Antibodies in Aseptic Meningitis of Connective Tissue Disorder: A Case Report.

Mixed connective tissue disorder (MCTD) is the first overlap syndrome described with features of overlapping manifestations of at least two other autoimmune rheumatic conditions. It is an autoimmune disease of rarity and is strongly associated with specific antibodies to U1 small nuclear ribonucleoprotein (anti-U1-RNP). This disorder affects almost all organs of the body, and it has varied clinical presentations as it has an autoimmune and inflammatory background, causing heightened immune cell activation. They present more commonly with less fatal symptoms like joint pain, stiffness, and mucocutaneous changes. The majority present initially with Raynaud's phenomenon followed by muscular skeletal involvement and around half of them present with swallowing problems due to esophageal dysmotility. Rarely do they also present with more morbid symptoms of pulmonary hypertension and central nervous system involvement. MCTD on follow-up had a 10 percent association with neurological manifestations as reported by the National Organization for Rare Diseases (NORD), and the most reported diseases were trigeminal neuralgia and aseptic meningitis. Patients presenting with such symptoms and, when treated only with guideline-based antibiotics therapy, would delay the treatment, leading to a poorer prognosis. The following is an interesting case of a young female presenting with a headache, which was masquerading as an underlying undiagnosed connective tissue disorder. Headache is a predominant presentation that has several etiologies in autoimmune disease and meticulous differential diagnosis workup is a must. This case highlights the fact that any persistent atypical, unusual symptom needs to be always considered for further evaluation to arrive at a diagnosis and for a favorable outcome.

Imatinib-Induced Lichen Planus in Chronic Myeloid Leukemia: A Case Series.

Chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) is a myeloproliferative disorder in which the Philadelphia chromosome is the cytogenetic hallmark. It is characterized by the t (9;22) translocation, which in turn creates the chimeric BCR-ABL oncogene coding for a constitutively activated tyrosine kinase. Imatinib mesylate is a tyrosine kinase inhibitor that targets the BCR-ABL protein, c-KIT, and platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF) receptors and is used to treat CML, gastrointestinal stromal tumors, and dermato-fibrosarcoma protuberant. The development of the specific inhibitor of BCR-ABL tyrosine kinase has been a notable success and approved as the first-line treatment for CML. Although adverse cutaneous reactions to imatinib mesylate are not infrequent, their clinical and histopathological features have generally been poorly characterized. Here we report three rare cases of cutaneous lichenoid eruptions that occurred during the treatment of CML with imatinib mesylate.

Novel management of internal root resorption with vertical root fracture using mineral trioxide aggregate - A case report.

Introduction: This case report presents the diagnosis and management of extensive internal root resorption (IRR) in a 17-year-old male patient, with a 9-year-old history of trauma. Method: The affected tooth 21 was associated with vertical root fracture (VRF) and incomplete apex closure with a substantial loss of tooth structure, including dentin and cementum. Encouraged by a healthy periodontal condition, the choice was made to use mineral trioxide aggregate (MTA) to reconstruct and reinforce the resorptive defect and the fractured segment. A composite veneer was placed to enhance the aesthetics. Result: A follow-up of the patient after 2 years revealed healing with a resolution of the lesion. Conclusion: This case report highlights the use of MTA as a lone-standing filling material for the treatment of IRR with VRF in a non-vital immature tooth.

Induction of labor for a suspected large-for-gestational-age/macrosomic fetus.

Fetal macrosomia is defined as a birth weight of >4000 g, while the term large for gestational age (LGA) is defined as an estimated fetal weight >90th centile for gestational age. Current data indicate that a significant proportion of the babies are LGA. Pregnancies involving LGA babies are associated with increased maternal and perinatal morbidity including caesarean section, postpartum hemorrhage, shoulder dystocia, and birth trauma. To reduce these complications, labor induction has been suggested as a possible solution. However, despite some high-quality evidence in favor of labor induction for suspected macrosomia/LGA, existing guidelines do not support routine induction of labor in this population. The aim of this paper is to critically appraise the available evidence and clinical practice recommendations and highlight the importance of shared decision making and individualized care based on clear counselling regarding the lack of a sensitive diagnostic tool for estimating fetal weight in the third trimester.

Clinical characteristics and outcomes of COVID-19 patients with prediabetes.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: We aimed to examine the clinical characteristics and outcomes of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) patients with prediabetes. METHODS: This was a retrospective cohort study of 102 COVID-19 patients admitted to a tertiary care hospital in India between May and October 2020. RESULTS: Most patients had a poor clinical profile on admission. They had high rates of invasive mechanical ventilation (48%), intensive care unit admission (48%), complications (72.6%), and mortality (32.4%). CONCLUSION: People with prediabetes are at high risk for poor outcomes from COVID-19.

"We can't just have a casual conversation": An institutional ethnography-informed study of work in labour and birth.

