Electrocardiogram abnormalities detected during a routine medical examination of healthy members of the armed forces: An observational study

Background and objective: Only few studies addressed ECG findings in healthy members of the Indian armed forces or the general population of India. The study was conducted to assess the prevalence of abnormal electrocardiogram (ECG) detected during a routine medical examination of healthy members of the Indian armed forces. Method: The ECG of all the healthy members performed during a routine medical examination was initially reported by physicians at various armed forces service hospitals in the Eastern Command (EC) and later perused by the cardiologist at Command Hospital Eastern Command (CHEC). Individuals with abnormal ECG underwent relevant cardiac evaluation at CHEC to determine the underlying pathology. Results: A total of 1,045 members of the Indian armed forces were included in the study and were categorised as follows: 244 in Group-1 (aged < 25years), 478 in Group-2 (aged between 25 to 40 years) and 323 in Group-3 (aged > 40years). Abnormal ECG was found in 108 (10.3%) individuals. Left axis deviation was the most common abnormality detected in 18 (1.2%) individuals, followed by incomplete RBBB and T wave inversion which were each found in 15 subjects (1.43% of all individuals and 13.9% of the subjects with abnormal ECG). The prevalence of ECG abnormalities detected in our study was similar to that reported in previous studies. Only five (0.47%) of the 108 individuals with abnormal ECG were found to have underlying cardiovascular disease. Conclusion: Morphological ECG abnormalities were common in the subjects but did not vary significantly from the general population, and only a minority had underlying pathology. While most of the abnormalities may only represent normal variations and their occurrence in healthy individuals during routine health check-ups should not be alarming. Evaluation of structural heart disease should be done for ECG abnormalities with prognostic significance that has been well-characterised.

Unsuspected Subclinical Left Ventricular Dysfunction in Post-COVID Patients: A Real-world Observation

Background: Subclinical myocardial dysfunction may exist in post-COVID-19 patients and may carry significance in long term. Methodology: Subjects of long-COVID-19 with historically and radiologically significant pulmonary involvement (without documented cardiac involvement) were evaluated on outpatient follow-up echocardiographically when they had disproportionate shortness of breath (SOB), fatigue, or high pulse rate as perceived by the physicians. The common acute-phase symptoms were noted and scored retrospectively. The assessment included spirometry and measurement of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) assessment test (CAT) score with measurement of the left ventricular (LV) and right ventricular (RV) free wall global longitudinal strain as an adjunct to routine two-dimensional and Doppler echocardiography and spirometry. The results were evaluated statistically with respect to the history of hospitalization. Results: The hospitalized (n = 15) and nonhospitalized (n = 10) patients were demographically similar. However, the nonhospitalized patients had higher total symptom score (p = 0.03), anosmia (p = 0.017), and ageusia (p = 0.0019). At follow-up (>3 months of acute illness), the nonhospitalized patients had a better CAT score (p = 0.04), higher change in max pulse rate (p = 0.03), and higher forced expiratory volume in 1 second (FEV1) (p = 0.002), tricuspid annular plane systolic excursion (TAPSE) (p = 0.02), and left ventricular global longitudinal strain (LVGLS) (–17.15 ± 1.19 vs –13.11 ± 1.91) (p = 0.0001). Overall, the two groups formed distinct clusters. The LVGLS and the maximum pulse rate difference in the two chair test (2CT) seem to contribute maximally to the variance between the two groups in multivariate analysis. Conclusion: The subclinical myocardial dysfunction persisting in post-COVID patients (without suspected cardiac affection and lower neuroinflammatory symptoms in the acute phase) with significant pulmonary affection needs further evaluation. They demonstrate a higher max pulse rate difference in the 2CT. This real-world observation demands further investigations

Comparative analysis of immunohistochemical features of nodal versus extranodal diffuse large B cell lymphoma with respect to cell-of-origin classification

