Leukaemic Transformation of Multiple Myeloma in Post Chemotherapy Remission Phase.

Plasma cell leukaemia is diagnosed when plasma cells are >20% in the peripheral blood. Plasma cell leukaemia may be present at the time of diagnosis (primary plasma cell leukaemia) or may evolve from multiple myeloma (secondary plasma cell leukaemia). We report case of a 62-year-old male who was diagnosed with multiple myeloma. He was treated with combination of prednisolone, melphalan and thalidomide. After 6 years he had Worsening of symptoms and also developed a scalp swelling. The swelling was diagnosed as plasmacytoma on fine needle aspiration cytology and confirmed on histopathology. Complete haemogram showed-Haemoglobin - 8g/dl, Total Leucocyte Count - 4300/µl, Differential leucocyte count - Neutrophil-40%, Lymphocyte-28%, Eosinophil-01%, Monocyte-10%, Atypical cells-21%, Platelet count- 1.5 lacs/µl. Peripheral blood showed rouleaux formation and plasma cells. Serum protein electrophoresis revealed an M spike (3.26 g/dl). So, patient was diagnosed as secondary plasma cell leukaemia. Weekly bortezomib and dexamethasone combination chemotherapy was given to the patient. Patient is on monthly follow up. Here we present a detailed case history of this patient.

Extracting a large live freely floating cysticercosis cyst from the anterior chamber of the eye using visco expression technique: A case report.

Ocular involvement by cysticercosis is uncommon and rare in the anterior chamber. It can give rise to iridocyclitis which can be potentially blinding to the patient. The management is usually surgical. We report a case of 18-year-old girl with large cysticercosis cyst in the anterior chamber. The cyst was removed intact by viscoexpression technique from the anterior chamber of the eye and the patient achieved visual acuity of 6/9 post-operatively.

Cytodiagnosis of extraosseous mesenchymal chondrosarcoma of meninges: a case report.

BACKGROUND: Extraosseous mesenchymal chondrosarcoma (MC) is a rare neoplasm. Most reports in the literature are based on histologic diagnosis. Cases diagnosed on the basis of cytologic features are few. CASE: A 30-year-old woman presented with complaints of headache, vomiting and swelling in the right temporal region for the previous 2 months. Fine needle aspiration (FNA) smears showed scant material consisting mainly of monomorphic small round cells with granular cytoplasm and central round nuclei lying in a background of myxoid matrix. Occasional giant cells were also seen. Cells were periodic acid-Schiff negative. One of the smears showed a tiny fragment of cartilaginous component. A provisional diagnosis of extraosseous MC was made. Peroperatively the mass was arising from meninges and the diagnosis was confirmed by histology. CONCLUSION: Extraosseous MC should be considered in FNA smears showing small round cells in a myxoid background. Demonstration of cartilage and a correlation of clinical presentation and imaging studies with cytologic findings are important.

Helicobacter pylori in areas of gastric metaplasia in the gallbladder and isolation of H. pylori DNA from gallstones.

AIMS: To assess if the areas of gastric metaplasia in the gallbladder are colonised by Helicobacter pylori and to conduct a molecular study of gallstones for presence of H. pylori DNA. METHODS: Sections from 111 gallbladders with evidence of gastric metaplasia on H&E and Alcian blue-periodic acid-Schiff (pH 2.5) stain were stained with Loeffler's methylene blue and Warthin Starry stain for demonstration of H. pylori. Presence of H. pylori was confirmed by immunohistochemistry. Formalin fixed mucosal tissues and gallstones from 11 cases showing heavy colonisation were subjected to molecular analysis. RESULTS: Helicobacter pylori was present in 50 of 111 (45%) sections with gastric metaplasia. Areas adjacent to gastric metaplasia in gallbladder showed acute inflammation (6%) and lymphoid follicle formation in 58% of cases with H. pylori that were significantly higher than those seen in sections without H. pylori. In molecular study, 8 of 11 gallstones showed 16S rDNA. Amplification of material from one stone showed positivity for atpA, efp, mutY, ppa, trpC, UreI and vacA genes. Phylogenetic affiliation study of the isolates indicated that H. pylori sequence from the gallstones clustered with Indian strains of H. pylori. No considerable difference was observed in phylogenetic affiliations of eight stones studied. CONCLUSION: H. pylori colonises areas of gastric metaplasia in gallbladder producing histological changes similar to those seen in gastric mucosa. Isolation of H. pylori DNA from gallstones further support its presence in the gallbladder.

Prevalence of H. pylori in patients with gastric cancer.

The present study was taken with an aim to assess the prevalence of H. pylori in patients with gastric carcinoma and correlate it with gross appearance and histological type. Endoscopic biopsies from 54 patients with gastric carcinoma and 50 age and sex matched controls were taken after thorough upper gastrointestinal examination. Gross appearance of the tumour was noted and two biopsies each from the site of malignancy and from normal appearing areas were taken. Sections were stained with Haematoxylin & Eosin and Loeffler's methylene blue for histopathological details and presence of H. pylori. Prevalence of H. pylori in controls was slightly higher than the patients group (80% Vs 78%). Ulcerated type of gross appearance had maximum prevalence of H. pylori (88%). Prevalence of H. pylori was more in diffuse type of gastric cancer than intestinal type (86% Vs 68%). A significant association between H. pylori and grades of gastritis was noted (P < 0.01) in controls as well as in patient group but it failed to show a significant association with tumour grades, intestinal metaplasia, site of the tumour and age of the patients. So, it can be inferred that prevalence of H. pylori infection is not directly associated with pathogenesis of gastric cancer but it may act as a co-carcinogen by damaging the mucosa and thereby making it more susceptible to effects of carcinogen.

Factors influencing colonic involvement in patients with amebic liver abscess.

BACKGROUND: The frequency of colonic involvement in patients with amebic liver abscess has not been studied in detail. The factors influencing colonic involvement also are unknown. METHODS: Seventy-one patients with amebic liver abscess were studied. Colonoscopy was performed in all patients. RESULTS: Abdominal pain and fever were the most common presenting manifestations. Ten patients (14%) had diarrhea at admission. Ten other patients had a history of diarrhea during the preceding 2 months. Thirty-nine (55%) patients had colonic ulcers. Colonic ulcers were present in 18 of the 20 (90%) patients with ongoing diarrhea or a history of recent diarrhea, and in 21 of 51 (41%) patients without diarrhea (p<0.001). Thirty (42%) patients had small, discrete ulcers in the cecum, the ascending colon, or the region of the hepatic flexure. Nine patients had large, multiple ulcers with surrounding inflammation. In these patients, the ulcers were present either in the left colon (n=7) or throughout the colon (n=2). The mean (standard deviation) age of patients with 5 or more ulcers was significantly greater than that of patients with fewer than 5 ulcers (49.8 [14.6] years vs. 37 [11.7] years; p<0.05). Multiple ulcers were noted in 7 of the 10 patients (70%) with diarrhea at admission and in two of the 61 patients (3%) in whom diarrhea was not a presenting symptom (p<0.001). No association was noted between the location of the abscess in the liver and the colonic lesions. CONCLUSIONS: Colonic ulcers are a common finding, occurring in more than half of patients with amebic liver abscess. They are more likely to be present if the patient has diarrhea as a presenting symptom or has had diarrhea in the recent past. Multiple, large, and left-sided ulcers are more common in elderly patients and in those in whom diarrhea is the presenting symptom. However, there is no association between the location of the abscess in the liver and colonic lesions.