Labour and delivery units often become contested workplaces with tensions between obstetrics, nursing, and midwifery practices. These tensions can impede communication and raise concerns about provider wellness and patient safety. Remedying such tensions requires inquiry into the drivers of recurrent problems in interprofessional practice. We engaged in change-oriented inquiry informed by institutional ethnography (IE) within an academic hospital in Toronto, Canada (2017-2019). Clinicians identified critical incident analysis reports used to document recurrent issues for transfers of care (TOC) and consultations between professionals. We then mapped the everyday/everynight work of midwives, nurses, and obstetricians by observing (75 h) and interviewing them (n = 15). We also traced work processes to local (forms and hospital policies) and external (national policies and evidence-based guidelines) texts. Our IE-informed analysis made visible the otherwise hidden links between the everyday work of practitioners and its social organization. Three intrapartum work processes involving midwives consulting with obstetricians were identified: induction of labour with TOC back to midwife once labour was "active", consultation without TOC, and TOC for various indications. Three points of disjuncture complicated these processes: (i) a local "3 consult rule", linked to medico-legal governance and remuneration structures; (ii) subjective interpretations of the "4-cm dilation rule", a policy meant to standardize practice; and (iii) regulations delaying the timing of consultations. The Electronic Fetal Monitoring system served as a powerful text, materializing issues of professional scope and autonomy for midwives, and medicolegal accountability for obstetricians. Our study extends extant evidence that medicine-driven governance of midwifery practices can perpetuate interprofessional challenges. While practitioners spoke of the three disjunctures as 'laws', most also viewed them as ostensibly modifiable. Interprofessional tensions may be addressed by considering how social organization, materialized in texts detailing medico-legal liability and remuneration, can constrain possible practices through regulatory protocols, local ruling policies, and cultural expectations (e.g., documentation practices).

Is anemia an independent risk factor for postpartum depression in women who have a cesarean section? - A prospective observational study.

BACKGROUND: The symptoms of anemia and depression are very similar suggesting that there may be an association between the two entities. The aim of this study is to assess whether postpartum anemia (PPA) is an independent risk factor for de novo postpartum depression (PPD)in women undergoing elective cesarean section. METHODS: Women after an uncomplicated term cesarean section were recruited and their hemoglobin and iron status were measured on day 3-5 post section and again at 6 weeks. Postpartum depression was screened using the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS) and functional capacity was assessed with the RAND 12-item Health survey. RESULTS: One hundred and three women completed the study. The incidence of probable postpartum depression (PPD) as defined by EPDS score ≥ 10 was 17% at 6 weeks. There was no difference in hemoglobin or iron status in women who had PPD compared to those without (OR-0.69; 95% CI-0.15-2.49). Similarly, there was no significant association between low hemoglobin and maternal functional status (OR -1.03; 95% CI-0.34 - 2.94). CONCLUSIONS: Neither anemia or low iron stores were found to be an independent risk factors for postpartum depression or decreased postpartum functional capacity in women who undergo an elective cesarean section.

Uterine Diverticulum With Fetal Leg Entrapment: A Case Report.

BACKGROUND: Uterine anomalies causing fetal complications are very rarely encountered in obstetric practice and thus pose a diagnostic dilemma. CASE: A multigravid patient attended the clinic for an ultrasound examination in the third trimester following a recent hospital admission for abdominal pain. Ultrasound imaging revealed a large uterine diverticulum in the right cornu of the uterus with evidence of fetal leg entrapment. Because of concerns of increased soft tissue edema in the entrapped leg, the patient was delivered at 35 weeks' gestation by elective CS. The CS was complicated by uterine rupture at the diverticular portion. The neonatal course was complicated by compartment syndrome of the leg, and the infant underwent surgery on post-delivery day one with good outcome. CONCLUSION: Uterine diverticula are rare anomalies, and once they are diagnosed, the possibility of entrapment of fetal parts or placenta in pregnancy should be considered.

Episiotomy Technique and Management of Anal Sphincter Tears-A Survey of Clinical Practice and Education.

OBJECTIVE: To ascertain current techniques of episiotomy used by obstetrics and gynaecology faculty members and residents in an academic department and to determine the current management strategies for third and fourth degree tears. METHOD: A 14-question anonymous online survey was circulated to all faculty members and residents in the University of Toronto Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology between October 2015 and March 2016. Results were analyzed descriptively or with Fisher exact test. RESULTS: The survey response rate was 65.5% (169/258) among 108 faculty members and 61 residents. A history of clinical teaching regarding episiotomy was reported by 87% of faculty members and 75.4% of residents. Right mediolateral episiotomy was the most frequently used method among faculty members (88.0%) and residents (95.1%). The majority of respondents indicated that they would use an end-to-end technique for repair in the labour and delivery room under regional anaesthesia. Prophylactic antibiotics were never prescribed by 18.5% of faculty members and 13.1% of residents for third or fourth degree tears. In analysis by type of training, respondents who had taken a workshop or formal class were significantly more likely to prescribe physiotherapy postpartum (P = 0.001). CONCLUSION: The most common reported method of learning episiotomy was clinical experience. A substantial number of responses differed from current SOGC guidelines for episiotomy technique and repair and management of anal sphincter injury. We propose developing a workshop and/or simulation-based method of instruction for episiotomy technique and repair.

Syringocysadenoma papilliferum of the vulva: a rarity in gynaecology.

A case of syringocystadenoma papilliferum of the vulva in a 36-year-old woman is reported .The patient presented with a single cystic lesion on the left labia minora of 8 years duration with a recent increase in size and redness around the lesion. Examination revealed a polypoid cystic lesion with no regional lymphadenopathy. An excision biopsy was performed under general anaesthesia and the specimen was subjected to histological examination. Histopathology revealed closely excised syringocystadenoma papilliferum. On follow-up, the patient was asymptomatic and the wound had healed well.