Superior Thyroid Artery Arising From the Common Carotid Artery- Potential Source for Unpredicted Intraoperative Bleeding- A Cadaveric Case Report

Superior thyroid artery usually arises from the anterior surface of external carotid artery as its first branch. Superior thyroid artery forms an important collateral circulation in case of unilateral occlusion of common carotid artery. Due to the close relation with superior thyroid artery, external laryngeal nerve is prone to injury during thyroid surgery. Superior thyroid artery occasionally arises from the bifurcation of common carotid artery or from the common carotid artery. In the present cadaveric case, during the routine neck dissection of the cadaver in department of anatomy, anomalous origin of the left superior thyroid artery was found. It was originating from the left common carotid artery at a distance of 1.8 cm proximal to the bifurcation of common carotid artery. The length of left superior thyroid artery was 3.2 cm. left Inferior thyroid artery was present and no anomaly was found. Right superior and inferior thyroid arteries were present and no variations were found. Knowledge about these variations in the origin of superior thyroid artery is extremely important in head and neck surgeries to prevent inadvertant injury and avoid torrential bleeding

Pulmonary oedema producing toxin from Mesobuthus tamulus venom augments cardio-respiratory reflexes through B2 kinin receptors.

The current study was undertaken to compare the effects of pulmonary oedema producing toxin (PO-Tx) isolated from Mesobuthus tamulus venom on cardio-respiratory reflexes with exogenously administered bradykinin (BK) and to delineate the type of BK receptors mediating these responses. Jugular venous injection of phenyldiguanide (PDG) in anaesthetized rats produced reflex bradycardia, hypotension and apnoea. The PDG-induced reflex was augmented (two folds) by PO-Tx. The pulmonary water content in POTx treated group was also increased. The PO-Tx-induced reflex changes as well as pulmonary oedema were blocked by Hoe-140 implicating the involvement of B2 kinin receptors. Exogenous BK also produced augmentation (two folds) of the PDG-induced reflexes and increased the pulmonary water content. The BKinduced augmentation was blocked by pre-treatment with des-Arg10 Hoe 140 (a B1 receptor antagonist) and Hoe 140 (B2 receptor antagonist). However, these antagonists did not prevent the development of BK-induced pulmonary oedema. Present results indicate that PO-Tx augmented the PDG-induced reflex responses similar to BK and the PO-Tx induced augmentation of reflexes is mediated through B2 receptors.

Verrucous Carcinoma - Now And Then.

Verrucous carcinoma is a highly differentiated variant of squamous cell carcinoma which tends to occur more commonly in the men in the 6-7th decade of life. There are reports to indicate the lesions arise from proliferative verrucous leukoplakia. Both the lesions have a greater tendency to occur in patients with smokeless tobacco use. Verruocus carcinoma is an innocuous lesion with a late tendency to metastasize. It responds well to surgical management. Here we report the occurrence of verrucous carcinoma from a preexisting case of proliferative verrucous leukoplakia in a 72 year old female patient.

Aesthetic Crown Lengthening.

Aesthetics is an inseparable part of today’s dental treatment and has influenced the management of dental maladies in varying degrees for many years. Patient awareness and expectations have increased recently to the point that less than optimal aesthetics are no longer an acceptable outcome. Achieving an appealing and an aesthetic smile is no longer a dream. In this article an attempt has been made to review the guidelines for treating a patient with excessive gingival display along with gingival pigmentation and its treatment modalities with illustrations from two case reports.

Bradycardia induced by Mesobuthus tamulus scorpion venom involves muscarinic receptor-G-protein-coupled cell signaling pathways.

Indian red scorpion (Mesobuthus tamulus; MBT) envenomation produces various cardio-respiratory abnormalities including cardiac dysrhythmias. The underlying cell signaling pathways for the cardiac dysrhythmias produced by MBT venom are not known. The present study was therefore conducted to delineate the second messenger signaling pathways involved in MBT venom-induced atrial rhythm changes. The effects of venom and various antagonists were examined on spontaneously beating rat right atrial preparations in vitro. The MBT-venom produced an increase (35%), a decrease (45%) and again an increase (50%) in rate at 0.03, 0.3 and 3.0 microg/ml of venom, respectively. On the other hand, force of contraction exhibited a concentration-dependent rise (up to 40%) at all concentrations of venom. Pretreatment with atropine (0.3 microM) blocked the decrease in atrial rate at 0.3 microg/ml concentration of venom while no such blockade was seen in force of contraction. Submaximal concentration of ACh (0.1 nM) decreased the atrial rate by 25%. In the presence of MBT venom (0.3 microg/ml), ACh-induced fall in atrial rate was enhanced. The venom-induced fall in atrial rate and augmentation of ACh response were blocked by pertussis toxin (PTx; a Gi-inhibitor) or methylene blue (a G-cyclase inhibitor). The results indicate that the decrease in atrial rate produced by venom is mediated muscarinic by receptors via Gi-guanylyl cyclase mediated cell signaling pathways.

In vivo effect of whole grain flour of finger millet (Eleusine coracana) and kodo millet (Paspalum scrobiculatum) on rat dermal wound healing.

Influence of finger millet and kodo millet on rat dermal wound healing was assessed by making a 4 cm2 (2 x 2 cm) excision wound on the shaven back of rats under ether anesthesia. Finger millet or kodo millet flour (300 mg) as aqueous paste was applied topically once daily for 16 days. The granulation tissue formed on day 4, 8 and 12 was used to estimate some biochemical parameters like protein, DNA, collagen and lipid peroxides. There was significant increase in protein and collagen contents and decrease in lipid peroxides. Biophysical parameters like rate of contraction and number of days for epithelialization were also studied. Rate of contraction was 88-90% in kodo millet and finger millet treated rats in comparison to 75% in untreated rats. The number of days for complete closure of wounds was lower for finger millet (13 days) and kodo millet (14 days) treated rats in comparison to untreated (16 days) rats. The results implicate a possible therapeutical role for finger millet and kodo millet in accelerating the process of wound healing.