Background: Diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) represents a heterogeneous group of lymphoid malignancies with distinct oncogenic events and clinical behavior that cannot be unraveled by morphology and immunophenotype alone. Simple biological segregation such as the Hans classifier helps to explain the heterogeneous responses to standard treatment and provides a rationale for the investigation of novel targeted therapies. Aims and Objectives: In this study, we tried to estimate immunohistochemical (IHC) features of nodal and extranodal DLBCL using cell-of-origin classification (Hans Algorithm) with the markers CD10, Bcl-6, MUM1. Materials and Methods: Blocks of the patients with a histological diagnosis of DLBCL over the past 3 years were retrieved and submitted for IHC analysis to classify into germinal center B cell type (GCB) and non-GCB type. Results: Mean age for nodal DLBL was 48.19 � 14.68 years, extranodal were 55.7 � 13.22 years. Mean age for GCB were 56.6 � 15.66 years whereas for non-GCB were 51.45 � 12.85 years. Among nodal lymphomas cervical was the most common site and among extranodal lymphomas, intestinal lymphomas were commonest (including colorectal). Relative proportion of GCB among extranodal was 28.78%, whereas in nodal DLBCL it was 16.67%, relative risk of getting GCB type DLBCL was 1.72 times higher in extranodal compared to nodal DLBCL (P = 0.081). Total positivity of MUM1 was 17%, whereas for Bcl6 and CD10 it was 29% and 15% respectively. Ki67 was considerably higher in GCB type and for extranodal DLBCL in our study. Conclusion: Proportion of extranodal GCB type DLBCL compared to nodal DLBCL is considerably higher in our study population, though it varies greatly among Asian and world data. Uniform meta-analysis and systematic review is necessary to stratify.

Is objective structured practical examination a cutting-edge assessment tool over traditional practical examination to prepare future “Indian Medical Graduate?” A study from Department of Pathology at a Government Medical College in West Bengal

Background: With the continuous evolution of medical education, an appropriate assessment method is the need of the hour. Most unavoidable drawback of traditional practical examination (TPE) is its subjectivity, which can be overcome by newer methods such as objective Structured Practical Examination (OSPE). Hence, many studies have been conducted to reevaluate the efficiency of TPE and nowadays assessment of undergraduate students who are going to be Indian Medical Graduate (IMG) always remains the topic of debate. Aim and Objectives: The aim of our study is to compare OSPE and TPE by obtaining the feedback of examiner and examinee and also by the marks obtained by students. Materials and Methods: It was an analytical study with longitudinal design. The study was conducted after receiving approval from the Institutional Ethics Committee. Total 140 students were included in the study. In 2nd professional MBBS at third semester, two internal examinations were held in 2019, first one was TPE and the second one was based on OSPE. After the completion of OSPE, students’ and teachers’ opinion were collected by given pre-validated questionnaire. Results: There were significant (P =< 0.05) difference between mean score in OSPE (17.1) and TPE (14.26) among students. According to students, OSPE reduces examiner’s bias (84.2%), was less stressful than TPE (78.5%) and also fair and objective as compared to TPE (85%). According to teacher’s opinion, OSPE requires more time, demands critical thinking of students (77.7%), more objective and eliminates bias (94.4%), ensures uniformity (64.4%), but they opined that depth of knowledge cannot be assessed by OSPE (83.3%). Most of the students (93.5%) and teachers (77.7%) said that OSPE should be included in Pathology practical examination. Conclusion: In our study, both teachers and students have given feedback in favor of OSPE as an assessment tool in practical examination of undergraduate medical students. In our opinion, OSPE should be included as an assessment tool in 2nd year undergraduate pathology practical examination to prepare future IMG.

Comparison of the corrected intraocular pressure by tonopachy with that of Goldmann applanation tonometry in normal and glaucomatous patients

