Introduction Somatoform disorders (SFDs) are a spectrum of diseases mainly manifesting with physical symptoms of no recognizable etiology. These disorders are believed to be primarily influenced and exacerbated by psychological factors. Given the connection between parental sociodemographics and psychological factors and SFDs, there is a pressing need to investigate this area further, particularly concerning parents and their children affected by somatoform disorders. Aims and objectives The aims and objectives of this study are as follows: i) study the determinants of SFDs, namely, parent handling of child, parent-child relationship, parenting with respect to attending to the needs of children, and intelligence quotient (IQ) of parents, and ii) compare host factors to the factors matched in control subjects. Materials and methods We adopted purposive sampling in our case-control study. The study sample was obtained from the psychiatry department of the Ganesh Shankar Vidyarthi Memorial (GSVM) Medical College, Kanpur, India, from September 2020 to December 2022, once a week, every Monday. Children manifesting SFD manifestations that are among the chief complaints were included in our study. Results A total of 115 cases were included in our study based on inclusion criteria. The study compared sociodemographic characteristics, intelligence quotient (IQ), parental characteristics, parental handling, parent-child relationships, and parenting practices between a patient group and a control group. The results showed no significant differences in sex, religion, occupation, domicile, and socioeconomic status in both control and patient groups. However, significant differences were found in parental characteristics, such as lower mean age, education, and IQ, in the patient group. This difference between the patient and control groups with respect to the parental handling questionnaire was statistically significant for the domain of "praise," "talk," "feel better," "comes to you," "unduly strict" items, "frequently reprimanded," "tried to control everything," creative activities, protectiveness, education, neglecting, objective punishment, housing, medical care, demanding, symbolic reward, loving, objective reward, food, parent-to-child communication, clothing, support, routine, recreation, social activities, rules, managing problem behavior, guidance for career, and security. Conclusion Parents were deficient in terms of years of education, occupational status, IQ, parental handling, parent-child relationship, and parenting with respect to the children's needs. These findings offer insights into the sociodemographic and psychological factors contributing to the patient group's condition.
A significant right-sided pleural effusion was seen on chest radiography in a 53-year-old adult male who complained of bilateral chest pain, shortness of breath, and other additional symptoms. The bloody pleural effusion was removed with a chest tube, and cytopathology analysis showed moderate cellularity. After performing a high-resolution computed tomography, it was discovered that the affected lung had a significant pleural effusion on the right side as well as collapsed and consolidated lung parenchyma. Upon further examination, the right lower lobe wedge biopsy cytology smear revealed mucinous adenocarcinoma. Adults rarely experience a severe malignant pleural effusion brought on by lung adenocarcinoma, particularly in the absence of risk factors.
Ovarian dermoid cysts, also known as mature teratomas, are benign embryonal tumors with a slow growth rate. They are the consequence of ectodermal components becoming trapped along with their closure sites and account for the most common germinative ovarian tumor in reproductive-aged women. These patients may have a reduced risk of morbidity if they receive an accurate diagnosis and extensive follow-up care. These cysts are often evaluated using one of the following imaging techniques: computed tomography, magnetic resonance imaging, pelvic ultrasonography, or transvaginal ultrasound. Laparoscopy and laparotomy are the 2 surgical procedures typically used to remove persistent or exceptionally large cysts. Leakage of cyst contents during surgery is a common postoperative complication that can seldom, but occasionally, results in chemical peritonitis. We discuss a case of a significant dermoid cyst that developed in an older woman and was successfully removed via laparoscopic surgery. This instance is instructive for other physicians who may encounter a similar pathology.
Schwannomas are tumors of the Schwann cells found in the myelin sheath. They cause 5% of all benign soft-tissue cancers, occur equally in males and females, and occur later in life. Since they remain asymptomatic, diagnosing and treating them becomes challenging; current guidelines recommend imaging followed by excision. Here, we present a case of a 19-year-old male who presents in an outpatient setting with a history of painless swelling of the fifth digit for the past four years. Past medical history and physicals are unremarkable. Microscopic findings from fine-needle aspiration cytology (FNAC) confirmed the schwannoma diagnosis, showing loosely arranged spindle cells with elongated nuclei with pointed ends dispersed within the myxoid stroma.
Renal cell carcinoma (RCC) arises from the renal tubular epithelial cells and comprises a group of heterogenous renal tumors. Renal tumors can metastasize to involve almost any body organ, the common sites being the lung, liver, bone, brain, adrenal gland, head, neck, and rarely, inferior vena cava (IVC), leading to lethal outcomes. We present a case of RCC with IVC invasion in a patient who presented with right-sided flank pain and gross hematuria. His routine biochemical and hematological parameters were unremarkable, and an abdominal examination revealed a complex renal mass with mild hydronephrosis. The patient underwent contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance angiography with venography, which showed a right renal upper polar mass lesion extending into the right vein obliterating it up to its junction with the IVC. Integrating examination and imaging findings were suggestive of right renal RCC. Our case highlights the importance of standard preoperative MRI imaging to assess IVC invasion and its morphologic features including vessel breach or complete occlusion of the IVC.
