ABSTRACT
Background: Myopia is a common condition affecting a significant proportion of the pediatric population in Asian countries. Aim and Objectives: This study was undertaken to investigate the associations of optical coherence tomography measurements of macular volume and macular thickness with refractive error and axial length in Indian children. Materials and Methods: The prospective observational study was carried out at MRA Medical College, Ambedkar Nagar, Uttar Pradesh. We enrolled 300 consecutive cases (190 cases and 110 controls) of pediatric age group (6–18 years) between January 2015 and December 2018. Pearson’s correlation was performed with refractive errors, axial length, macular thickness, and volume. Results: Children with myopia (SE ?0.5–?4.57 D) tended to have smaller total macular volume and thinner macular thickness as, compared to control. The correlation of macular thickness and macular volume was analyzed with spherical equivalent (SE) and axial length. Macular thickness had negative correlation with SE and positive with axial length, correlation coefficients being observed as (r = ?0.886 and 0.880, P ? 0.001). Total macular volume correlated negatively with SE, (r= ?0.771, P ?0.001) and positively with axial length (r = 0.764, P ?0.001). Conclusion: Increasing axial myopia was associated with increased macular volume and thickness. It establishes the importance of the fact that refractive error should be considered in the interpretation of macular thickness.
ABSTRACT
Purpose of Study: The western and North-Western parts of India are usually considered non-endemic for histoplasmosis. On the contrary, we observe histoplasmosis cases with relatively higher frequency from this region although the awareness and laboratory facility to diagnose the disease are not adequate. Hence, we planned the present retrospective study to compile the cases and to analyse different clinical parameters. Materials and Methods: Medical records of the patients diagnosed with histoplasmosis during January 2012–August 2017 at two infectious disease clinics of Ahmedabad were included in this study. Results: During the study, 12 cases of histoplasmosis were diagnosed. The median age of the patients was 53 years; all males except one. The diagnosis of histoplasmosis was confirmed on histopathology for 11 cases, and one patient was diagnosed as probable histoplasmosis. The patients were either from Gujarat or Rajasthan without any travel history to endemic zone of histoplasmosis, except one patient. The majority (67%) of the patients had no apparent immunosuppression. Adrenal enlargement, oral ulcers and lymphadenopathy were common presentations in four patients each. We lost two patients in follow-up, and rest 10 patients responded to either to amphotericin B deoxycholate and/or itraconazole therapy. Conclusion: This study highlights that Gujarat and Rajasthan are an endemic region for histoplasmosis, and a systematic study is required to understand epidemiology of the disease. Histoplasmosis should be a differential diagnosis in a patient presenting with adrenal enlargement, lymphadenopathy, oral ulcers and fever of unknown origin in this region.
ABSTRACT
Bovine tropical theileriosis caused by Theileria annulata is a tick-borne disease associated with high morbidity and mortality in the livestock. The conventional method of diagnosis is by the demonstration of the parasite stages by microscopic examination. This method suffers from low sensitivity, making it even more difficult to detect piroplasms in the carriers. PCR based assays are known to be more sensitive. The present study was undertaken to detect and quantify T. annulata in the blood of clinically infected and carrier animals using a quantitative PCR protocol targeting the gene encoding the major merozoite piroplasm surface antigen Tams 1. A total of 116 samples were collected from infected as well as apparently healthy cattle and buffaloes. Of these, 74 samples (63.79%) were positive for T. annulata by real-time PCR, including the 15 samples that were positive by Giemsa staining. The parasite load ranged from 1.39 x 106 to 3.35 x 109 and 0.35 x 106 to 2.83 x 107 ml-1 of blood in cattle and buffalo samples, respectively by qPCR. Our study suggests that real-time PCR assay can be used to detect and quantify the load of T. annulata in the blood of cattle and buffaloes. It also serves as a support to clinical diagnosis and assessment of carrier status in apparently healthy animals.