Purpose: To compare corrected intraocular pressure (IOP) by tonopachy with that of Goldmann applanation tonometry (GAT) in normal and glaucomatous patients. Methods: In this cross-sectional study, IOP and central corneal thickness (CCT) were measured in 426 eyes (213 normal eyes and 213 glaucomatous eyes) of 426 patients by tonopachy followed by GAT and ultrasound pachymetry. IOP was corrected for CCT by in-built formula in tonopachy and Ehlers correction factor for Goldmann tonometer. Limits of agreements were assessed using Bland朅ltman plots. Intraclass correlation coefficient was calculated to estimate the absolute agreement between single and average measurements of IOP and CCT of tonopachy with that of Goldmann tonometer and ultrasound pachymetry respectively. Results: Mean corrected IOP measured with tonopachy and GAT in glaucomatous eyes was 17.63 � 5.04 mmHg and 19.42 � 5.83 mmHg, and in controls it was 13.4 � 2.5 mmHg and 16.2 � 3.1 mmHg, respectively. Limits of agreement ranged from �63 to +9.25 mmHg for total population (mean = 2.31), �01 to +9.59 mmHg (mean = 1.79) for glaucoma group and �99 to +8.65 mmHg (mean = 2.83) for controls. Intraclass correlation coefficient for IOP measurement between tonopachy and Goldmann tonometer was 0.84 for total population, 0.85 for glaucoma group, and 0.63 for controls, respectively. Conclusion: Corrected IOP obtained by tonopachy showed moderate agreement with GAT and it is more in glaucoma patients than controls. Thus, tonopachy can be used as a screening tool, but cannot replace GAT.

Medios– An offline, smartphone-based artificial intelligence algorithm for the diagnosis of diabetic retinopathy

Purpose: An observational study to assess the sensitivity and specificity of the Medios smartphone-based offline deep learning artificial intelligence (AI) software to detect diabetic retinopathy (DR) compared with the image diagnosis of ophthalmologists. Methods: Patients attending the outpatient services of a tertiary center for diabetes care underwent 3-field dilated retinal imaging using the Remidio NM FOP 10. Two fellowship-trained vitreoretinal specialists separately graded anonymized images and a patient-level diagnosis was reached based on grading of the worse eye. The images were subjected to offline grading using the Medios integrated AI-based software on the same smartphone used to acquire images. The sensitivity and specificity of the AI in detecting referable DR (moderate non-proliferative DR (NPDR) or worse disease) was compared to the gold standard diagnosis of the retina specialists. Results: Results include analysis of images from 297 patients of which 176 (59.2%) had no DR, 35 (11.7%) had mild NPDR, 41 (13.8%) had moderate NPDR, and 33 (11.1%) had severe NPDR. In addition, 12 (4%) patients had PDR and 36 (20.4%) had macular edema. Sensitivity and specificity of the AI in detecting referable DR was 98.84% (95% confidence interval [CI], 97.62–100%) and 86.73% (95% CI, 82.87–90.59%), respectively. The area under the curve was 0.92. The sensitivity for vision-threatening DR (VTDR) was 100%. Conclusion: The AI-based software had high sensitivity and specificity in detecting referable DR. Integration with the smartphone-based fundus camera with offline image grading has the potential for widespread applications in resource-poor settings.

Open-angle glaucoma in a rural and urban population in Eastern India—the Hooghly river glaucoma study

Purpose: Glaucoma is the leading cause of irreversible blindness in the world. The current study aims to estimate prevalence, features, and associations of open angle glaucoma (OAG) in a rural and urban East Indian population. Methods: This is a population based cross sectional study with two arms, rural (28 contiguous villages from 13 Gram Panchayats in Balagarh Police Station, Hooghly district) and urban (Kolkata). Individuals residing in the study area aged 40 years and above were included using multistage random cluster sampling. All subjects underwent a detailed ophthalmic examination at our base hospitals including applanation tonometry, ultrasound pachymetry, gonioscopy, and frequency doubling technology perimetry. The primary outcome was the prevalence of POAG (95% CI). Age and gender specific prevalence estimates were calculated. Multiple logistic regressions were used to analyze the risk factors. Results: Data from 7128 and 6964 subjects aged 40 years or older from Kolkata city and Hooghly district, respectively were analyzed. In the urban population, 2.10% (95% CI: 1.99–2.21%) had POAG and 0.15% (95% CI: 0.13–0.17%) had secondary OAG. In the rural population, 1.45% (95% CI: 0.59–2.31%) had POAG and 0.10 ± 0.03% (95% CI: 0.07–0.13%) had secondary OAG. Conclusion: The study concludes that higher age, higher vertical cup disc ratio (VCDR), and lower central corneal thickness (CCT) are important independent predictors of OAG and emphasizes that increased intraocular pressure (IOP) is not POAG. Gonioscopy, disc evaluation, and screening perimetry need to be incorporated in the detection protocol for glaucoma if we intend to lighten the burden of blindness due to glaucoma.

