Primary osteogenic sarcoma of the skull: Report of two cases with review of literature.

Primary calvarial (excluding jaw) osteosarcoma is rare. We report two cases highlighting their unusual presentation and histopathologic variability - a 30-year-old female who presented with progressively increasing headache and a rapidly growing frontal swelling and a 16-year-old girl who had a rapidly growing mass in the left frontoparietal region which had recurred thrice but was otherwise asymptomatic. The lesions were osteolytic on neuroimaging and histopathological examination confirmed osteosarcoma. These two unusual cases are discussed along with a brief review of literature.

Feeding grape seed extract to horses: effects on health, intake and digestion.

A feeding trial involving four Thoroughbred race horses was undertaken to establish whether inclusion of grape seed extract (GSE) in the diet of horses undergoing mild exercise had any effects on their general health, intake and digestion. Supplementation with GSE had no effect on either feed or water intake of the horses and the supplement was readily palatable to the horses at all levels of inclusion. Feeding GSE caused no adverse effects in terms of animal health (temperature, pulse and respirations rates), and there were some positive effects related to a presumed alteration in fermentation in the hindgut. Feeding GSE increased faecal pH, changing from acid faeces (pH 6.6) when no GSE was fed to neutral faeces (pH 7.0) when 150 mg GSE/kg body weight (BW) was fed. In addition, blood glucose concentrations were significantly (P < 0.05) decreased when GSE was fed at 100 and 150 mg/kg BW (5.50 ± 0.26 and 5.32 ± 0.72 mmol/l, respectively) compared with the control diet (5.77 ± 0.31 mmol/l). The actual mechanisms causing these alterations are yet to be elucidated, but could have important implications for the prevention of acidosis.

Integrated positron emission tomography/computed tomography fusion imaging: an emerging gold standard in lung cancer.

Positron emission tomography (PET) has emerged as an important diagnostic tool in the management of lung cancers. Although PET is sensitive in detection of lung cancer, but FDG (2-deoxy-2- 18 fluro-D-glucose) is not tumor specific and may accumulate in a variety of nonmalignant conditions occasionally giving false positive result. Addition of CT to PET improves specificity foremost, but also sensitivity in tumor imaging. Thus, PET/CT fusion images are a more accurate test than either of its individual components and are probably also better than side-by-side viewing of images from both modalities. PET/CT fusion images are useful in differentiating between malignant and benign disease, fibrosis and recurrence, staging and in changing patient management to more appropriate therapy. With analysis and discussion it appears that PET/ CT fusion images have the potential to dramatically improve our ability to manage the patients with lung cancer and is contributing to our understanding of cancer cell biology and in development of new therapies.

Maternal knowledge regarding breast feeding and weaning practices.

The study assessed the knowledge of mothers of the high income group of urban Baroda, related to breast feeding and weaning. Forty mothers with children aged 4 to 18 months were studied. Knowledge and practices regarding breast feeding and weaning were assessed using pretested questionnaires. Results indicated that only half the mothers breast fed their babies on the first day. Breast feeding was stopped when the child was 3-6 months; top feeding and solid supplements were initiated at 4-6 months. Mainly commercial baby foods were used for weaning. Most mothers avoided 'dals' for the child because these were believed to be difficult to digest and produced gas in the child's stomach. Fifty percent of the mothers were not in favour of feeding the sick child with small frequent meals.

PIP: The study assessed maternal knowledge among high-income women in urban Baroda concerning breast feeding and weaning. 40 mothers with children ages 4-18 months were studied. Knowledge and practices regarding breastfeeding and weaning were assessed using pretested questionnaires. Results indicated that only 1/2 of the mothers breastfed their babies on the 1st day; breastfeeding was stopped when he child was 3-6 months, and top feeding and solid supplements were introduced at 4-6 months. Mainly commercial baby foods were used for weaning. Most mothers avoided "dals" for the child because these were believed to be difficult to digest and produced gas in the stomach. 50% of mothers were not in favor of feeding a sick child with small frequent meals.

A simple field test for identification of night-blindness.

A simple and replicable field test to measure dark adaptation time has been developed. It required a darkened room with a 5 watt bulb covered with a piece of black cloth, a spherical white object of 22 cm diameter suspended vertically from a horizontal string, a stool, a black curtain, a Maxwell electronic photographic flash unit and a stop-watch. The spherical object behind the closed curtain was hung 1.5 m away from the subject either to his left or right, or in the centre of the room. The seated subject was then exposed to 3 consecutive flashes, the curtain drawn, and the time taken to identify the position of the object was noted on the stop-watch. The test was conducted for 3 consecutive days on non-night blind young adult girls (n = 46) of the high income group (PC); underprivileged school-age children (n = 44) with a positive history of night-blindness (NB), and their age/sex pair-matched (n = 44) non-night-blind controls (NNB). The NB group had a significantly higher mean dark adaptation time as compared to the NNB and PC groups (14.9 sec vs 11.9 and 11.3 sec respectively). The mean serum vitamin A levels of NB, NNB and PC groups (15.8, 17.5 and 29.5 micrograms/dl respectively) were correlated with the dark adaptation times.