Primary pulmonary adenoid cystic carcinoma- clinicopathological features and predictors of poor outcome.

Introduction: Primary pulmonary adenoid cystic carcinoma is a rare disease. Its clinico-pathological features, course of disease, therapeutic strategy, and survival data have not been fully elucidated. We aimed to study the clinicopathological characteristics of primary pulmonary adenoid cystic carcinomas in north India. Methods: This study was a retrospective, single-centre, cohort study. The database of the hospital was searched for a period of seven years to identify all patients with primary pulmonary adenoid cystic carcinoma. Results: Out of 6050 lung tumors, 10 were primary adenoid cystic carcinomas. The mean age of diagnosis was 42 (±12) years. Six patients had the lesion in the trachea, main bronchus or truncus intermedius and four had parenchymal lesions. Seven patients had resectable tumours. Three patients achieved an R0 resection, two achieved R1 resection and two had R2 resection. On histopathological examination, almost all of the patients had cribriform pattern. Only four patients (57.1%) showed positivity for TTF-1 staining. The five-year survival of patients with resectable tumour and un-resectable tumour was 85.7% and 33.3%, respectively (P = 0.01). The predictors of poor outcome included non-operability of the tumour, presence of metastasis at the time of diagnosis, and macroscopically positive tumour margin during surgery. Conclusion: Primary pulmonary adenoid cystic carcinoma is a unique and rare tumour that affects relatively younger individuals, males and females, as well as smokers and non-smokers equally. The features of bronchial obstruction are the most common. Surgery is the primary modality of treatment and completely resectable lesions have the best prognosis.

Lung schwannomas, an unusual entity: A series of five cases.

Schwannomas are benign slow-growing tumours arising from the Schwann cells of the nerve sheath. They may arise anywhere in the course of the nerves in the body. The clinical presentations are non-specific, and when present in rare locations such as lungs, the diagnosis becomes difficult. The present case series describes the clinical presentation and diagnosis of five cases of lung schwannoma. The diagnosis was mainly assisted by the immuno-histochemical examination comprising markers such as S-100, Calretinin, CD34, CD56, Desmin, and EMA. A definitive diagnosis of benign nerve tumours in such rare locations may help in better pre-operative assessment and surgery for complete recovery of the patients.

Discrepancies of RET gene and risk of differentiated thyroid carcinoma.

BACKGROUND: Somatic variations in rearranged during transfection (RET) proto-oncogene acts to influence Thyroid cancer (TC) in a low penetrance manner, but their effects tend to vary between different populations. OBJECTIVE: This case-control study was aimed to evaluate effect of RET G691S, S904S and L769L single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) on the risk for differentiated thyroid carcinoma (DTC). METHODS: A total of 180 patients and 220 controls were genotyped by Polymerase chain reaction - restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR-RFLP). Di-Deoxy Sanger sequencing was performed on 100 samples with variations and 20 wild samples for each amplified exon. In addition, In Silico tools were used to evaluate structural and functional impact of individual SNPs in disease progression. RESULTS: In RET G691S/L769L/S904S SNPs, frequency of variant genotypes in DTC cases was 61.1%, 54.4% and 76.6% as compared to 45.9%, 43.6% and 89.09% in controls respectively (P⩽ 0.05). In Silico analysis revealed that different protein formed due to G691S substitution decreases the stability of 3D structure of protein. The RET G691S and L769L SNP followed "Dominant" but RET S904S SNP confirmed an "Additive" mode of inheritance. CONCLUSION: RET G691S/L769L/S904S SNPs are significantly associated with DTC with G691S SNP declining the stability of final protein product.

Single-Incision Laparoscopic Cholecystectomy Using Conventional Laparoscopic Instruments and Comparison with Three-Port Cholecystectomy.