Prevalence of Vitamin D3 insufficiency among rural ethnic population of Tripura and its association with type-2 diabetes mellitus

Background: Different studies suggest that Vitamin D3 has a role in regulation of insulin and its deficiency leads to the development of type 2 diabetes mellitus (DM). In a study by ICMR-INDIAB (NE), it was shown that the prevalence of type 2 DM is about 9% in Tripura. However, little is known regarding the blood level of Vitamin D3 among the rural ethnic population. Objectives: The objectives of this study were to assess the blood level of Vitamin D3 and its association with type 2 DM in rural ethnic population. Materials and Methods: This cross-sectional study was undertaken from February 2018 to January 2019 at Multidisciplinary Research Unit of Agartala Government Medical College to assess the blood Vitamin D3 level in the rural ethnic population and its association with Type 2 DM. Two hundred and eight subjects were recruited from 10 different health camps. Blood samples were collected for detecting different blood glycemic parameters. The data were statistically analyzed using the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences. Pearson’s correlation coefficient was used to evaluate the association of blood Vitamin D3 with glycemic parameters. Results: Of 208 ethnic subjects, 136 had insufficient while 72 had sufficient blood Vitamin D3 level. Overall, 65% prevalence of Vitamin D3 insufficiency has been observed in the study population. About 98.3% and 52.3% of insufficiency (<30 ng/ml) have been observed in diabetic and non-diabetic subjects, respectively. Conclusion: About 65% prevalence of Vitamin D3 insufficiency irrespective of diabetic status was found in this study. However, Vitamin D3 level and its inverse association with glycemic parameters in type 2 DM could not be established.

Comparative analysis of retropupillary iris claw versus scleral-fixated intraocular lens in the management of post-cataract aphakia

Purpose: To compare the visual outcomes and complications between the eyes receiving retropupillary iris claw intraocular lens (IOL) and scleral-fixated IOL (SFIOL) for post-cataract aphakia. Methods: Medical records of consecutive patients who had iris claw IOL and SFIOL surgery from January 2010 to March 2015, with > 1 year of follow up were retrospectively analyzed. The surgical technique was based on individual surgeon preference. The best-corrected distance visual acuity (BCDVA), previous surgery, surgical technique, and complications were analyzed. Results: Retropupillary iris claw IOL was fixated in 48 eyes (46%) and SFIOL was performed in 56 eyes. Iris claw was performed more frequently at the time of primary cataract surgery (56%) compared to SFIOL (14%) (P < 0.001). At 1 month postoperative, BCDVA was significantly better in the SFIOL group [0.7 ± 0.5 logarithm of minimum angle of resolution (logMAR) in iris claw vs. 0.3 ± 0.2 logMAR in SFIOL, P < 0.001] but this difference did not persist at 1 year (0.4 ± 0.4 logMAR in iris claw vs. 0.3 ± 0.2 logMAR in SFIOL, P = 0.56). Eyes with iris claw IOL experienced significantly more postoperative iritis (17%), intraocular pressure spikes (10%), and ovalization of the pupil (16%). Conclusion: Retropupillary iris claw IOL fixation is as safe as SFIOL for visual rehabilitation of post-cataract aphakia. Visual rehabilitation following iris claw IOL might take longer than SFIOL. Ovalization of the pupil is the commonest adverse effect reported with this type of IOL design.

Angle closure glaucoma in rural and urban populations in eastern India—The Hooghly River Glaucoma Study

Purpose: To estimate the prevalence, features, and associations of primary angle closure disease (PACD) in rural and urban populations from West Bengal in eastern India. Methods: This was a population-based cross-sectional study with two arms, rural and urban. The rural study area consisted of 28 contiguous villages from 13 gram panchayats in Balagarh Police Station, with rural base hospital at Dhobapara, Balagarh Police Station, in the village Kuliapara of Hooghly district. A tertiary eye hospital in central Kolkata was the urban study center. Individuals residing in the study area aged 40 years and above were included in this study using multistage random cluster sampling. All subjects underwent a detailed ophthalmic examination at our base hospitals including applanation tonometry, ultrasound pachymetry, gonioscopy, and frequency doubling technology perimetry. Data collected were analyzed using SPSS 13. Multiple logistic regressions were used to analyze risk factors for PACD. Results: A total of 7,408 and 7,248 subjects aged 40 years or older were enumerated from Hooghly district and Kolkata city, respectively. PACD was detected in 1.9% subjects in rural arm and 1.54% subjects in the urban arm (P < 0.001). In rural arm, 0.3% had PACS, 0.56% had PAC, and 1.03% had PACG. In urban arm, 0.22% had PACS, 0.35% had PAC, and 0.97% had PACG. Conclusion: The study concludes that higher age, higher CCT, and shorter axial length/presence of hyperopia are important independent predictors of ACD. ACD is more common in eastern India than previous estimates.

