Is small placenta a risk for low birth weight in KOKAN? (Data from a coastal region in the state of Maharashtra, India).

KOKAN region is characterized by undernutrition across all stages of lifecycle. Developmental Origins of Health & Disease hypothesis suggests that environmental influences in the early period of growth and development can contribute to the risks of noncommunicable diseases (NCD) in adulthood. Newborns and placentas of 815 pregnant mothers delivered in a rural hospital were studied. We tested the hypothesis that low placental weight will be associated with low birth weight (LBW). Mothers had a mean age of 26 years and were smaller in size at delivery [mean height of 152.1 cm (±6.1 cm), weight 52 kg (±10.2 kg), body mass index (BMI) 22.5 kg/m2 (±4.1 kg/m2)]. Mean placental weight was 488 g (±120 g). Mean birth weight, length, and head circumference of the newborn were 2.54 kg (±0.5 kg), 46.3 cm (±3.1 cm), and 32.7 cm (±1.7 cm), respectively. Prevalence of LBW, stunting, and small head size was 41.6%, 42.2%, and 18.2%, respectively. Maternal height, weight, and BMI at delivery were all positively associated with placental weight (p < 0.01 for all). Mothers with placentas in the lowest placental weight tertile had an increased likelihood of producing an LBW baby [OR 7.7, 95% CI (5.0, 11.8)], a stunted baby [OR 1.9 (1.4, 2.9)], or a baby with a small head circumference [OR 2.4 (1.4, 4.0)]. Mothers in the lowest height tertile had odds of producing a LBW baby [OR 1.8 95% CI (1.2, 2.7)] or a stunted baby [OR 1.6 (1.1, 2.3)]. There is a need to improve the nutritional status of women in KOKAN region which may reduce the risk of NCD.

aDolescent and prEconception health peRspectiVe of Adult Non-communicable diseases (DERVAN): protocol for rural prospective adolescent girls cohort study in Ratnagiri district of Konkan region of India (DERVAN-1).

INTRODUCTION: Precise impact of nutritional insufficiencies in adolescence as a risk factor for non-communicable diseases (NCD) in later life as adults remains largely unknown.We are conducting research into the effects of nutrition on adolescent girls of Ratnagiri district by a prospective cohort study (aDolescent and prEconception health peRspectiVe of Adult Non-communicable diseases cohort). Our study focuses on the physical health, nutritional parameters and cognitive profiles of adolescent girls, during the prenatal and postnatal period and we aim to follow this cohort and their offspring for 20 years. METHODS AND ANALYSIS: Cohort recruitment began in June 2019. Our aim is to recruit more than 1500 adolescent girls, age 16-18 years, over a period of 3 years. The recruit's cognition, diet and physical activity will be recorded. The following investigations will be performed: body composition by anthropometry and bioimpedence, and blood pressure, fasting blood sample to measure glucose, insulin, lipids, micronutrients and hormones, abdominal ultrasonography to measure liver, pancreas and kidneys.A biorepository has been created for long-term storage of blood, urine and saliva samples for future analysis. By this longitudinal study, we aim to identify the effects of malnutrition on the behavioural and biological measures in adolescent subjects and evaluate if these are associated with the onset of NCDs in adulthood. ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION: Institutional Ethic Committee (IEC) of BKL Walawalkar Rural Medical College and Hospital has granted the permission to carry out the study. IEC is registered with Government of India. Its registration code is EC/755/INST/MH/2015/RR-18. It is not a clinical trial but as required we have also registered the study on Clinical Trial Registry of India (CTRI). The registration code is CTRI/2019/04/018453.Appropriate written informed consent and assent are obtained from the parents and the adolescent girls, respectively. We plan to publish our results in peer-reviewed journals.

Meningioma with the unique coexistence of secretory and lipomatous components: A case report with immunohistochemical study.

Meningioma is the most common extra-axial neoplasm which accounts for 30% of all intracranial tumors with a female predilection. These tumors exhibit a broad spectrum of differentiation potency corresponding to different histological subtypes. Meningothelial cells can rarely show separate secretory or lipomatous (metaplastic) transformation. The coexistence of these two different histological subtypes in a single meningeal tumor is extremely rare with only two reported cases. We report an uncommon case of meningioma in a 40-year-old female showing histological admixture of both secretory and lipomatous (metaplastic) meningioma, which to our knowledge is only the third reported case in the world. It highlights the multipotency of phenotypic transformation of primary meningothelial cells. This rare tumor behaves in a fashion similar to benign meningioma of WHO Grade I type.

