Throat swab culture in chronic plaque type psoriasis

To determine any association between streptococcal throat infection and plaque type psoriasis. A cross-sectional study conducted on 30 psoriatics and 30 household controls at Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University, Dhaka. Throat swabs of 60 patients were collected with all aseptic measures and sample were incubated in optimum condition for 3days. After this Streptococcus was identified by examining colonial morphology and sensitivity with bacitracin disc. Streptococcal infection was found in 4 [13%] psoriasis patients and 1 [3%] in control group [p= 1.964]. In our study, we found no association between streptococcal throat infection and chronic plaque type psoriasis

Clinico-mycological correlation in onychomycosis in a tertiary level hospital

To correlate the clinical patterns of onychomycosis with the type of mycological agents in onychomycosis. In this cross-sectional study, 120 patients with onychomycosis, attending outpatient department, were selected by purposive type of sampling technique. They were subjected to thorough clinical examination. Nail material was collected for mycological diagnosis by microscopy and culture on dermatophyte test medium. Microscopy was positive in 47 [39.2%] cases, whereas culture yielded Trichophyton rubrum in 53 [44.2%] and T. mentagrophytes in 2 [1.7%] patients. Common clinical nail changes in mycologically proven cases were thickening of nail plate [68.9%], subungual hyperkeratosis [63.9%], onycholysis [55.7%], roughening of nail plate [29.5%], yellowish discoloration [29.5%] and brownish-yellow discoloration [21.3%]. Only, subungual hyperkeratosis was found significantly more in mycologically positive cases [63.9%] than in mycologically negative cases [37.3%], p<0.05. The validity of microscopic examination for prediction of onychomycosis revealed sensitivity [74.5%], specificity [90.8%], accuracy [83.3%], positive predictive values [87.2%] and negative predictive values [80.8%]. There is an insignificant correlation between clinical pattern and mycological diagnosis. No single clinical feature is suggestive of onychomycosis, hence, direct microscopy must always be coupled with fungal culture for accurate diagnosis.

Hepatitis B virus seromarkers among Egyptian pesticide applicators

It is evident that HBV infection is quite prevalent in Egypt and is a public health problem. This study was conducted on a group of pesticide applicators from different Egyptian governorates: 159 Subjects from upper Egypt [South]. 152 Subjects from lower Egypt [North], and 87 Subjects as control. Hepatitis B seromarkers [HBsAg, anti-HBc and anti-HBs] were detected by using ELISA technique, besides doing some liver function tests [SGOt, SGPT and S. Cholinesterase]. Abdominal ultrasonography was done for 246 subjects to evaluate thickness of portal tracts [hepatic schistosomiasis] and the other echo pattern of the liver. The frequency of carriers [HBsAg] was 7.4%; immune [antiHBs and anti-HBc] was 51%, remote post exposure [anti-HBs] was 13.8%. and window phase [anti-HBc] was 7.7%.Results showed that both the carrier infection rates increased with age between 20-39 years, however, the rates decreased with ages >40 years. The carrier rate among bilharzial liver cases [57.89%] was higher than in non-bilharzial liver cases [12.11%]. On the other hand, the infection rate was higher in non-bilharzial liver cases [54.64%] than in bilharzial liver cases. The percent of coarse liver pattern [by ECHO] among carriers [10.53%] was higher than that for the non-infected subjects [2.27%]. This denotes the pathological effect of hepatitis B virus on the liver