Factors predicting response of pseudophakic cystoid macular edema to topical steroids and nepafenac

Purpose: The purpose of this study is to determine factors predicting resolution of acute pseudophakic cystoid macular edema (PCME) after 6 weeks of topical prednisolone and nepafenac application. Methods: Case records of patients with a clinical and optical coherence tomography (OCT)-based diagnosis of acute PCME were retrospectively reviewed for best-corrected visual acuity and OCT-based parameters at the time of presentation with PCME. In addition, demographic variables, intraoperative and early postoperative factors, and type of treatment prescribed (tapering vs. nontapering prednisolone, generic vs. branded prednisolone and nepafenac) were recorded from case records for analysis. Complete and any successes were defined and baseline factors predicting complete success at 6 weeks were analyzed. Results: We analyzed 69 eyes of 69 patients out of which complete success with topical medications was seen in 37 eyes (54%) and any success was seen in 55 eyes (80%) at 6 weeks. Multivariable logistic regression showed that eyes with lower vision at presentation had a significantly lower likelihood of experiencing both, complete (odds ratio [OR] = 0.83 with one-line decrement in baseline vision, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 0.61�89, P = 0.003) and any success (OR = 0.61, 95% CI = 0.4�9, P = 0.007). Baseline OCT thickness did not influence success rates. Conclusion: Topical prednisolone and nepafenac lead to resolution in PCME in half of the eyes at 6 weeks. Baseline vision is the only factor predicting rates of success and PCME resolution with topical medications.

articleClinico-pathological study of 273 cases of rhinosporidiosis over a period of ten years in a tertiary care institute catering predominantly rural population of tribal origin.

Introduction: Rhinosporidiosis is a chronic granulomatous infection caused by Rhinosporidium seeberi, an organism whose taxonomy is still debated. The present study was aimed to document the clinico-pathological presentation of rhinosporidiosis in different parts in reference to caste, age and gender. Evaluation of diagnostic role of cytology in the diagnosis of rhinosporidiosis was also explored. Materials and Methods: All histology confirmed rhinosporidial cases were included in the study. Detailed clinical history and examination findings including previous hematological and cytological reports, if available, were collected and tabulated. Periodic Acid Schiff (PAS) and Mucicarmine stains were used over cyto- and histological slides, if necessary. Observations: Male cases were more frequent in these series though this sex difference is less pronounced among tribal population. Majority of the cases belonged to 21-40 years age group. Nose and nasopharynx was the commonest site of infection and polypoid mass lesions were the commonest presentation. Both scrape and aspiration cytology could successfully detect rhinosporidiosis in 100% cases. Discussion: Most of the cases are among poor-socioeconomic status and probably out-door activities and pond bathing habit. Haematological data correlation did not revealed any significant association. Histology is the preferred method for confirmed diagnosis of rhinosporidiosis. Rare cases of misdiagnosis can be avoided by use of special stains. Conclusion: Rhinosporidiosis commonly presents as polypoidal lesions in nose and extra-nasal sites. Histopathology is the standard method for confirmation of diagnosis. Cytology can be used as an adjunct for pre-operative diagnosis of extra-nasal rhinosporidiosis. We recommended use of special stains for diagnosis of difficult cases

Collision tumor of ovary: a rare combination of dysgerminoma and serous cystadenocarcinoma.

