Duration of stenting with Montgomery T-tubes in severe laryngotracheal stenosis: does it matter?

OBJECTIVE: Laryngotracheal stenosis management remains largely discretionary in surgical practice. Duration of stenting remains variable following open reconstruction procedures in absence of clearly established differences. The current study evaluates successful decannulation after short-term periods compared with longer periods. METHOD: A comparative study over 18 months evaluated differences in successful decannulation between short- and long-term stent groups. Patients with grade II, III or IV laryngotracheal stenosis were placed on Montgomery T-tube for a short-term period (n = 15), and decannulation rates were compared with age-, sex- and diagnosis-matched patients (n = 15) from historical cases with long-term stent placement. RESULTS: Thirty patients were included. There was no difference between the two groups at baseline. Nine patients (30 per cent) were successfully decannulated, and there was no difference in rates of decannulation between the two groups (p = 0.8). Granulations at the proximal end of tube (38.7 per cent), superior migration of tube (16.1 per cent) and dysphonia (12.9 per cent) were common complications. CONCLUSION: Decannulation was not more successful after placing Montgomery T-tubes for longer periods of time when compared with removal within the first three months. Early removal after proper case selection and planning may be considered for a successful outcome in laryngotracheal stenosis.

Tattoo in forensic science: An Indian perspective.

BACKGROUND: - Tattoos refer to various skin markings done by impregnating the skin's epidermis with varied pigments. In forensic science, tattoos are considered as secondary identification markers and can be used for positive identification. Indian society is a unique blend of traditional and modern religious and social practices. Thus, traditional tattoos are still prevalent among various tribal societies and scheduled castes spread throughout various parts of India. The tribal tattoos can be used to determine tribal affiliations, that can aid in the process of forensic identification. On the other hand, tattoos comprising Western-influenced designs as well as individuals co-opting traditional designs gradually are becoming more popular in urbanized India. Understanding and documenting the various tattoo patterns prevalent throughout the tribal population and the modern metropolitan cities can help create a reference base line data for future forensic identification.

Qualitative assessment of the dental groove pattern and its uniqueness for forensic identification.

INTRODUCTION: Teeth are invaluable in both the living and the deceased for forensic identification and profiling purposes. The occlusal surface patterns in the molars of an individual depend on both intrinsic and extrinsic factors. The individualistic nature of the groove pattern can be used to determine the identity of an individual by the process of comparative identification. AIM AND OBJECTIVE: The objective of this study is to determine the uniqueness of the groove pattern among individuals by the means of digital analysis. MATERIALS AND METHODS: An experimental study was conducted on 80 dental casts where the occlusal groove patterns of 1st and 2nd molars from each cast were traced digitally using image analysis software GIMP (v 2.10.6). The traced patterns were then examined to determine their uniqueness. RESULTS: The most common groove patterns for the maxillary 1st and 2nd molars were found to resemble "Branched H" and "H", respectively. "Y" pattern was observed to be the most common in mandibular 1st molar, whereas mandibular 2nd molar most commonly exhibited "+" pattern. No two groove patterns were similar in the analysis. CONCLUSION: Digital method of analysis is preferable over conventional manual methods as it is noninvasive and precise. The individualistic nature of occlusal groove patterns may play an important role in comparative forensic identification.

Kyasanur Forest Disease (KFD): Rare Disease of Zoonotic Origin.

Kyasanur forest disease (KFD) is a rare tick borne zoonotic disease that causes acute febrile hemorrhagic illness in humans and monkeys especially in southern part of India. The disease is caused by highly pathogenic KFD virus (KFDV) which belongs to member of the genus Flavivirus and family Flaviviridae. The disease is transmitted to monkeys and humans by infective tick Haemaphysalisspinigera. Seasonal outbreaks are expected to occur during the months of January to June. The aim of this paper is to briefly summarize the epidemiology, mode of transmission of KFD virus, clinical findings, diagnosis, treatment, control and prevention of the disease..

A new library of C-16 modified artemisinin analogs and evaluation of their anti-parasitic activities.

A library of C-16 modified artemisinin analogs was prepared and their antimalarial as well as antileishmanial activities were evaluated. Synthesis of these compounds involved the conversion of artemisinin to its phenol derivatives 7 and 12, and subsequent parallel derivatization by introducing new chemical groups through ester, carbamate, sulfate, phosphate and isourea linkages. Comparison of in vitro antimalarial activities showed that C9-beta artemisinin analogs (8a-f) are more potent than the corresponding C9-alpha diastereomers (9a-f); however, their antileishmanial activities were in the same range. Many of the 10-deoxoartemisinin analogs studied here showed promising antiparasitic activities. For example, compounds 13a-e are approximately three times more active against drug resistant W2 strain of P. falciparum, compared to artemisinin (IC(50), approximately 0.2 - 0.6 nM; cf. artemisinin = 1.6 nM). Further, a number of compounds in this series were notably leishmanicidal, with activities comparable to or better than pentamidine (e.g., 13g and 13j). Detailed in vivo studies involving these active compounds are underway to identify lead candidates for further development.

Tuberculosis arising at the site of physical injury: eight case histories.

Eight patients who developed tuberculosis at the site of a recent injury are described. They were all in apparent good health before and at the time of the injury. There are only two precedents of such cases in the literature, and the possible pathogenetic mechanisms are discussed.