Central diabetes insipidus: A rare primary manifestation of small-cell lung carcinoma.

Diabetes insipidus (DI) is a disorder of water hemostasis that is associated with polyuria-polydipsia syndrome. Central DI (CDI) primarily results from autoimmune destruction, traumatic injury, or anatomical damage caused by neoplasms. Craniopharyngioma, germinoma, and distant metastases are the main neoplastic causes, with pituitary adenomas rarely manifesting as CDI. Pituitary gland metastasis is rare, with the vast majority of cases being asymptomatic. We present a rare case of pituitary metastasis originating from small-cell carcinoma of the lung with CDI and skin swellings as the primary manifestation, without any evidence of the primary malignancy upon initial presentation. A 56-year-old chronic smoker with newly diagnosed type-2 diabetes mellitus presented with a history of polydipsia and polyuria along with soft tissue swellings in the axilla and the chest for the last 3 months. A water deprivation test and a desmopressin challenge test were performed, revealing the presence of CDI. In light of the CDI, a contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging brain was performed, which displayed a loss of pituitary bright spot and four T2 isointense lesions with post-contrast enhancement in the left frontal, parietal, occipital, and right temporal lobes, suggestive of metastatic lesions. Fine needle aspiration cytology of the swelling revealed cytomorphological characteristics indicating the presence of malignancy, specifically favoring carcinoma. Contrast-enhanced computed tomography thorax revealed a right hilar lung mass infiltrating the surrounding structures with multiple regional and distant metastases. A lung biopsy confirmed the presence of small-cell lung carcinoma (SCLC). The final diagnosis was advanced SCLC with multiple distant metastases associated with CDI, and the patient is currently receiving palliative care and inhalational desmopressin. In conclusion, metastatic lesions and lung cancer must be considered early when patients present with polydipsia and polyuria symptoms.

Distribution and correlation of radon and uranium and associated hydrogeochemical processes in alluvial aquifers of northwest India.

The spatial and vertical distributions of radon and uranium are evaluated in relation to the hydrogeology, geomorphology, and hydrochemistry of southwest Punjab. Radon activity of the groundwater ranges from 580 to 3633 Bq/m3 (shallow groundwater 580 to 2438 Bq/m3 and deep groundwater 964 to 3633 Bq/m3), and uranium concentration varies from 24.4 to 253 µg/L (shallow groundwater 24.4 to 253 µg/L and deep groundwater 27.6 to 76.3 µg/L). Shallow groundwater shows higher U concentration compared with deeper ones, which can be attributed to the presence of dissolved oxygen (DO) and NO3- as oxidants and HCO3- as stabilizing agent in shallow zone. Unlike uranium, the radon activities were found to be similar in both shallow and deep groundwater. Rnexcess over secular equilibrium was used to confirm the possibility of additional sources of radon, such as secondary minerals present in the subsurface. Surface manifestations show significant influence on radon and uranium distributions in the shallow zone but not in deep zone due to limited hydraulic connectivity. Depth profiles and correlations of radon and uranium with trace elements and hydrochemical parameters indicate that groundwater exhibits different redox characteristics in shallow (younger and oxidizing) and deep zones (older and reducing). The present study provides critical information that can be helpful for planning sustainable groundwater development in this region and other similar regions without contaminating the relatively safer deep aquifers.

Karyotyping and in situ chromosomal localization of rDNA sites in black cumin Bunium persicum (Boiss) B. Fedtsch,1915 (Apiaceae).

The fluorescent in situ hybridization (FISH) technique has been applied to somatic chromosomes in the medicinally important species, Bunium persicum, to elucidate its karyotypes. The bicolour FISH technique involving 18S-5.8S-26S and 5S ribosomal RNA genes as probes was used to assign physical localization and measurement of rDNA sites on homologous pairs of chromosomes. The two 18S-5.8S-26S rRNA gene sites were at the terminal regions of the short arms of the chromosomes 1 and 2 involving NOR region of chromosome 1. The 5S rDNA sites were found on subtelomeric region of the long arm of the chromosome number 5 and at interstitial regions of the short arm of chromosome 7. Based on direct visual analysis of chromosome length, morphology and position of FISH signals, a pioneer attempt has been made to construct metaphase karyotype in Bunium persicum, an endangered medicinal plant of North Western Himalayas.