Online teaching of undergraduates in pathology during COVID-19 pandemic: An opportunity to grab or dismiss?

Introduction: Covid 19 pandemic has brought human life one on one with the pace of growth. The indispensable lockdown and social distancing norms have posed challenges to continue education in various fields. Distance learning via online teaching has emerged as a savior in the pandemic. In the current scenario, it is very important to keep learners in the loop and obtain feedback from students at the end of online teaching, for understanding its strength and weaknesses which will eventually assist in developing strategies to improve its quality. We intend to share our experience with the online teaching. Materials and Methods: The study was conducted from March 2020 to Feb 2021, which includes 8 months of online teaching classes and practicals, one online examination (mid term exam), and 1 offline examination (final professional exam). The marks obtained by the students who attended online classes (batch II) in 2020-21 session was compared with previous batch i.e 2019-20 (batch I). Also the marks obtained by batch I during online exam (mid-term exam) were compared with their marks during offline exam (final professional exam). Results: Batch II scored higher marks than batch I in theory and practical (p-value < 0.05). However, the marks of viva for both batches were equitable. Conclusions: We feel that the online teaching is a reasonable alternative to conventional teaching in the current scenario.

Expression of VEGF-A, HER2/neu, and KRAS in gall bladder carcinoma and their correlation with clinico-pathological parameters.

BACKGROUND: Gall bladder carcinoma (GBC) is a multi-factorial disease, involving multiple genetic alterations. The present pilot study aims to explore some of the molecular pathways, by studying immunohistochemical (IHC) expression of biomarkers (HER2/neu, KRAS, and VEGF) in GBC with their correlation with various clinicopathological parameters. AIM OF THE STUDY: To study the expression of prognostic biomarkers (HER2/neu, KRAS and VEGF-A) in GBC and their correlation with clinico-morphological parameters. Materials and. METHODS: This prospective study was conducted over a period of 2 years. The study group included tissue of GBC (29) reported as malignant on histopathology and cholecystitis as a control group (29) for histopathological evaluation and IHC expression of above markers. RESULTS: HER2/neu was expressed in 27.5% cases, and KRAS in 51.6%; however, both showed no association with tumor type, stage and grade. No association was found in KRAS expression and dysplasia. Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor - A (VEGF-A) was expressed in 86.1% cases, of which strong positivity was seen in 48.27%; it showed significant association with tumor stage (P value-0.027, Fishers' exact test), hence possibly suggesting its role in tumor progression; though no association was found in VEGF expression with tumor type and grade. No significant association was seen with vascular and tumor invasion also. CONCLUSION: The results suggest that the VEGF-A expression may be used as a potential prognostic biomarker in GBC.

Cytological evaluation of pericardial fluids: A 5 years experience in tertiary care center.

BACKGROUND: Cytological examination of pericardial effusion fluids is important in diagnosing the etiology of underlying disease, staging, and prognosis of cancer. AIMS AND OBJECTIVES: (1) To study cytological evaluation of pericardial effusions in various pathological conditions in a tertiary care center. (2) To analyze their frequency and clincopathological correlation of the diagnosis. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Our study was a retrospective study performed in the Department of Pathology from 1st January 2012 to 31st December 2016. The study sample included all the pericardial effusions submitted in the pathology department for cytological evaluation. Clinical details and relevant parameters correlated with clinical findings. Each fluid underwent cytospin and cytocentrifuge along with preparation of conventional smears. RESULTS: Of 120 cases, 80% were of benign effusion and 20% were of malignant effusion. Male-to-female ratio was 1.44:1 with patient age ranging from 3 to 90 years. CONCLUSION: Benign effusions can been seen in younger age group and malignant ones in the older age group. The preliminary pericardial fluid analysis in resource-limited settings is the most convenient and cost-effective method for accurate diagnosis. It reduces the demand of invasive investigations and its complications. At times, it is the first test to point toward underlying malignant process thereby affecting the prognosis, survival, and treatment outcome of the patient.