Role of biochemistry, cytology, and biopsy in the etiological diagnosis of pleural effusion- a clinical study

Introduction:Pleural effusion is the most common pleural disorder. It refers to excessive or abnormal accumulation of fluid in the pleural space. It is a commonly occurring medical problem caused by various pathological conditions. To treat patients appropriately, it is important to establish an accurate etiological diagnosis. Material and Method: This is an observational study conducted at a tertiary health care center. The pleural effusion was assessed clinically, biochemically, bacteriologically, cytologically, and histopathologically. Result: Tuberculosis was the most common etiology, followed by malignancy. A pleural biopsy was done in 70 patients. Pleural tissue was obtained in 65 cases. On histopathology,Malignancy was diagnosed in 15, tuberculosis in 35, and non-specific inflammation in 13 cases. Out of 35 histological proven tuberculosis cases, 26 cases had adenosine de-aminase (ADA) more than 70 u/l. Conclusion:Every pleural effusion is not due to tuberculosis but can be due to other causes, malignancy should always be excluded. Pleural fluid cytology and biopsy can give a definite diagnosis in a significant number of cases of pleural effusion. Tuberculosis is still the most common cause of pleural effusion followed by malignancy.

Assessment of bronchial responsiveness on exposure to isometric exercise during different phases of menstrual cycle: A pilot study.

Objectives: The present study was planned to assess the effects of gonadal steroids (estrogen and progesterone) on bronchial responsiveness, before and after handgrip exercise, during different phases of menstrual cycle. Materials and Methods:In this study, 30 healthy (25-40 years), non-athletic, adult female volunteers were studied. The various pulmonary function parameters (FVC, FEV 1 , PEFR, FEF 25-75% ) were recorded with a spirometer under resting conditions and then within five minutes of cessation of isometric exercise. Recordings were taken during the Menstrual phase (MP), Proliferative phase (PP), and Luteal phase (LP) of menstrual cycle and were confirmed by plasma levels of estrogen and progesterone. The oral temperature was recorded during each phase of the menstrual cycle. Results : Under resting conditions, the above-mentioned parameters did not reveal significant differences during the three phases. A significant fall was observed only in the Peak Expiratory Flow Rate (PEFR) during all the phases after handgrip, but there was a non-significant decline in the other parameters. Conclusion : By this study we conclude that the physiological changes in hormone levels during the menstrual cycle are not in themselves associated with changes in airway responsiveness before and after the handgrip test. The general fall seen in the pulmonary parameters could be due to fatigue or psychic factors.

Arteriovenous malformation of the pancreatic head – difficulties in diagnosis and treatment.

A patient with pancreatic arteriovenous malformation who presented diagnostic and therapeutic difficulties is presented. The initial tests appeared to suggest inflammatory bowel disease, but the diagnosis was clinched by the finding of blood issuing from the ampulla of Vater. Repeated angiographic embolization did not obliterate the vascular malformation, and the symptoms eventually resolved after Whipple’s pancreaticoduodenectomy.

CA 19-9 to differentiate benign and malignant masses in chronic pancreatitis: is there any benefit.

Background The role of the tumor marker CA 19-9 in differentiating benign from malignant masses in chronic pancreatitis has not been extensively studied. Aim This study aims at assessing the accuracy of CA 19-9 in differentiating infl ammatory head masses in chronic pancreatitis from superimposed carcinomas on chronic pancreatitis. Methods The data of 84 consecutive patients who had mass lesions in chronic pancreatitis were analyzed to determine the sensitivity, specifi city and predictive values at cut-off values of 37, 100, 200 and 300 U/mL. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves were used to assess the sensitivity and specifi city. Results There were 50 benign masses and 34 malignancies. The overall sensitivity and specifi city of CA 19-9 for cancer was 68% and 70%, respectively. There was a higher positivity of CA 19-9 in cancers than in benign masses (23/34; 68% versus 15/50; 30%, P<0.01) with cut-off values of 37 U/mL. Higher positivity rates were obtained in cancers using other cut-off values such as 100, 200 and 300 U/mL. Values over 300 U/mL were 100% specifi c for malignancy, but occurred in only 5 (of whom had distant metastases) of 34 patients. Conclusion CA 19-9 level in excess of 300 U/mL in mass lesions in chronic pancreatitis was always indicative of malignancy.

Intussusception due to ileal metastases from renal cell carcinoma.

Small bowel secondaries from renal cell carcinoma are rare. Patients usually present with features of intestinal obstruction or GI bleeding. Management should be aggressive since metastasectomy can improve the quality of life and survival.