Scimitar syndrome.

A female child of age five attended our institution in Jan 2006 with repeated upper respiratory infection. Plain skiagram and CT examinations confirmed the case to be a Scimitar syndrome.

Cystic Meningioma.

Meningiomas are most common intracranial extraaxial tumours, but atypical meningeiomas like cystic meningioma are rare. It is about 2 to 4 % in adults and 10 to 19 % in infants. Because of its atypical presentation a case of cystic meningioma is presented.

Calculi In A Female Urethral: A Rare Cause of Acute Urinary Retention.

Urinary calculi are rarely seen in the urethra and are usually encountered in men with urethral stricture or diverticulum. The case of a 23-year-old woman presented with acute retention of urine associated with recurrent urinary tract infection. Cystoscopy was done and the stone was removed. The patient has been well, with no dysuria, and incontinence for 3-month follow-ups.

Hematological profile of HIV positive patients.

A series of 500 HIV positive patients referred to our centre for CD4 and CD8 cell enumeration are included in this study. The following parameters were studied in each of these patients: Hb, RBC indicates, WBC count, platelet count, three part differential count, absolute CD4 and CD8 counts. Male:Female ratio of 4.9:1 was noted 30.8% patients has anemia (Hb<10 gm%), with an average Hb value of 8.1 gm%. The anemia was normochromic, normocytic in 61% of patients, microcytic in 33% and macrocytic in 6% patients. The absolute CD4 count was less than 200 ul in 50.2% patients with an average value of 92/ul. Thrombocytopenia was seen in 13% patients with average platelet count 0.92x10(3)/ul.

Light & electron microscopic structure of choroid plexus in hydrocephalic guinea pig.

With a view to study the morphological changes, if any, in the choroid plexus in association with hydrocephalus, obstructive hydrocephalus was created in 15 young guinea pigs. The choroid plexus of the control group (n = 16) showed high cuboidal or columnar epithelium. The mitochondria of the choroid plexus ependyma converged towards the apex. Varying concentrations of Golgi complex and rough surfaced endoplasmic reticulum (RER) were noticed in the apical part of the epithelium. Subsurface cistern-like structures and occasional formation of vesicles from the adjacent cells of the epithelium were observed. Basolateral infoldings were numerous and compactly arranged. Most capillaries had their fenestrated part facing the base of the epithelium. Choroid plexus of hydrocephalic guinea pigs showed flattened epithelial cells with less extensive Golgi complex and RER. Mitochondria were found lying parallel to the flattened nucleus. Intercellular spaces were dilated with loosely packed basolateral infoldings. Most of the features observed in the hydrocephalic guinea pig are indicative of reduced activity of the choroid plexus epithelium.

Morphometry of mitochondria in the choroidal ependyma of hydrocephalic guineapigs.

Fifteen young guineapigs were made hydrocephalic by intracisternal injection of kaolin and 16 guineapigs were used as control. Volume, number and surface areas of both the outer and inner membranes of the mitochondria of the choroidal ependyma of these animals were studied, using a coherent multipurpose test system. Volume, number and surface area of the outer membrane of the mitochondria did not show any significant difference between the two groups. However, surface area of the inner membrane of the mitochondria including cristae showed a significant decrease in the hydrocephalic animals. This reduction in the surface area could probably be attributed to the reduced activity of the choroidal ependymal cells in obstructive hydrocephalus.

Morphometry of choroid plexus in hydrocephalic guineapigs.

To study the quantitative changes if any, in different components of the choroid plexus in association with hydrocephalus, young guineapigs were made hydrocephalic by intracisternal injection of kaolin (125 mg/ml). Choroid plexuses of these animals and controls were embedded in durcupan. Using morphometric methods volume and surface area of the choroidal epithelium and interstitial tissue were estimated from 2 microns thick sections. No significant change was observed in the volume of interstitial tissue and surface area of the luminal part of the blood vessels in the hydrocephalic guineapigs. But the volume and surface area of the choroidal epithelium of the hydrocephalic guineapigs showed significant decrease as compared to that of control group, which may be interpreted as decreased activity of the choroidal cells and in turn decreased secretion of CSF in hydrocephalus. This may be secondary to the increased intraventricular pressure associated with hydrocephalus.

Atypical cilia in the choroid plexus of guineapig.

Ultrastructural study of choroid plexus of normal and kaolin induced hydrocephalic guineapigs showed clusters of cilia arising from the apical part of some of the epithelial cells. Some of these cells had typical 9 + 2 cilia, while most of the control and the hydrocephalic groups showed 9 + 0 type of cilia. These atypical (9 + 0 type) cilia of choroidal epithelium differ from the primary cilia of other mammalian tissues in that, clusters of long cilia arise from a single cell and have no associated centrioles within the cytoplasm. They may be motile and sensory (osmoregulator or pressure sensor or both) in nature.