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Background and aim: Leprosy (Hansen's disease) is a chronic granulomatous infection by Mycobacterium leprae, an acid-fast rod-shaped bacillus, predominantly affecting skin and peripheral nerves. The clinical and pathological manifestations are variable, depending on the immune status of the individual. It could lead to disabilities in a small proportion of patients in the absence of proper treatment. India has eliminated Leprosy as a public health problem, defined as less than 1 case per 10,000 people, at the national level in January 2006. However, cases are still being reported from different regions in varying prevalence. The present study was undertaken to study the clinicopathological spectrum of Leprosy and correlate it with the Bacillary Index (BI). Material and methods: This study was conducted in a tertiary care center teaching hospital. It was a retrospective and prospective study from January 2018 to July 2022 (four and a half years). Fifty skin biopsies of clinically suspicious cases received in our histopathology department were processed and stained with Hematoxylin, and Eosin (H & E) and Fite-Faraco stain. The cases were subtyped based on the findings and correlated with clinical diagnosis. Results: The cases ranged from 11 to 73 years of age, with male predominance. The most common subtype was Borderline Tuberculoid (BT) (32%), followed by Borderline Lepromatous (BL) (20%). The maximum clinicopathological correlation was observed in Lepromatous Leprosy. Conclusions: Accurate and timely diagnosis of Leprosy can be achieved through histopathological examination and clinical correlation.

Abstract Background There are very few drugs available for healing wounds in the aged population, which is more prone to chronic cutaneous wounds that are particularly hard to heal and require a long healing process. This study which deals with age-related wound healing, investigates the healing effect of Nishamalaki, a classic antidiabetic Ayurvedic formulation comprising turmeric (Curcuma longa) and Indian gooseberry (Phyllanthus emblica), on cutaneous wounds in aging rats. Methods Rats with excision wounds of 7 mm created on their dorsal side received Nishamalaki (500 mg/kg p.o) daily, or a combination of Nishamalaki (500 mg/kg p.o) with 1% Nishamalaki gel applied on the wound or the reference standard metformin (2 μmol) applied on the wound daily till the scabs fell off. Results All treatments enhanced the rate of formation of granulation tissue and wound contraction. All treated rats showed lower blood glucose levels compared with their 1st-day values and significantly lower blood glucose levels when compared with the Aged Control rats. A significant restoration of the aging-depleted L-hydroxyproline, hexosamine, ascorbic acid, PDGF, AMPK, and mTOR levels, and attenuation of the aging-elevated IL-6 and TNF-α levels was elicited by all treatments. The treatments significantly restored the aging-depleted endogenous antioxidants. The Nishamalaki combination treatment of the oral extract and topical gel displayed a better wound-healing effect than the oral treatment alone. The histopathological studies on skin ulceration, hair follicles, granulation tissue, and collagen fiber formation of the wound tissues corroborated the biochemical findings. Conclusion Curcumin and other antioxidant polyphenolic components of Nishamalaki may be responsible for its wound-healing effect. For the first time, the present study has investigated the action of PDGF, AMPK, and mTOR on cutaneous wounds. They seem to be acting together to promote wound healing and repair. Graphical Abstract

Introduction: Thyroid as an endocrine organ along with prolactin hormone plays a significant role in the fecundity of the couple. Disorders in these hormones may cause menstrual abnormalities and anovulation, leading to infertility. Its dysfunction is not uncommon and is often reversible or preventable with early detection and treatment. This study was undertaken to study the occurrence of thyroid hormone dysfunction and hyperprolactinemia in infertile women. Materials and Methods: In this study, we studied the thyroid profile and prolactin levels in 100 infertile women who visited the obstetrics and gynecology department or in vitro fertilization center of a tertiary care hospital. The frequency of hypo- and hyperthyroidism along with hyperprolactinemia was studied, and the association between thyroid dysfunction and levels of serum prolactin was analyzed. Results: The majority of the infertile women were euthyroid. Thyroid dysfunction was noted in 27% of infertile women, with 17% showing hyperthyroidism and 10% showing hypothyroidism. Hyperprolactinemia was observed in 9% of infertile females. Hypothyroidism was found to be positively associated with hyperprolactinemia. Conclusion: Blood examination for thyroid hormone and prolactin should be kept in consideration as important routine workup in female infertility patients so that patients can be appropriately managed.

