Neonatal cholestasis Syndrome: an experience at Army medical college and Military Hospital Rawalpindi

To find the causes of neonatal cholestasis in our set up and to see the role of liver biopsy in differentiating neonatal hepatitis from biliary atresia. Design: A cross sectional survey. Place and duration of study: Histopathology department of Army Medical College and Military Hospital Rawalpindi from January 2000 to December 2004. Patients and A total of 62 cases were studied with age range of 1.5 months to 5 years. The subjects selected for biopsy were children with persistent jaundice and hepatosplenomegaly. The biopsy was taken with the help of Surecut needle under the cover of diluted intravenous Ketamine. The fixed tissues were processed under standard conditions. Result: Majority of the patients [62.90%] were of biliary atresia followed by neonatal hepatitis [27.42%]. Paucity of bile ductules was seen in 3 cases while three patients were of indeterminate etiology. Cirrhosis of liver was noted in 10 patients; six because of biliary atresia and two cases each of alpha-1 antitrypsin deficiency and galactosemia. Amongst neonatal hepatitis cases most of the patients were idiopathic in nature [58.82%]. In our set up, biliary atresia is an important and main cause of neonatal cholestasis and liver biopsy is a valuable diagnostic tool in differentiating biliary atresia from neonatal hepatitis

Alcohol application versus natural drying of umbilical cord

To determine in-hospital outcomes post AMI hyperglycemia. 109 patients of acute myocardial infarction were included in this study. Physical examination, ECG tracings, random plasma glucose, serum cholesterol, triglycerides and cardiac enzymes [CPK, LDH and AST] were measured. Hyperglycemic patients [plasma glucose

Usefulness of needle biopsy in the diagnosis of paediatric liver disorders

To see the usefulness of liver biopsy in the diagnosis and to document the spectrum of paediatric liver diseases. A retrospective, cross sectional survey at Histopathology department of Army Medical College Rawalpindi from January 2000 to December 2003. The liver biopsies were taken with Menghini needle. The fixed tissues were processed under standard conditions. During four years period, a total of 100 cases with age range of 1.5 months to 16 years were studied. The most common histological findings in order of frequency were secondary haemochromatosis [30%], biliary atresia [20%], storage disorders [16%], cirrhosis of liver [10%] and neonatal hepatitis [10%]. The less common entities were chronic hepatitis [6%], nonspecific reactive hepatitis [3%] and granulomatous hepatitis [1%]. One case each of hepatoblastoma, haemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis and congenital fibrosis was also noted. These findings have been compared with local and international histological studies. Liver biopsy is a useful diagnostic technique in the diagnosis of paediatric liver diseases. Biliary atresia, strorage disorders and neonatal hepatitis are the most common entities in our set up