Outcome of COVID-19 Infection in Cancer Patients in Pune.

Introduction We document our data on the course of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) infection in cancer patients in an attempt to help optimize their management in India and globally. Material and Methods Between February 2020 and January 2021, participating oncologists from Pune (members of the Oncology Group of Pune) documented effect of COVID-19 infection in their cancer patients. Binomial logistic regression analysis as well as correlation analysis was done using Pearson Chi-square test to determine significance of clinical factors. Results A total of 29 oncologists from 20 hospitals contributed their data involving 147 cancer patients who developed COVID-19 infections. COVID-19 infection resulted in higher deaths (likelihood ratio of 4.4) amongst patients with hematological malignancies (12/44 = 27.2%) as compared with those with solid tumors (13/90 = 14.4%, p = 0.030). Patients with uncontrolled or progressive cancer (11/34 = 32.4%) when they got infected with COVID-19 had higher mortality as compared with patients whose cancer was under control (14/113 = 12.4%; p = 0.020). Complication of thromboembolic episodes (seen in eight patients; 5.4% cases) was associated with higher risk (25.6 times) of death (five-eighths; 62.5%) as compared with those who did not develop it (20/139;14.4%; p <0.001). Discussion Patients with cancer should be advised to take strict precautions to reduce the risk of being infected with COVID-19. They should also be given priority for COVID-19 vaccination. If infected with COVID-19, patients with hematological malignancy and uncontrolled cancer are at higher risk of morbidity and mortality. When they are being treated (OPD or inpatient basis), additional precautions are necessary to ensure their exposure to potential COVID-19 virus is minimized. If they get infected with COVID-19, they should be given aggressive treatment to prevent complications, especially thromboembolic episodes. If they develop any thromboembolic complication, their risk of dying are significantly higher, and management should be modified accordingly.

Endometriosis in the tract of transvaginal ovum pick up, a rare and late complication of in vitro fertilisation.

Endometriosis is a common and painful condition. We present a case of a 33-year-old woman who had delivered triplets after in vitro fertilisation (IVF) for male factor infertility. She did not have any clinical features suggestive of endometriosis before the IVF treatment. The patient presented 7 years after conception, with premensural and postmenstrual abdominal pain and intense pain on defecation. The patient was diagnosed to have endometriosis in the tract of transvaginal ovum pick up in the right pouch of Douglas and right distal uterosacral ligament. The patient underwent excision of a nodule of endometriosis. The patient is asymptomatic 1 month after surgery. Histopathology analysis revealed features suggestive of endometriosis. The needle ovum pick up tract must have implanted the endometriotic tissue near the pararectal tissue. This is an unreported and late complication of IVF treatment.

An Ayurveda Gargle Regimen in Management of Radiotherapy-induced Oral Mucositis.

Background Radiotherapy-induced oral mucositis (RIOM) in patients with head and neck cancer may lead to significant morbidity. OM may result in erythema, ulceration, and pseudomembrane formation. The usual time of onset is second or third week of radiotherapy (RT), after the doses of 16 to 18 Gy. OM may cause severe pain, significant weight loss, increased resource use, interruption or discontinuation of the treatment, and added cost of supportive care. Materials and Methods Patients who underwent RT and chemoradiation (CTRT) for head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) from 2015 to 2016 were included. The patients who were treated with the add-on Ayurveda gargle regimen (AGR) of sapthachhadadi gandoosham were evaluated against patients treated with standard symptomatic care (SSC). Statistical Analysis Chi-square test was used to compare the difference between the two groups in the present study with SPSS (SPSS version 20 for Windows package SPSS Science, Chicago, IL, USA). software. Result Grade III to IV OM was lower in the AGR group when compared with the SSC group ( p < 0.001). Onset of OM was significantly delayed in patients from the AGR group ( p < 0.001). Conclusion The AGR with sapthachhadadi gandoosham is effective in delaying the onset and reducing severity of OM in HNSCC, without compromising the rate of locoregional recurrence.

Retroperitoneal peripheral nerve sheath tumour of triton type-a case report.

The malignant peripheral nerve sheath tumour is the malignant counterpart to benign soft tissue tumours such as neurofibromas and schwannomas. Malignant Triton Tumour is a histological variant of malignant peripheral nerve sheath tumours with rhabdomyosarcomatous differentiation. They are known to develop in cases of neurofibromatosis type 1 (von Recklinghausen's disease). Malignant peripheral nerve sheath tumor is biologically an aggressive tumour for which the treatment of choice is surgery. Here we report a rare case of malignant peripheral nerve sheath tumour, not associated with neurofibromatosis type 1 and arising in the retroperitoneum.