Hypothyroidism is the most frequent consequence of the interaction of a large variety of drugs, environmental pollutants and industrial chemicals with the thyroid gland. It is associated with diminished endocrine function which may lead to hyperlipidemia, diabetes, Alzheimer’s disease, weight gain, and other metabolic disorders. The present study evaluates the pro-thyroid activity of a bioactive fraction from a polyherbal teabag in rats with hypothyroidism induced by propylthiouracil. The teabag was formulated to stimulate synthesis and/or release of T4 and affectthe conversion of T4 to T3. Phytoconstituents of the polyherbal teabag are potent antioxidants that may be responsible for the pro-thyroid activity. The tea-extract (1000 mg) was found to contain 1076 μg of gallic acid and 1131 μg of rutin from HPTLC analysis. Rats received propylthiouracil (8 mg/kg) for the first 15days followed by the polyherbal tea-extract (500, 1000 and 1500 mg/kg), the standard drug levothyroxine (0.1 mg/kg), aerobic exercise, and a combination of tea-extract (1000 mg/kg) and aerobic exercise daily along with propylthiouracil for the next 30 days. Finally, rats received their respective treatments alone without propylthiouracil for 15 more days. Lipid profile and levels of glucose, insulin, T3, T4, TSH, cortisol, homocysteine, creatinine, uric acid, malondialdehyde, glucose-6 phosphatase, and endogenous antioxidants were determined. All treatments attenuated significantly the propylthiouracil-elevated TSH, homocysteine, creatinine, uric acid, glucose-6-phosphatase, insulin, and malondialdehyde levels, and restored favorably the propylthiouracil-altered lipid profile, T3, T4, and endogenous antioxidant levels. The polyherbal tea-extract (1000 and 1500 mg/kg) treatment and thecombination treatment of tea-extract (1000 mg/kg) with aerobic exercise displayed significant restoration of the suboptimalthyroid function. This may be due to a favorablemodulation ofthe hypothalamic-pituitary–thyroid and the hypothalamic–pituitary–adrenal axes.

Byline: S. Upasham, M. VinodKiri, S. Sudhamani Sir, The nipple-areola complex is a very rare site for squamous cell carcinoma (SCC), being the area not a sun exposed region of [...]