Single-incision laparoscopic surgery also known as laparo-endoscopic single-site surgery for cholecystectomy is performed using a single umbilical skin incision through which a laparoscope and two instruments are introduced. It is virtually a "scarless" surgery. The present study was undertaken to evaluate the efficacy of single-incision laparoscopic cholecystectomy using conventional instruments and compare it with three-port laparoscopic cholecystectomy. Thirty patients who underwent single-incision cholecystectomy were compared to an equal number of patients who underwent three-port cholecystectomy. Both groups were assessed on the basis of operative time, intraoperative complications, postoperative pain, ambulation, hospital stay, and body image at first and third week. Single-incision cholecystectomy had the advantage of less postoperative pain, early ambulation, and better body image as compared to three-port cholecystectomy; the results being statistically significant. There was no statistically significant difference in operative time and hospital stay between the two groups. Single-incision laparoscopic cholecystectomy using conventional instruments is a safe and effective surgery. It gives better cosmetic results, almost scarless surgery, without increasing the cost of surgery.

Evaluation of post operative shoulder tip pain in low pressure versus standard pressure pneumoperitoneum during laparoscopic cholecystectomy.

INTRODUCTION: Insufflation of carbon dioxide during laparoscopic cholecystectomy leads to postoperative shoulder tip pain. The origin of shoulder pain is commonly assumed to be due to overstretching of the diaphragmatic muscle fibres owing to a high carbon dioxide pressure. AIMS: To study the frequency and intensity of post operative shoulder tip pain in laparoscopic cholecystectomy and compare low and standard pressure pneumoperitoneum during laparoscopic cholecystectomy with respect to post operative shoulder tip pain. METHODS: Patients admitted in the department of surgery for elective cholecystectomy were enrolled in the study. The patients were randomly allocated to two groups (group A and group B). In group A (n = 50), low pressure pneumoperitoneum (8 mm Hg) and in group B (n = 50), standard pressure pneumoperitoneum (14 mm Hg) was generated during laparoscopic cholecystectomy. Postoperative shoulder tip pain was assessed at 4, 8 and 24 h after operation by the Visual Analogue Scale of Pain. RESULTS: 14 patients (28%) in group B complained of post operative shoulder tip pain as compared to only 5 patients (10%) in group A. The mean intensity of post operative shoulder tip pain assessed by visual analogue scoring scale at 4, 8 and 24 h was less in group A as compared to group B, although statistical significance was seen only at 4 h. Analgesic requirements and the mean length of post operative stay in the hospital were also less in group A as compared to group B. CONCLUSION: Low pressure laparoscopic cholecystectomy (LPLC) significantly decreases the frequency and intensity of postoperative shoulder tip pain. LPLC decreases the demand for postoperative analgesics, decreases postoperative hospital stay and hence improves the quality of life in the early stage of postoperative rehabilitation.

Cardiac sarcoidosis presenting as recurrent ventricular tachycardia: a case report.

INTRODUCTION: Sarcoidosis is a multi-systemic disorder involving various organ systems. Though cardiac involvement is uncommon it can present as life threatening arrhythmias and sudden death. CASE PRESENTATION: Here we present 27 years old married female with a series of arrhythmias with no initially obvious aetiology. On further evaluation she was diagnosed as having cardiac sarcoidosis. CONCLUSION: Cardiac sarcoidosis is an important cause of death in patients with systemic sarcoidosis. It is therefore necessary to have high index of suspicion when symptoms are present rather than ignoring them.

Autoimmune thyroid disease with myasthenia gravis in a 28-year-old male: a case report.

INTRODUCTION: Graves' disease and myasthenia gravis are both auto-immune diseases and the coexistence of these two diseases is rare but well recognized. Myasthenia gravis is more frequent in patients with thyroid disease. CASE PRESENTATION: Here we present a case of 28-year-old male patient having Auto-immune thyroid disease (Graves' disease) with concomitant myasthenia gravis. CONCLUSION: In conclusion, we report that the coexistence of Myasthenia Gravis with Autoimmune thyroid disease might have prognostic relevance and occurs in a subgroup of myasthenia gravis patients with a mild form of the disease.