A retrospective study on genito urinary Rhabdomyosarcoma.

A retrospective study was carried out on Genitourinary Rhabdomyosarcoma in the Department of Paediatric Surgery of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University, Dhaka, Bangladesh during the period January 1990 to December 1999. Total thirteen patients were treated during this period, age ranging from 1 month to 12 years. Eight patients were male and five were female (M: F = 1.6: 1). Diagnosis was made by history, thorough physical examination, digital rectal examination, ultrasonography, intravenous urography, CT scan and biopsy. All the patients were treated with chemoradiation theraphy as a first line of management and surgical excision was done for local residual tumours. Eight children (61.5%) were asymptomatic after completion of chemo-radiation therapy. Three (23.07%) patients discontinued the chemo-radiation schedule. Residual mass was present in one (7.7%) case for which partial cystectomy was done and the patient died in the 5th post operative day. Another patient (7.7%) who had pulmonary metastasis at the time of diagnosis, died during chemo-radiation therapy.

Epidemiology of blood-borne viruses: a study of healthy blood donors in Southern Pakistan.

There are only a few published reports regarding the prevalence of hepatitis B virus, hepatitis C virus and human immunodeficiency virus in Pakistani blood donors. The true extent of the prevalence of these viral infections in healthy adults in unclear. We examined blood donors attending the Aga Khan University Hospital and blood donation camps in the cities of Karachi and Hyderabad, Pakistan for the presence of hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg), antibodies to hepatitis C virus (anti-HCV) and human immunodeficiency virus (anti-HIV). Relationship of anti HCV to the surrogate marker alanine aminotransferase (ALT) was also examined. Prevalence of HBsAg was found to be 2.28% (1,173/51,257), anti HCV was 1.18%(198/16,705) and that of anti HIV to be 0.02% (10/51,257). Higher rate of prevalence of HBsAg and anti HCV was observed in the younger age group of 21 to 30 years. Male to female ratio for HBsAg was 2.5:1 and for anti HCV 1:1. Seropositivity for HBsAg was significantly greater than anti HCV (p < 0.0001). No clear relationship was found between high ALT (>55 U/l) and anti HCV positivity. Further examination of seropositive samples for HIV revealed only one donor to be positive by Western blot also. Prevalence of hepatitis B and C in the adult blood donor population in Southern Pakistan is higher than western countries but is similar to regional countries. This study also suggested that high ALT is not a useful surrogate marker for hepatitis C virus. Prevalence of HIV in this donor population is very low and is comparable to the western countries.

Observations on mating behavior and survivorship of Culex tritaeniorhynchus Giles (Diptera: culicidae) during late autumn.

Virgin Culex tritaeniorhynchus males and females from a laboratory strain and the progeny of wild-caught females were released at a rural village on the outskirts of Lahore during late autumn to study mating behavior in nature at a time when population abundance was declining. Although both released and endemic males were numerous, few recaptured females were inseminated. Apparently during late autumn there normally is a cessation of mating activity as the population begins to enter the overwintering diapause condition even though males and virgin females may be readily collected resting in fields. These data suggested that genetic material would not be readily introduced into the overwintering population during late autumn.