Background. Cell block method (CB) has emerged as an invaluable tool for diagnosis of effusions. It can help overcome the problems faced by conventional smear (CS) by differentiating between reactive, inflammatory and malignant cells. The aim of the study is to compare and correlate the CB diagnosis with the CS findings of various pathological conditions including malignancy. Materials and Methods. Two years prospective cross-sectional study of 117 fluids received for routine examination and/or for cytology was conducted. CS as well as CB was simultaneously prepared from the fluid and the results were correlated and tabulated for statistical analysis. Results. Mean age of presentation was 43±21.1 years and male: female ratio was 1.3:1. Ascitic fluid (46.2%) was the most common followed by pleural (40.2%). Among malignancies, primary ovarian and lung carcinoma were the most common to present with malignant ascites (33.3%) and pleural effusion (66.7%) respectively. Six suspicious for malignancy on CS were provided a definitive diagnosis of malignancy on CB. Overall, CB increased the yield of malignancy by 8.3%. The agreement between CB and CS for malignant effusions and suspicious for malignancy were 41.7% and 14.3% respectively. Sensitivity of CS method when compared to CB, for malignant peritoneal and pleural effusions was 90% and 75% respectively while the specificity was 68% and 79% respectively. Conclusion. CB has a better diagnostic yield of malignancy and helps in providing a definitive diagnosis for cases that are suspicious for malignancy on CS. Hence, CB should be routinely employed along with CS for all effusions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Amyloidosis is a disease characterized by the extracellular deposition of fibrillary proteins causing organ dysfunction. Submandibular lymphadenopathy is a rare clinical presentation of amyloidosis. Majority of the patients progress to develop systemic diseases and usually have AL amyloidosis. Here, we report a case of a 40-year-old male, who presented with a left submandibular swelling for 3 years. The clinical diagnosis was malignant submandibular salivary gland tumor. Systemic examination was unremarkable. Histopathological examination of the excised swelling revealed effacement of lymph node architecture by an eosinophilic Schiff poor material. Positive Congo red stain with apple-green birefringence on polarization confirmed it as amyloidosis. Serum protein electrophoresis was negative for M Band. Immunohistochemistry revealed kappa light-chain restriction in the deposits, characterizing it as localized primary amyloidosis of the submandibular lymph nodes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Breast cancer is the most common cancer worldwide. Fine-needle aspiration cytology (FNAC) is an outpatient simple procedure, which gives a quick cytological diagnosis for breast lesions. Cell blocks prepared from the aspirated material of these breast lumps not only serve as useful adjunct to FNAC, but also give tissue diagnosis comparable to breast biopsies. Aims and Objectives: This study was undertaken to assess the utility of cell block technique in diagnosing various breast lesions in correlation with FNAC findings. Subsequent histopathology diagnosis was obtained and compared with cytological diagnosis wherever possible. Materials and Methods: A prospective cross-sectional study was done for a period of 2 years. A total of 130 cases of breast lumps were studied with both FNAC and cell block techniques. The cell block findings were then correlated with FNAC diagnosis and statistically analyzed. Histopathology findings of subsequent biopsy or excision specimen of breast lumps were obtained wherever possible. Results: Out of the total 130 cases, most of the cases were benign lesions (58%), with fibroadenoma being the most common (97%). Among malignant tumors, invasive mammary carcinoma of no special type was the most common type (94.7%). Cell blocks were more accurate (88.8%) compared to FNAC (69.2%) in diagnosing both benign and malignant lesions. Conclusion: Cell block method is superior to FNAC in the diagnosis of both benign and malignant tumors of the breast and helps to eliminate the need for invasive breast biopsies [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Transfusion medicine forms an important part of healthcare practice. Healthy blood donors are the starting point for blood transfusion safety. Blood donors can be rejected for various reasons, either temporary or permanent. To ensure safety and good quality of blood donation, donor selection becomes an important criterion for the safety of both the donor and recipient. Therefore, it is important to study the pattern of deferrals, to reduce unnecessary deferrals, and to encourage blood donation. Objectives: The objective was to study and analyze various causes of deferral of blood donors and to categorize donors according to the type of deferrals, age, and gender. Materials and Methods: This was a retrospective analysis carried out at a tertiary hospital for 3 years. Details of their age, gender, and physical and laboratory tests were recorded as per the standard protocol. Results were then statistically analyzed with emphasis to know the causes of deferral. Results: A total of 1522 (13.1%) out of 11,665 donors were rejected. Among them, 638 were men (41.9%) and 884 were women (58.1%) with a female-to-male ratio of 1.4:1. Majority donors belonged to the age group of 18–30 years (65.5%). The most common reason for temporary deferral was low hemoglobin (54.6%) while that of permanent deferral was hypertension (4.1%). Conclusion: This study emphasized the need for better nutrition to improve the hemoglobin level which was the most common cause for temporary deferral and increased awareness to decrease the other causes of deferrals of blood donors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Abnormal uterine bleeding (AUB) is defined as any change in the frequency of menstruation, duration of flow, or amount of blood loss. Histopathological study of endometrium gives valuable information to arrive at correct diagnosis. Objective: The study was aimed to detect the frequency of various pathological conditions which can cause AUB in perimenopausal and postmenopausal women and to know the distribution of functional changes as well as malignancy causing AUB. Materials and Methods: This is a retrospective study on 200 patients of perimenopausal and postmenopausal women who presented with AUB from May 2016 to May 2018 (2 years), selected on the basis of simple random sampling. Histopathological study was done on the specimens for diagnostic and therapeutic purposes. Histomorphological details were recorded as per standard pro forma along with clinical and other details and entered on a master chart. A statistical analysis was done to record the frequency of distribution and mean of various parameters. Results: Out of 200 cases, the most common histopathological finding was proliferative phase in 65 cases (42.4%), followed by disordered proliferation in 46 cases (30%). Primary endometrioid adenocarcinoma comprised only 6 cases (3%). Conclusion: The most common endometrial pathology found in our study was functional endometrial changes, and the occurrence of malignancy increased with the increasing age of patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Chondrosarcoma is a malignant tumor of bone showing cartilaginous differentiation. Fine needle aspiration cytology (FNAC) is found to be effective in the preoperative diagnosis of chondrosarcoma combined with radiological and clinical evaluation. Ribs is one of the most common skeleton sites for chondrosarcoma, the others being pelvis, proximal femur, proximal humerus and distal femur. We are presenting the case of a 40-year-old man who presented with a tumor in the anterior chest wall on the left side. On FNAC of the mass, a diagnosis of low-grade chondrosarcoma was made which was later confirmed on histopathology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Macrotyloma uniflorumis a lesser known bean consumed as a whole seed or sprout in India. The protective effect of a hydroalcoholic extract of the seeds ofMacrotyloma uniflorum(MUSE) in ethanol-induced hepatotoxicity was investigated in rats. Liver damage was induced in rats by administering ethanol (4 g/kg, 20 % w/v p.o.) once daily for 21 days. MUSE (250 mg/kg and 500 mg/kg) and the reference drug silymarin (100 mg/kg) were administered orally for 28 days to ethanol treated rats, this treatment beginning 7 days prior to the commencement of ethanol administration. MUSE elicited significant hepatoprotective and antioxidant activity by attenuating the ethanol-elevated levels of serum marker enzymes (aspartate aminotransferase, alanine aminotransferase and alkaline phosphatase), bilirubin, hepatic and serum triglycerides and the lipid peroxidation marker malondialdehyde, and by restoring the ethanol-depleted levels of albumin, total proteins, reduced glutathione and the antioxidant enzymes superoxide dismutase, catalase, glutathione peroxidase and glutathione reductase. The present findings indicate that hepatoprotective effect of MUSE in ethanol-induced oxidative damage may be due to an augmentation of the endogenous antioxidants and inhibition of lipid peroxidation in liver. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]