Pattern of occurrence of leukemia at a teaching hospital in eastern region of Nepal - a six year study.

INTRODUCTION: Pattern of leukemia is known to vary widely throughout the world. The characterization of distribution patterns of different subtypes of leukemia in Nepal needs further study. We wanted to study the leukemia pattern in our institute. METHODS: A retrospective study of 196 cases of leukemia, diagnosed at BPKIHS, between January 1997 to December 2002 was done. We analyzed the pattern of leukemia at BPKIHS by morphological subtype, gender, age at diagnosis, time period of diagnosis (seasonality), and geographic distribution. RESULTS: Morphological sub typing showed that 121 cases were of acute leukemia and 75 of chronic leukemia. Chronic myeloid leukemia constituted the single largest group comprising 35.2 % of all cases, followed by acute myeloid leukemia (28.57 %) and acute lymphoid leukemia (19.9 %). Maximum numbers of cases were from the lowlands while least number of cases were from the mountain districts. Results were compared with literature from Nepal and other countries. This is the second series of leukemia from Nepal. CONCLUSIONS: The data published in this study reflects the leukemia pattern in the eastern region of Nepal. The pattern and distribution of AML, CML, ALL was similar to that in the developed western countries while the lesser frequency of CLL was similar to that in Southeast Asian region.

Utility of gamma-glutamyl transpeptidase and mean corpuscular volume in alcoholic liver disease.

The present study was designed to establish the role of Gamma-glutamyl transpeptidase (gamma-GT) and mean corpuscular volume (MCV) in alcoholic liver disease (ALD). Serum gamma-GT, total and direct bilirubin, albumin, total protein, AST, ALT and ALP were assayed by standard methods in a clinical chemistry autoanalyser. MCV, Hb, PCV and RBC were measured by an automated cell counter. Activity of gamma-GT and MCV levels were significantly higher in the patients with ALD compared to controls. A gamma-GT level of > or = 25 U/l was found to be significantly associated with ALD. MCV level > or = 100 fl/l showed a significant association with ALD. An AST to ALT ratio > 1 was found in 92% of the patients. None of the patients showed an ALT level > or = 300 IU/l. The degree of AST elevation in the patients with ALD was higher (3.7 times) then ALT (3.2 times). A gamma-GT level > or = 25 IU/L and an MCV level > or = 100 fl/l stand as markers of heavy alcohol consumption in this study. An AST to ALT ratio > 1 was present in most of the patients with ALD. The degree of elevation of AST was higher than ALT in the patients with ALD.

A comparison of flow cytometry, bone marrow biopsy, and bone marrow aspirates in the detection of lymphoid infiltration in B cell disorders.

AIMS: To evaluate the diagnostic value of bone marrow aspirates, trephine biopsies (BMB), and flow cytometry (FC) in the assessment of bone marrow infiltration in chronic lymphoid disorders. METHODS: Investigations were carried out in 110 diagnostic and follow up specimens from B cell disorders, namely: chronic lymphocytic leukaemia (CLL; 65), non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL; 39), and hairy cell leukaemia (HCL; 6). A selected panel of monoclonal antibodies was used both for FC and immunohistochemistry. RESULTS: In CLL there was agreement between the three investigations in 71% of samples and in 88% when only FC and BMB were compared. In nine of 65 samples, FC and BMB were positive, although the aspirate was reported as negative. Four BMB negative samples had minimal residual disease (MRD) detected by FC, whereas two samples were positive both on BMB and aspirate but showed no evidence of disease on FC. In NHL, there was agreement between the three investigations in 22 of 39 cases, and in 27 of 39 cases there was agreement between FC and BMB. In eight of 39 NHL cases, FC was negative but the BMB was either positive (five) or uncertain (three), whereas in three of 39, FC was positive but BMB was either negative (one) or uncertain (two). In three of five uncertain BMB, no clonal population was detected by the polymerase chain reaction, whereas in the remaining two cases the nodular aggregates disappeared on further sectioning. CONCLUSIONS: Both BMB and FC are better than bone marrow aspirates for the detection of infiltration in B cell disorders. FC might be slightly more sensitive than BMB to detect MRD in CLL, whereas BMB may be slightly better than FC in NHL.

Primary liposarcoma of the omentum: a case report and review of the literature.

A case of round cell liposarcoma of omentum in a 45-year-old man is reported. The patient presented with abdominal pain, swelling and fever of 4-month duration. Abdominal ultrasonography and computed tomogram confirmed the presence of an abdominal mass, but the omental origin of the tumour was revealed only on laparotomy. In addition to the main tumour mass, multiple nodules were present in the omentum. The tumour was excised with omentum. Histopathology of the tumour revealed a round cell liposarcoma. The patient expired 9 months after operation. Eight other cases of liposarcoma of omentum reported in English literature are reviewed.

Neurogenic cyst of ovary: an unusual massive monodermal teratoma.

