Identification of skin bacterial profiles of early deceased bodies and the relation to post-mortem interval

@#Post-mortem microbiology (PMM) is an important tool in identifying possible causes of sudden unexpected death, as an infectious cause is highly suspected. However, contamination is a major problem in microbiology, and this has increased the difficulty determining the true pathogen that contributes to death in post-mortem cases. Skin commensals are common contaminants in blood cultures. This study was conducted to investigate the skin flora on early deceased bodies and observe the bacteria detected at different post-mortem intervals (PMIs). As blood is usually drawn from the neck and femoral sites for PMM examination, the two body sites were chosen as the sampling sites. Skin swab samples from the neck and femoral (n=80) of each early deceased body were collected by sterile cotton swabs. DNA was extracted from the swabs and then subjected to high-throughput 16S rRNA sequencing by using the Illumina MiSeq platform. Staphylococcus was found to be the most dominant genus in both neck and femoral sites. LEfSe results showed that Cutibacterium is significantly different at the neck site while Corynebacterium is more abundant at femoral site. There are significant differences at genus level between PMI<5H and PMI>5H at both neck and femoral sites. The findings of the present study may act as a reference for microbiologists and forensic pathologists when mixed growth or contamination occurs in post-mortem blood cultures.

Prognostic significance of apoptosis in squamous cell carcinoma of oral cavity with special reference to TNM stage, histological grade and survival.

Apoptotic count was assessed in 38 cases of squamous cell carcinoma of oral cavity by light microscopy and correlated with TNM stage, histological grade and survival. A direct correlation with the TNM stage (p = 0.0166) and an inverse correlation with the histological grade (p = 0.03) was found, however no correlation was found with the survival. Apoptotic count was significantly different between well and moderately differentiated carcinoma (p = 0.347) and well and poorly differentiated carcinoma (p = 0.0190). Thus apoptotic count may have prognostic value particularly in combination with staging and histological grade.

Sequestro pulmonar: apresentação clínica / Pulmonary sequestration: clinical presentation

Os autores relatam o caso de um paciente do sexo masculino de 60 anos de idade, assintomático respiratório, não tabagista, cuja radiografia de tórax evidenciava a presença de um nódulo pulmonar localizado no segmento 10. Após complementação do estudo radiológico com tomografia convencional e arteriografia foi confirmado o diagnóstico de sequestro pulmonar. A seguir tecem comentários acerca do quadro clínico e radiológico desta afecção além de considerações sobre a patogenia e, finalmente, o tratamento proposto no caso