Primary Localized Vesical Amyloidosis Mimicking Bladder Carcinoma: A Case Report.

Amyloidosis of urinary bladder is a rare condition and may be primary or secondary in nature. A case of primary localized vesical amyloidosis (VA) in a 40-yr-old man is described which was confused with neoplasm by cystoscopic, urographic and other studies. Surgical specimens obtained by transurethral resection (TUR) were diagnostic and histologically revealed amyloid deposits in sub-epithelial stroma with chronic inflammatory and giant-cell reaction. Congo-red staining proved its amyloid nature. It was resistant to potassium permanganate (KMnO4) pretreatment, indicating it to be of the AL type.

Tuberculous neuritis: a rare sequel of a common disease.

Tuberculosis (TB), a disease caused by Mycobacterium tuberculosis is an infectious disease that continues to be a significant health problem in a developing country like India. The cause of peripheral neuropathy associated with tuberculosis is controversial. Possibilities include the toxic effects of anti-tuberculous chemotherapy (especially, rifampicin, streptomycin & ethambutol), immune mediated neuropathy, direct invasion of nerves, vasculitic neuropathy, compressive neuropathy, and meningitic reaction. This report describes an unusual finding of tuberculous granulomas in the peripheral nerve (Greater auricular nerve) of a patient ,who presented with a painful neck swelling. Granulomas were present in Greater auricular nerve (C2,C3) biopsy specimen associated with tuberculous peri-neuritis, but with no more specific indications of the mechanism of the neuropathy.

Rosai-Dorfman disease: A rare clinico-pathological presentation.

Rosai-Dorfman disease (RDD) is also known as Sinus Histiocytosis with Massive Lymphadenopathy (SHML). It is a rare, benign, self-limiting disease of phagocytic histiocytes affecting a young age group presenting with massive painless cervical lymphadenopathy. RDD has nodal and also extra-nodal involvement with episodes of exacerbation and remissions, whose aetiology remains poorly elucidated. It is highly variable in its clinical presentation and response to treatment. Its treatment is poorly defined but the prognosis is usually favourable. Here we are reporting a rare, unusual clinical presentation of cervical lymphadenopathy and nasal mass diagnosed as RDD with cyto-histopathological correlation. Only a few such cases have been reported in the literature. We also emphasise that clinicians and pathologists should always be aware of RDD in making a differential diagnosis of cervical lymphadenopathy.

Kaposi Sarcoma as Initial Presentation of HIV Infection.

CONTEXT: Kaposi's sarcoma (KS), a vascular tumor that manifests as nodular lesions on the skin and to a lesser extent, the visceral organs, is the most common neoplasm encountered in human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-infected patients. It consists of an angiosarcomatous change of not only the epithelial and mucous membrane-associated connective tissue in various sites, for example, skin, gastrointestinal system, lungs, and so on, but may also involve non-epithelial organs, such as lymph nodes. Surgical excision is the line of management for the tumor. CASE REPORT: We present one case of a 65-year-old heterosexual Indian male, clinically unsuspected for acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) who presented with multiple non-blanching, bluish-red nodules on all extremities, chest, back and bilateral submandibular and cervical lymphadenopathy. Fine needle aspiration cytology (FNAC) was performed from subcutaneous nodule and lymph node. Smears showed hypercellular plump spindle cell groups in a hemorrhagic background. Diagnosis was given as low-grade spindle cell neoplasm consistent with KS, which was later confirmed on histopathology. CONCLUSION: The first line diagnostic aid of FNAC has several advantages over the traditional biopsy in testing such vascular tumors. The latter is generally needed for confirmation of KS. However, FNAC of such vascular tumors has advantages of better patient compliance, ease of procedure, no recurrences, and safety in immuno-compromised patients. Ancillary studies can be done on aspirates along with polymerase chain reaction (PCR) amplification techniques in confirming the detection of associated human herpes virus-8 (HHV-8) infection with KS.