Trends estimation of obesity prevalence among South Asian young population: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

The premise for effective prevention and treatment of obesity is the availability of accurate prevalence figures. However, the prevalence of pediatric obesity and overweight in South Asian countries has seldom been analyzed. This article provides a comprehensive review and meta-analysis of studies on overweight and obesity to provide a more precise prevalence estimate. The study protocol was registered on PROSPERO (CRD42022320625). PubMed and Embase databases were comprehensively searched from inception till September 2023. The random-effects model was utilized to derive the pooled prevalence of obesity and overweight. Subgroup meta-analysis was used to assess variations in prevalence estimates across subgroups. A meta-regression analysis was also performed to assess the trend of overweight and obesity over the years. 152 studies were included with 489,525 participants. The pooled prevalence was 12.4 (95% CI 11.1-13.6) for overweight, 6.6% (95% CI 5.6-7.8) for obesity, and 19.3% (95% CI 17.1-21.7) for obesity and overweight. In subgroup analysis, Bangladesh reported a higher prevalence for both obesity (8.9%; 95% CI 4.9-13.9) and overweight (13.6%; 95% CI 9.2-18.8). Meta-regression analysis found a significant association between obesity prevalence and the publication year (ß = 0.004; p = 0.03; R2 = 2.74%). The results of this study indicate a relatively higher prevalence of childhood obesity in South Asia, emphasizing the necessity for large-scale awareness efforts and context-specific preventative methods.

The effect of curcuma longa extract and significance of mordant as an alternative for eosin in H and E: A comparative study.

Background and Aim: Hematoxylin and Eosin (H and E) staining is a common and routine staining method used in Histopathology. In origin, Hematoxylin is natural and Eosin is a synthetic dye. Synthetic dyes are widely accepted due to its staining efficiency. However, due to synthetic and toxic properties, natural alternatives have gained importance. In this present study, Curcuma Longa rhizome (Turmeric) extract with and without mordant are examined as a natural substitute for Eosin in H and E staining. This study assessed the staining quality of Turmeric (H and T) compared to Eosin (H and E) and the significance of mordant in H and T staining. Materials and Methods: A comparative study is conducted in a Histopathology laboratory in a tertiary care hospital. Five tissue specimens were collected and stained with H and T with mordant, H and T without mordant, and conventional H and E stain. Two independent pathologists examined the quality of each stain. The results are graded as excellent, good, and poor. These results are statistically compared and analyzed. Result: Staining quality of Turmeric and Eosin are comparable to each other. At the same time, Turmeric gives yellow color instead of pink in Eosin. The result also shows that the addition of mordant in Turmeric significantly improves the staining quality. Interpretation and Conclusion: Turmeric with mordant can be used as an alternative stain to synthetic Eosin in H and E staining.

Malignant Melanoma of Nose and Paranasal Sinuses: a Case Series.

Malignant melanoma of nose and paranasal sinus is a rare and devastating disease. The incidence of intranasal malignant melanomas varies from 0.6 to 3.8%. Extensive local invasion, tumor recurrence, distant metastasis accounts for the poor prognosis with advanced stage having mean survival time of 3.5 years. Here we report 2 cases of malignant melanoma of the left nasal cavity with extensive local invasion to paranasal sinuses and destroying medial orbital wall in both cases along with one eroding cribriform plate and extending intracranially. Both the patient presented with almost similar complaints of unilateral nasal obstruction progressing to bilateral with intermittent episodes of epistaxis and unilateral epiphora. Biopsy from the lesion was proved out to be Malignant melanoma in both the cases. All preliminary radiological investigations including metastatic workup was done. Though there was no evidence of distant metastasis in both the cases, because of extensive local destruction and patient's preference, both opted for non-surgical management.

Fibrous Dysplasia of Temporal Bone.

Fibrous dysplasia of temporal bone is a rare benign bone disease. With the advance in imaging, more cases are likely to get reported and present with less disease severity. Temporal Bone Fibrous dysplasia most commonly affects External Auditory canal resulting in External auditory canal stenosis and Conductive Hearing Loss. Many patients are asymptomatic and rarely require intervention. However, we present 3 different clinical scenarios of Temporal Bone Fibrous Dysplasia and elaborate on clinical course that lead to varied managements for each of them.

Clinical profile and outcomes of asymptomatic vs. symptomatic travellers diagnosed with COVID-19: An observational study from a coastal town in South India.

Despite the high number of coronavirus disease-19 (COVID-19) cases from India, there are few reports from India describing the clinical epidemiology of COVID-19. This study aimed to describe the clinical/epidemiological characteristics and outcomes of asymptomatic vs. symptomatic COVID-19 patients. This was a retrospective chart review of all admitted patients with COVID-19 above 18 years with a history of travel within one month of the admission. The patients were categorized into asymptomatic and symptomatic. The symptomatic patients were further classified into mild, moderate and severe. The demographic profile, risk factors, clinical features, laboratory parameters, treatment details and outcome of all patients were recorded. The clinical and laboratory parameters were compared between symptomatic patients and asymptomatic patients. Of the 127 recruited patients, 75 were asymptomatic. Of the 52 symptomatic patients, 41 patients were classified as a mild illness. The mean age of the patients was 44.5 ± 15 years. A total of 73 patients had one or more risk factors. The male patients were more commonly found to be symptomatic compared to female patients. Neutrophil-lymphocyte ratio, C-reactive protein and lactate dehydrogenase were significantly elevated in symptomatic patients. A total of five individuals required supplemental oxygen therapy, and one of them required mechanical ventilation. All the patients had favourable outcomes. Asymptomatic and mild illness form a significant proportion of positive patients and have excellent outcomes without therapeutic interventions.