Collision tumors of ovary are rare neoplasms and most commonly consist of a teratoma with mucinous tumor. Combination of papillary serous cystsdenocarcinoma and dysgerminoma was yet to be reported. A twenty years female patient presented with a large tumor of right ovary. Microscopically it was diagnosed as a collision tumor of ovary composed of dysgerminoma and serous cystadenocarcinoma. Mixed tumour can arise from divergent differentiation of a single type of stem cell. But components of collision tumor must arise from separate clones. Possibility of collision tumour should always kept in mind during assessment of difficult ovarian tumors to avoid diagnostic error. Key words: Collision tumor, dysgerminoma and serous cystadenocarcinoma.

Evaluation of Role of Ultra Sound Guided Fine Needle Aspiration Cytology for Diagnosis of Ovarian Lesions with Particular References to Diagnostic Pitfalls.

Background: Ovarian lesions are quite common among females of all age groups. Ovarian cancers account for 6% of female malignancy. ULTRASONOGRAPHY(USG) can help in proper identification and categorization of these lesions. Fine needle aspiration cytology (FNAC) under USG guidance can be an effective modality for early diagnosis of ovarian masses. Aims And Objectives: To evaluate the role of USG guided FNAC over ovarian space occupying lesions (SOLs) for proper categorization into non-neoplastic, benign & malignant variants and to identify possible underlying causes of cytological misdiagnosis, if any, in comparison to histopathological diagnosis. Materials and Methods: FNAC under USG guidance were performed over one hundred and sixteen cases with radiologically proved ovarian SOLs during a period of five years. Aspirated materials were interpreted as non- neoplastic, benign or malignant lesions. Histopathological study was possible in 47 of these cases. Results: Out of 116 aspirations, non neoplastic, benign and malignant diagnosis were given in 51, 42 &23 cases, respectively. During histopathological correlation 41 out of 47 cases(87.2%) show exact cytohistological parity.Rest six cases with cytological misdiagnosis were discussed in detail. Conclusion: USG guided FNAC can effectively diagnose ovarian lesions in more than 87% cases. Scrutiny about failed diagnosis will help to improve accuracy in future.

Evaluation of a rapid dipstick test for identifying cholera cases during the outbreak.

Background & objectives: Intermittent cholera outbreaks are major problem in many of the states of India. It is essential to identify cholera at the earliest for timely mobilization of public health responses and to abort the outbreaks. The present study was a part of a diarrhoeal outbreak investigation in Secunderabad, India, during May 2009 where the usefulness of Crystal VC rapid dipstick kit was assessed for detecting the aetiologic agent of the outbreak. Methods: Stool specimens were collected from 15 hospitalized patients with acute watery diarrhoea and analyzed for detection of cholera vibrios using Crystal VC rapid dipstick kit and the usefulness of the kit was determined by comparative analysis of the same set of specimens using both microbiological and real-time PCR (RT-PCR) based assays. Results: Detection of Vibrio cholerae O1 from 10 of 15 specimens was recorded using dipstick assay. Microbiological methods detected V. cholerae O1 positivity among 11 specimens. However, RT-PCR based assay showed all 15 specimens positive for the presence of V. cholerae O1. In addition, the same assay showed that the pathogen load in the dipstick as well as RT-PCR positive specimens ranged from 106 colony forming units (cfu)/ml or more. Interpretation & conclusions: Crystal VC kit had the potential to identify cholera cases in 10 min in field conditions without having good laboratory support. Therefore, dipstick kit may be considered as cholera detecting tool in diarrhoeal outbreak investigations. Specimens from clinically typical cholera cases, if negative by dipstick, should be reanalyzed by culture based methods.

Tubo-ovarian Actinomycosis: A case report with brief review of literature.

Pelvic actinomycosis is an uncommon condition, often associated with the use of intrauterine contraceptive device (IUCD). Pelvic actinomycosis is rare accounting for 3% of all human actinomycotic infections. Ovarian actinomycosis is even rarer. Here, we present a 24-year-old woman using an IUCD for 3 1 / 2 years with right-sided adnexal mass, which was diagnosed postoperatively as tubo-ovarian actinomycosis. Many times, an appropriate management is overlooked or delayed due to its non-specific and variable clinical and radiological features. Sometimes, it can even mimic an advanced pelvic malignancy. Therefore, the gynecologist should consider the possibility of this infection to spare the patient from morbidity of radical surgical procedure.