ABSTRACT
A retrospective study of malignancy was conducted in the arid region of Western Rajasthan over a period of five years (1984 to 1988) to determine the frequencies of various malignancies. This was the region where India's first nuclear explosion took place in 1974. During this period 2662 new cancer cases were recorded. In males, Oropharyngeal and Hypopharyngeal malignancies topped the list. Males had an overall higher incidence than females (1.28:1). Most of the cases were between 31 years and 60 years with male peak at 60 years and female at 50 years. In females, cancer of the cervix formed the largest group followed by Breast cancer. A comparatively high rate of skin, urinary bladder, bone malignancy, lymphoma and leukaemia was observed in this region. Limited investigational facilities, lack of trained personnel, tough working condition, extremes of temperature, long distances in the desert region, with associated poverty, illiteracy and ignorance were some of the factors responsible for majority of the patients presenting in advanced stages.
Subject(s)
Neoplasms/epidemiology , Adolescent , Adult , Aged , Aged, 80 and over , Child , Female , Humans , India/epidemiology , Male , Middle Aged , Retrospective StudiesABSTRACT
The promotion of healing of large abscess cavities attained with topical phenytoin was evaluated in controlled studies of clinical and experimental wounds. In the clinical abscess cavities, phenytoin application in 20 patients compared with conventional treatment in 20 patients resulted in earlier separation of slough, decrease in oedema, control of pain and overall enhanced healing. The mean(s.d.) rate of reduction of wound area was 2.02(0.48) cm2/day in the phenytoin group versus 1.58(0.51) cm2/day in controls (P less than 0.05) on day 10, and 1.8(0.32) cm2/day versus 1.19(0.21) cm2/day (P less than 0.01) on day 20. The mean volume reduction rates at both the 10th and 20th day were 0.48(0.01) cm3/day for phenytoin versus 0.32(0.04) cm3/day for controls; (P less than 0.005). By day 20, 17 of the patients treated with phenytoin were rated as having healed completely, compared with only one of the controls. In a standardized guinea-pig model of the clinical abscess cavity, which included inoculation of the wound with Bacillus proteus and Klebsiella pneumoniae, an enhanced healing rate was also observed (at 7 days 0.40(0.05) cm2/day with phenytoin versus 0.21(0.08) cm2/day in controls; P less than 0.005). All eight of the animals treated with phenytoin healed by day 21, compared with one of the eight controls. Biopsies of wounds treated with phenytoin showed less inflammation, no necrosis, and enhanced neovascularization, collagen deposition and fibroblast proliferation compared to controls. Bacterial colonies also decreased more rapidly with the use of phenytoin.
Subject(s)
Abscess/drug therapy , Phenytoin/therapeutic use , Abscess/pathology , Administration, Topical , Animals , Guinea Pigs , Phenytoin/administration & dosage , Skin/pathology , Time Factors , Wound Healing/drug effectsABSTRACT
We studied the value of serum lysozyme as a helpful test in distinguising tuberculous involvement of intrathoracic glands from lymphoma. Nineteen of the 28 patients (all Asian immigrants) with intrathoracic glandular tuberculosis had raised serum lysozyme level as compared with 2 of the 29 patients with lymphoma. While a normal serum lysozyme level is unhelpful, a raised level in an Asian immigrant with hilar or mediastinal lymphadenopathy makes tuberculosis a highly probable diagnosis.
