be comparable to invasive bronchoscopy in the depiction of post-tracheostomy tracheal stenoses, with a notable advantage in critical stenoses in that the airway distal to the stenosis could be assessed with VRES but not with invasive bronchoscopy. A preliminary VRES was found to be of assistance in the selection of patients for the more invasive therapeutic procedures such as laser ablation of granulation tissue and its follow-up.