Donor deferral characteristics for plateletpheresis at a tertiary care center in India- a retrospective analysis.

BACKGROUND: The demand for plateletpheresis is increasing day by day due to its many merits over random donor platelets. However, in our country, there is a dearth of apheresis donors due to greater devotion and time required for the procedure and lack of awareness. AIM: The aim of the present study is to analyse the reasons for deferral of apheresis donors at a tertiary care center. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This retrospective analysis was conducted to study the causes, frequency and the type of plateletpheresis donor deferral at regional blood transfusion center, Lady Hardinge Medical College and associated Shrimati Sucheta Kriplani Hospital and Kalawati Saran Childrens' Hospital. The study was undertaken over a period of two years (from January 2010 to December 2011. RESULTS: Out of a total of 343 donors screened, 87 donors were deferred, the overall deferral rate being 25.36%. The most frequent cause of deferral was a low platelet count accounting for 43.5% of all the causes followed by a low hemoglobin level (27.05%). Among the donors deferred for anaemia, 15 out of 23 (65.2%) had hemoglobin in the range of 11.5-12.4gm%, representing 17.2% of all deferrals. CONCLUSION: Based on these findings and the scarcity of apheresis donors in our country, we are of the opinion that the selection criteria for plateletpheresis donors should be revised to accommodate more donors and reduce deferral rate without compromising on the health of the donors.

Primary fibrosarcoma of male breast: a rare entity.

Primary fibrosarcoma of the breast is a very rare tumor. However, amongst the Primary Breast Sarcoma (PBS), it is the most common subtype. We present a case of 28-year-old male with lump in right breast of 7 year duration. The unilateral multinodular mass showed well circumscribed but unencapsulated tumor composed of interlacing fascicles of spindle shaped cells with minimal atypia. Immunohistochemistry revealed positivity for vimentin in the tumor cells. Differential diagnoses and review of literature is discussed.

Idiopathic eosinophilic cholecystitis with cholelithiasis: a report of two cases.

Eosinophilic cholecystitis is a rare entity diagnosed on the basis of classical presentation of cholecystitis with presence of more than 90% eosinophilic infiltration within the gall bladder. The etiology of eosinophilic cholecystitis still remains obscure. However it is frequently associated with other more severe diseases like hypereosinophilic syndrome, eosinophilic-myalgia syndrome, parasitic infestations, few herbal medicines and certain drugs. We report two cases who presented with gall stone disease, which on histopathological evaluation was diagnosed as eosinophilic cholecystitis. Retrospective analysis of their case histories and investigation did not reveal any known etiology. These cases are being reported because of their rarity and to highlight the importance of complete workup to rule out other associated disorders that may be a manifestation of a more severe disease.

Spindle cell lipoma masquerading as lipomatous pleomorphic adenoma: A diagnostic dilemma on fine needle aspiration cytology.

Spindle cell lipoma is a relatively uncommon benign adipocytic tumor that usually presents in subcutaneous fat of adult men. These are a rare form of lipoma, accounting for 1.5% of all lipomatous tumors, with a low rate of local recurrence and no risk of malignant behavior/dedifferentiation. Although few studies addressing the histological findings of spindle cell lipoma have been described, only a few descriptions of fine needle aspiration cytology (FNAC) findings have been documented in literature. We present a case of a 55-year-old male with a nodular swelling over left cheek (in the parotid region), which due to its location as well as prominent myxoid background prompted us to include the lipomatous salivary gland lesions in differential diagnosis. Our objective is to document and delineate the characteristic cytological features of spindle cell lipoma, which may permit a confident diagnosis on FNAC smears.

Coagulation inhibitors and activated protein C resistance in recurrent pregnancy losses in Indian women.

BACKGROUND: Thrombophilias, both acquired and inherited, have been investigated in the etiopathogenesis of unexplained recurrent pregnancy loss. AIM: To study coagulation inhibitors and activated protein C resistance (APCR) in recurrent pregnancy losses (RPL) occurring in second and third trimesters. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A total of 30 pregnant women (group A) with two or more recurrent unexplained fetal loses were evaluated for APCR, protein C deficiency, protein S deficiency, antithrombin deficiency, and antiphospholipid antibodies (APLA). Thirty age-matched controls were taken (group B) comprising of pregnant women with at least one live issue. STATISTICAL ANALYSIS: Comparisons between two group frequencies and group means were made using Chi square test and Student's t test, respectively. RESULTS: Protein C and protein S levels were reduced in group A compared with group B and the difference was statistically significant (P=0.005 and P=0.032, respectively). The mean value of antithrombin was slightly reduced in group A compared with group B. APCR was observed in 16.6% cases and 3.3% controls. However, the difference was not statistically significant. APLA was observed in 20% cases and none of the controls. Of these, lupus anticoagulant was positive in 16.6% cases and anticardiolipin antibodies in 10% cases. Combined defects were seen in seven patients. CONCLUSION: There is a significant risk of RPL in pregnant women with thrombophilias. Therefore, screening for thrombophilias may be justified in pregnant women with unexplained recurrent fetal wastage, especially in second and third trimester.