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The novel-coronavirus (2019-nCOV) emerged in Wuhan City in December 2019, this resulted in a quick and catastrophic health problem all over the world but our country is slightly less affected by the pandemic. There could be a number of reasons for less numbers of Covid positive cases and lack of awareness and reduced Covid testing capacity and hence less mortality in Pakistan. In order to provide assistance to an ever increasing number of infected patients and, at the same time taking care of urgent maxillofacial conditions. This manuscript gives the reader in a nutshell the overall surgical experience of oral and maxillofacial practice at Aga Khan University Hospital, Karachi, Pakistan in the COVID-19 pandemic and would like to provide a number of recommendations that would assist the scheduling process of surgical management during the COVID-19 pandemic and reduce the risk of infection among healthcare workers and others involved with the service. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: To observe the efficacy of zinc sulfate on taste alterations in oral cancer patients receiving concurrent chemotherapy with radiotherapy. Methods: Seventy patients were randomly assigned to both intervention and control group at Oncology Section of Atomic Energy Medical Centre Karachi from September 2017 to March 2018. One group received zinc sulfate capsules (50 mg TDS daily after meals) and the other group received placebo (thrice after meals). Patients were advised to start taking capsules on the first day of their chemoradiation. Both the groups continued the capsules a month after their CCRT ended. Results: Sweet taste was most effected by cancer and its treatment followed by bitter and salty taste. Sour taste was least effected. When both the groups were compared for four tastes for detection threshold, the differences in observation at 3 stages of median IQR were not significant. For recognition threshold between zinc sulfate and placebo, no significant difference was observed in median IQR for salty taste and bitter taste. However, sweet taste (baseline p-value 0.245, end p-value 0.010, follow-up p-value 0.038) was statistically significant at end of CCRT and follow-up stage and sour taste (baseline p-value 0.24, end p-value 0.006, follow-up p-value 0.898) at end of CCRT only. Conclusion: Zinc sulfate was not found to be beneficial in preventing chemoradiation induced taste alterations. Taste and smell alterations are common in patients with cancer and do not receive sufficient support to manage taste alterations. This area requires more research to develop a comprehensive understanding of the nature and its management. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The incidence of oral cancer is associated with habit of betel nut chewing. In Pakistan this problem is extremely common especially in cosmopolitan cities especially Karachi. The development of premalignant lesion is the first step in initiation of disease process. The proper and early diagnosis of the disease can lead to control and timely treatment of the disease. In the present study CA125 levels in blood were compared in oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC), oral sub mucosal fibrosis (OSF) patients and control (healthy) groups. The expression of CA125 as a marker in OSCC and a premalignant, OSF condition was also analyzed through slides stained with immunohistochemical stain to have an observation of the extent of CA125 expression. Hematological analysis of three groups including two case groups, (OSCC and oral OSF) and one control group was done for CA125 levels. Imunohistochemical staining of slides of different stages of OSCC was performed with the help of specific stain. The hematological analysis of the diseases groups showed difference of values within the threshold level as compare to controls but the ratio of staining was found high in advanced stages of carcinoma as compare to initial stages.The CA125 expression on specimen tissue surface is weak positive. Serum levels of CA125 in participants (cases and controls) of three groups' i.e. OSCC, OSF and control group were found below threshold levels. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]