Validation of Hematological Markers in Early Onset Neonatal Sepsis.

Background Neonatal sepsis is considered a ubiquitous worldwide cause of mortality and morbidity in newborn infants. The incidence is 10-50 per 1000 live births. Neutrophil to lymphocyte ratio (NLR) is an easily accessible and cost-effective hematological marker for prompt diagnosis of neonatal sepsis. Aim and objectives The purpose of this study was to analyze the clinical significance of NLR in neonates clinically diagnosed with sepsis and its impact on the management. Methods This retrospective study was conducted on 265 neonates diagnosed with sepsis and compared with 341 healthy controls. The statistical analysis was performed by using the Student's t-test to compare the variables. Result Median NLR levels were significantly higher in patients than in controls. NLR had a modest power of predicting neonatal sepsis, as suggested by an area under a curve of 0.569. Conclusion NLR is an important predictor of neonatal sepsis. There is a significant modest positive correlation between NLR and sepsis.

The Ewing's sarcoma of cervical spine-a rare occurrence.

INTRODUCTION: Ewing's sarcoma is a Primary Neuroectodermal Tumour (PNET) commonly affecting appendicular skeleton. The involvement of axial skeleton is very rare and that too of cervical spine is rarest. We present a case of Ewing's sarcoma involving cervical spine managed surgically, and its outcome. CASE PRESENTATION: A 26-year-old male presented with 3-month history of neck pain and progressive motor weakness for 1 week. After clinical evaluation of sign and symptoms, MRI of cervical spine revealed a posterior neck mass over C2, C3 and C4. Because of mass effect and spinal cord compression, early surgical intervention was deemed necessary to stop progression of neurological deficit and make tissue diagnosis of lesion. On histopathological examination diagnosis of Ewing sarcoma was made. PET-CT showed C2 and C3 as primary site of involvement with no other site of involvement. DISCUSSION: The Ewing's Sarcoma of the cervical spine is a rare occurrence and usually present in late and advanced stage. High index of suspicion should be present to make early diagnosis and prevent complications.

Young Onset Polyarticular Tophaceous Gout: Rare and Aggressive.

Gouty tophi indicate a symptom of chronic gout as a result of an accumulation of monosodium urate crystals in tissues and joints, which is the most predominantly seen form of inflammatory arthritis in the middle-aged and elderly. The rarity with which it is encountered in young adults makes this a formidable diagnostic challenge. In this report, we describe the clinical and cytopathological features of a rare aggressive case of polyarticular tophaceous gout in a young 25-year-old man with atypical involvement of hands, elbow, ankle, and feet to emphasize the importance of considering this disease entity in the differential diagnosis of multiple soft tissue masses in this age bracket as well.

Idiopathic Lipoid Pneumonia: An incidental finding in autopsy specimen.

Lipoid pneumonia is a rare form of pneumonia which was initially described to be caused by inhalation or aspiration of fatty substances. Certain autopsy studies have reported the incidence to be 1.0-2.5%. Based on the mode of lipid acquisition, it has been classified into endogenous, exogenous or idiopathic types. Almost 50% of the patients with lipoid pneumonia are asymptomatic, and may be discovered by chance during routine chest imaging. In symptomatic patients, the symptoms are non- specific. However, it can produce inflammatory pneumonitis that can progress to irreversible pulmonary fibrosis as seen in our case. We present a case of a 53-year-old deceased male. A piece of one of his lungs was received after autopsy, which appeared normal grossly. There was no history of any illness before death. Microscopy revealed interstitial fibrosis with collection of foamy macrophages in alveolar spaces and cholesterol crystals surrounded by inflammatory reaction including occasional giant cells. The clinical picture and radiologic changes in cases of lipoid pneumonia can mimic bacterial pneumonia and tuberculosis. The occupational history is of extreme importance and should always be investigated.

A rare case of mesenteric vessel thrombosis post caesarian section-An underdiagnosed entity.

INTRODUCTION: Respiratory distress is an uncommon clinical event after caesarean section and occurs due to pulmonary thromboembolism. Various causes of pulmonary thromboembolism are thrombophlebitis, ovarian venous thrombosis and mesenteric vein thrombosis. PRESENTATION OF CASE: We report a case of 30 year old female who presented with respiratory distress after eight days of uneventful caesarian section. On emergency explorative laparotomy, small gut was found to be gangrenous, so resection of the segment was performed. On histopathological examination, there was ischaemic necrosis of bowel with presence of large thrombus in mesenteric vessel. On correlating radiological findings of pulmonary thromboembolism and mesenteric vessel thrombosis with bad obstetric history, a possibility of Antiphospholipid syndrome (APS) was suggested in this case. Unfortunately, patient died the day following laparotomy so there was insufficient time to evaluate the patient for thrombophilic disorders. DISCUSSION: Pregnancy and perpeurium are associated with higher risk of thrombosis as these are hypercoagulable states. Operative delivery and history of thrombophilia in previous pregnancies (APS) are other predisposing factors which lead to increased thrombotic state and pulmonary thromboembolism. CONCLUSION: High index of suspicion for thrombophilic disorders is required in postpartum patients presenting with respiratory distress as prompt diagnosis and urgent intervention can save patient's life.

Association of coagulation profile with microvascular complications and glycemic control in type 2 diabetes mellitus - a study at a tertiary care center in Delhi.

