Reliability of Fine Needle Aspiration Cytology (FNAC) in Very Small Breast Lumps.

FNAC diagnosis and subsequent histopathology of 166 breast lumps of different sizes, depth and mobility were studied prospectively over a 10-year period (1990-2000) and grouped into two groups. Group-I of lumps <2cm and Group-II of lumps >2cm (control 80 cases). They were again subclassified as deep or not deep and mobile or fixed. Statistically significant positive correlation was found in all categories for less accurate diagnosis of lumps of <2 cm as compared to those of >2 cm. Therefore, because of low diagnostic accuracy in Group- I, it is recommended that for lumps <2cm even if the FNAC diagnosis is “non-malignant” a lumpectomy histopathological examination be done.

Presence of Hb S in Uttaranchal.

Haemoglobin-S has been reported in several studies on remote populations from various parts of India eg Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh, Orissa, West Bengal, Rajasthan and Malaysian Indians. Uttaranchal also has got scattered areas with people living in remote-pockets due to its geophysical nature. There has been no previous report from this state about prevalence of Hb-S. In the present study on 38 individual eight were found to have Hb-S positivity by sickling test. In one of these electrophoretic confirmation was positive with demonstration of associated Beta thalassaemia. The group was a family of muslims in village Baghori near Haldwani. Due to technical, geographical and social restrictions further study could not be done. However, this study does establish the presence of Hb-S-Beta thalassaemia in Uttaranchal State for the first time. Follow up study in the affected area and elsewhere in the state might discover more of Hb-S positivity, other haemoglobinopathies and thalassaemias.

TORCH infection in women with bad obstetric history--a pilot study in Kumaon region.

TORCH infections in the mother are transmissible to fetus in the womb or during the birth process and cause a cluster of symptomatic birth defects. In mother they are inapparent or asymptomatic and hence difficult to diagnose clinically. Over a nine months period 20 pregnant women with bad obstetric history were-studied. Seropositivity of Toxoplasma, rubella, CMV, and HSV infections (TORCH) were demonstrated by the presence of IgM and IgG antibodies by ELISA method. It was found that, IgM antibodies were positive in 4 cases (20%) for Toxoplasma, 4 cases (28.6%) for rubella and 4 cases (26.7%) for CMV and HSV each. IgG antibodies were positive in 11cases (55%) for Toxoplasma, 10 cases (66.6%) for rubella, 14 cases (93%) for CMV and 11 (73%) for HSV. Therefore all antenatal cases with BOH should be routinely screened for TORCH as early diagnosis and appropriate intervention will help in proper management and fetal outcome.