An unusual massive benign cystic monodermal teratoma of the ovary in a 14-year-old girl is reported. The multilocular cyst measured 80 x 70 x 80 cm and contained 23 l of fluid. The cyst wall composed of purely mature central nervous system tissue with a prominent microvasculature resting on a thin rim of ovarian cortical tissue. Immunohistochemical stains supported the diagnosis. To the best of our knowledge only one such case has been described in the literature.

An incidental case of breast cysticercosis associated with fibroadenoma.

It is unusual for cysticercosis to occur in the substance of the breast. Only a few cases have been described in the literature. We report a case of cysticercosis perched on fibroadenoma of breast found on surgical excision in a 35 year old Nepali woman. The patient had no discernible evidence of cysticercosis in the other organs.

Cutaneous metastatic adenocarcinoma.

A 55-year-old male presented with asymptomatic nodules and plaques on his scalp and pubic region of 2 months' duration. He was having productive cough, haemoptysis, chest pain, anorexia and weight loss and receiving antitubercular treatment for these symptoms for last 3 months. Clinical diagnosis of cutaneous metastatic disease was made. Chest x-ray revealed multiple coin shaped shadows on both sides with pleural effusion. Routine investigations were normal except for anemia and hyperuricemia. Biopsy of skin nodules showed features of metastatic adenocarcinoma. Features and significance of cutaneous metastases are discussed.

Lymphatic leishmaniasis--first case report from Nepal.

We report a case of exclusive involvement of lymph node in leishmaniasis presenting as generalized lymphadenopathy. The diagnosis of lymphatic leishmaniasis was confirmed by the presence of Leishmania donovani body in fine needle aspiration cytology, positive direct agglutination test and anti-rK39 antibodies. The bone marrow aspiration was negative for Leishmania donovani body. This is the first case of lymphatic leishmaniasis reported from Nepal.

Cystic granulosa cell tumor of the ovary--a case report.

A case of cystic granulosa cell tumor of ovary in a 32 year old woman is described. The patient presented with abdominal mass without any signs and symptoms of hyperestrinism and virilization. Ultrasonographically and grossly a diagnosis of benign cystadenoma was considered. Histopathology confirmed the diagnosis of cystic granulasa cell tumor.

Lymphangioma circumscriptum of the vulva mimicking genital wart: a case report and review of literature.

Lymphangioma circumscriptum (LC) is an uncommon dermatologic problem that rarely affects the vulva and it is considered to be a localised developmental defect of lymphatic tissue in the dermis. We report a case of vulval LC, clinically diagnosed as genital wart, in a 48-year-old woman without evidence of secondary lymphatic damage. The patient required extensive vulval surgery and there was no recurrence after 16 months.

Lichen planus after HBV vaccination in a child: a case report from Nepal.

Vaccination against hepatitis B virus has rarely been associated with lichen planus. We report a case of this kind in a child from Nepal. A 12-year-old boy had developed generalized itchy violaceous papules and plaques six weeks after the second dose of hepatitis B virus vaccine. Serum HBsAg and HBeAb were negative, but HBsAb was positive. New crops of generalized, similar eruptions developed after the booster dose of vaccine. All the lesions resolved within three months of systemic steroid therapy. There was no recurrence after one year of follow up. Awareness of such an association is necessary, especially in children, because vaccination campaigns are increasing.

Hydatid cyst presenting as a breast lump.

We report a 33-year-old woman who presented with a breast lump which, on pathological examination, was found to be a hydatid cyst. There was no evidence of any coexistent lesion elsewhere. To our knowledge, this represents the first case of hydatid disease of the breast reported from Nepal.

Reticulate acropigmentation of Kitamura: first case reports from Nepal.

Two young Nepalese females, aged 34 and 17 years, presented with multiple small brown macules in a reticulate pattern on the distal extensor aspects of their limbs. The first patient's daughter also had similar lesions. The second patient had similar lesions on her eyelids and palmar pits as well. The clinical diagnosis of reticulate acropigmentation of Kitamura (RAK) was made in both the patients and was confirmed histopathologically. These are the first case reports of this condition from Nepal.

Congenital infantile fibrosarcoma of the upper extremity.

Congenital-infantile fibrosarcoma is an unusual childhood tumor that occurs mainly in children under 5 years of age. More than 300 cases have been reported in the literature so far, very few of them at birth. A distinction must be made between it and its adult counterpart because of differences in their clinical behaviour. We report here a case of congenital fibrosarcoma in a 4-day-old female infant.

Lymphangiectatic fibrolipomatous polyp of the palatine tonsil.

A rare benign polypoid tumor of the right palatine tonsil is described in a 23 year old male. It contained dilated lymphatic channels surrounded by fibrous tissue and foci of mature fat. The features of this lesion add support to the hypothesis that benign tumors of tonsil may be hamartomas of tonsil rather than true neoplasms. The differential diagnosis of polypoid lesions of the tonsil is discussed.