INTRODUCTION: Type 2 diabetes mellitus, characterized by insulin resistance, corresponds to approximately 90% of cases of diabetes worldwide. Hyperglycemia in diabetes contributes to hyperfibrinogenemia and activates the coagulation cascade thereby producing atherothrombotic events. OBJECTIVES: This study was designed to evaluate the coagulation profile (activated partial thromboplastin time, prothrombin time and fibrinogen) in Type 2 diabetes and to analyze correlations between body mass index, fasting blood glucose, glycated hemoglobin and duration of diabetes with coagulation parameters. METHODS: This study included 60 type 2 diabetics and 30 controls. Diabetic patients were grouped in two sets based on the presence or absence of microvascular complications. The demographic profile and clinical details were recorded. Fasting blood glucose, glycated hemoglobin, coagulation parameters such as prothrombin time, activated partial thromboplastin time and fibrinogen along with other biochemical parameters were investigated. RESULTS: There were statistically significant differences in the coagulation parameters between the two groups of diabetics (with and without complications). The present study also found significant correlations between age and the duration of diabetes with and without complications and coagulation parameters such as the activated partial thromboplastin time, which was found to be significantly lower, and fibrinogen, which was found to be significantly higher in subjects with complications compared to subjects without complications. CONCLUSION: Clinical tests for prothrombin time, activated partial thromboplastin time and fibrinogen are relatively inexpensive and readily available. The present study shows that shortened prothrombin time, activated partial thromboplastin time and increased fibrinogen levels might be useful hemostatic markers in diabetic patients, especially in those at high-risk for thrombotic complications.

Malignant Spindle Cell Tumor Breast-a Diagnostic Dilemma.

Primary malignant spindle cell tumors are rare constituting 1.0% of breast malignancies. Spindle cell lesions occurring in soft tissues can occur in breast with overlapping morphologies. It can present as benign lesion and have inconclusive cytological findings, so easily missed if not properly dealt with. Stromal sarcoma should be diagnosed only after thorough sectioning and negative staining for p63, broad spectrum, and high molecular weight keratin. We present a case of right breast lump. Cytological features revealed fibro histiocytic lesion. There were no areas of necrosis, hemorrhage, or calcification. Histopathologically, it showed partially encapsulated tumor with cells arranged in sheets, composed of oval to epithelioid cells with spindling at places with moderate pleomorphism (mitotic activity 6-7/10 hpf). Differential diagnosis of primary stromal sarcoma, metaplastic sarcoma, and phyllodes was made. Immunohistochemistry revealed vimentin positivity with focal positivity of S-100. Desmin, cytokeratin and smooth muscle actin, p63, ER, PR, and Her2-neu were negative. A final diagnosis of primary breast sarcoma of neural origin was established with the help of histopathology and immunohistochemistry. To conclude, it is of utmost importance to identify primary stromal sarcomas as they are known to spread very rapidly and have a poor prognosis.

Idiopathic Lipoid Pneumonia: An incidental finding in autopsy specimen

Phosphorus is a nonmetallic irritant used in various sectors like rodenticide, firecracker industries, match industries, and fertilizers. Phosphorus poisoning is responsible for deaths among children and adults. Accidental yellow phosphorus poisoning is frequently reported in children, whereas suicidal consumption is not uncommon amongst adults. Herein, we present the case of a 30-year-old female patient who ingested Ratol paste containing yellow phosphorus in an attempt to commit suicide. Her initial chief complaints were nausea, vomiting along with loose motion during hospitalization, followed by a symptomless phase with stable vitals on the 2nd day, and managed conservatively. She took discharge against the medical advice. Later on, she was readmitted in the same hospital, after two days, complaining of generalized weakness, bodily pain, drowsiness, loss of appetite, and breathing difficulties. She developed severe complications due to the intoxication and died. An autopsy was performed. The histopathological and the toxicological examination were carried out. We found characteristic features in different organs due to yellow phosphorus toxicity. We concluded the cause of death as hepatic encephalopathy and multi-organ dysfunction syndrome caused by the yellow phosphorus poisoning.

Association of coagulation profile with microvascular complications and glycemic control in type 2 diabetes mellitus - a study at a tertiary care center in Delhi

Abstract Introduction Type 2 diabetes mellitus, characterized by insulin resistance, corresponds to approximately 90% of cases of diabetes worldwide. Hyperglycemia in diabetes contributes to hyperfibrinogenemia and activates the coagulation cascade thereby producing atherothrombotic events. Objectives This study was designed to evaluate the coagulation profile (activated partial thromboplastin time, prothrombin time and fibrinogen) in Type 2 diabetes and to analyze correlations between body mass index, fasting blood glucose, glycated hemoglobin and duration of diabetes with coagulation parameters. Methods This study included 60 type 2 diabetics and 30 controls. Diabetic patients were grouped in two sets based on the presence or absence of microvascular complications. The demographic profile and clinical details were recorded. Fasting blood glucose, glycated hemoglobin, coagulation parameters such as prothrombin time, activated partial thromboplastin time and fibrinogen along with other biochemical parameters were investigated. Results There were statistically significant differences in the coagulation parameters between the two groups of diabetics (with and without complications). The present study also found significant correlations between age and the duration of diabetes with and without complications and coagulation parameters such as the activated partial thromboplastin time, which was found to be significantly lower, and fibrinogen, which was found to be significantly higher in subjects with complications compared to subjects without complications. Conclusion Clinical tests for prothrombin time, activated partial thromboplastin time and fibrinogen are relatively inexpensive and readily available. The present study shows that shortened prothrombin time, activated partial thromboplastin time and increased fibrinogen levels might be useful hemostatic markers in diabetic patients, especially in those at high-risk for thrombotic complications.