Quality control of residual solvent content in polymeric microparticles.

Organic solvents are the innate part of pharmaceutical industry, playing vital role in the bulk drug substance as well as finished product manufacturing. Even though they are used for various crucial purposes, they still lack therapeutic beneficial effect and can be toxic if present in unacceptable limits in final product. Hence, their concentration must be regulated in the final pharmaceutical formulation. With the major development in the market of polymeric microparticles in past few decades, drug product manufacturers are paying more attention towards the development of new techniques for reducing residual solvent content of microparticles. This article sheds light on the importance of removal of organic volatile impurities from the formulation and its regulatory aspects. It also highlights how residual solvent affects various physicochemical characteristics of polymeric microparticles and suggests certain solutions as per the current state of art for limiting organic solvent content in the final product.

Injection site abscess due to Mycobacterium tuberculosis following DPT vaccination.

Injection site abscesses are not so uncommon and usually bacterial in origin. Very occasionally, these are due to mycobacteria, particularly rapidly growing non-tuberculous mycobacteria. Mycobacterium tuberculosis is rarely implicated as a cause of injection site abscess as documented in this report following DPT vaccination. Various possible mechanisms for such an unusual event are also briefly explored.

Cleidocranial dysplasia.

Cleidocranial dysplasia is a rare autosomal dominant condition with generalized dysplasia of bone, characterized by delayed closer of cranial sutures, hypoplastic or aplastic clavicles, short stature, dental abnormalities and a variety of other skeletal abnormalities. We present a seven-year-old female child presenting with classical features of cleidocranial dysplasia.

An unusual presentation of immotile-cilia syndrome with azoospermia: Case report and literature review.

Immotile-cilia syndrome is a rare disorder characterized by chronic recurrent sino-pulmonary infection, impaired tracheobronchial clearance, situs inversus in about 50% of cases, and living but immotile spermatozoa of normal morphology in semen analysis. In this report, we describe an unusual presentation of immotile-cilia syndrome with azoospermia in a 32-year-old male patient. The diagnosis was based on history of recurrent respiratory tract infection, bronchiectasis, maxillary sinusitis, hypoplasia of frontal sinuses, dextrocardia with situs inversus, impaired nasal mucociliary clearance, etc. Semen analysis revealed azoospermia without any evidence of obstruction in epididymides or vas deference. Normal spermatogenesis was seen on testicular biopsy.

Diphenylhydantoin (phenytoin)-induced chronic pulmonary disease.

Drug-induced respiratory diseases are difficult to diagnose and therefore usually not identified, probably underestimated and under-reported. We report a case of diphenylhydantoin/phenytoin-induced chronic pulmonary disease in a 62-year-old male patient presenting with progressive dyspnea, eosinophilia, and pulmonary abnormalities. The importance of drug history in clinical history-taking and early diagnosis of drug-induced respiratory diseases is emphasized so as to prevent permanent pulmonary damage.

Obstructive jaundice: a manifestation of pancreatic tuberculosis.

Tuberculosis of the pancreas is extremely rare and is most often associated with miliary tuberculosis or occurs in the immunocompromised patients. A case of isolated pancreatic tuberculosis in an immunocompetent patient is presented with constitutional symptoms and obstructive jaundice. Ultrasonography and computerised tomography showed a mass lesion in the head of pancreas. Histological examination of the peripancreatic lymph node and fine needle aspiration cytology from the head of pancreas confirmed the diagnosis following laparotomy. Patient recovered following the administration of antituberculosis chemotherapy.

Intrapleural streptokinase in multiloculated malignant pleural effusion.

Intrapleural administration of fibrinolytic agents has been shown to be effective and safe in the treatment of loculated parapneumonic effusions. Its use in multiloculated malignant pleural effusions has been rarely reported. We report a case of malignant multiloculated pleural effusion who failed to respond to standard chest tube drainage but showed dramatic and complete resolution with intrapleural streptokinase.