Oral snuff and carcinoma oesophagus

Carcinoma oesophagus is known to occur worldwide. Various dietary, environmental and genetic factors and certain pre-malignant conditions have been blamed in the causation of carcinoma oesophagus but the exact cause in unknown. This study was conducted to find out the possible role of oral snuff to carcinoma oesophagus. This descriptive analytical study was carried out in Medical, Surgical and ENT units of Khyber Teaching Hospital and Cardiothoracic unit of Lady Reading Hospital Peshawar from 1995 to 2005. Relation of oral snuff use to carcinoma oesophagus was studied in 100 patients confirmed on endoscopy and biopsy and histopathology. Oral snuff use was found to have very strong correlation [P<0.001] with carcinoma oesophagus. The effect of ingesting snuff also had very strong correlation [P<0.001] and so was the duration [more than 10 years] of use [P=0.004], however, the frequency of snuff use [i.e. number of time per day] did not have any significant effect [P=0.08]. A strong correlation of snuff use was also found with squamous cell carcinoma [P=0.001]. Oral snuff use is a risk factor for carcinoma oesophagus. Carcinoma oesophagus can be prevented by discouraging its use. Educating people against snuff use may prevent this harmful and lethal disease. This should be done on individual level by the doctors and on mass level through public media

Glomerular lesions causing nephrotic syndrome [light microscopic findings] in 75 adult patients

This study includes seventy five adult patients of Nephrotic syndrome who underwent successful Renal Biopsy in order to determine the Glomerular pathology on light microscopy. More than 90% patients had primary glomerular lesions and the rest had secondary glomerular involvement. Focal and segmental proliferative glomerulonephritis [38%] and membranous glomerulonephritis [30%] were found to be the commonest lesions. Diabetes was the commonest [5%] cause of secondary glomerular lesions

Estimation of saliva theophylline concentration in the management of asthmatic patients

Plasma and saliva concentrations of theophylline were studied in 91 patients receiving sustained release theophylline preparation. Co-efficient of correlation between saliva and plasma found to be nearly perfect with P-0.906, suggesting that measurement of plasma concentration can be determined by saliva concentration to an extent of about 84%