Ancient schwannoma of the parapharynx causing dysphagia: a rare entity

A schwannoma is a benign, encapsulated tumour that is derived from neural sheath (Schwann) cells. Approximately 25–40% of schwannomas occur in the head and neck. The most common site is the parapharyngeal space of the neck; oropharyngeal occurrence is extremely rare. Among the various histological types of schwannomas reported to date, the ancient (degenerative) variant is the most rare. To our knowledge, this is the first report of an ancient schwannoma in the parapharynx with an extensive oropharyngeal component causing dysphagia. Dysphagia was the prominent symptom because of the location and volume of the lesion. The tumour was excised via a transcervical approach.     

INFLAMMATORY FIBROID POLYP OF PROXIMAL ILEUM CAUSING RECURRENT INTUSSUSCEPTION

SUMMARY A 64-year-old female presented with episodes of small bowel obstruction. Ultrasound and barium meal showed a polypoidal lesion in the proximal segment of small bowel. The patient underwent emergency surgery because of signs of impending acute intestinal obstruction. Pathology showed characteristic features of an inflammatory fibroid polyp (IFP) which is an important though rare benign cause of small bowel obstruction. We document clinical and pathological aspects of this case.     

Antibodies against double-stranded DNA and development of polymyositis during treatment with interferon

Alpha interferons have become effective palliative treatments for patients with neuroendocrine tumours such as carcinoids and endocrine pancreatic tumours. However, several reports indicate an increased incidence of both autoantibodies and autoimmune diseases in patients treated with interferon-alpha (IFN-alpha). We studied the development of antibodies against double-stranded DNA (dsDNA) and clinical signs of autoimmune disease in 214 patients with malignant carcinoids or endocrine pancreatic tumours consecutively admitted for treatment with IFN-alpha. Seventeen patients (8%) developed antibodies against dsDNA, predominantly females (12 females and 5 males). One patient had clinical and laboratory signs of polymyositis. Among the other 16 patients, three developed hypothyroidism and in six patients the anti- dsDNA autoantibodies normalized despite continuing therapy. Although a significant number of patients developed autoantibodies against dsDNA, overt autoimmune disease related to these antibodies is a rare event and many patients spontaneously normalize these titres despite continuing IFN-alpha treatment.      

Pityriasis versicolor

Pityriasis versicolor is a common superficial fungal infection of the skin. It is caused by Malassezia spp., which are normal human saprophytes. Under certain conditions, both exogenous and endogenous, the fungus can convert from a yeast to a pathogenic mycelial form. This alteration results in mild inflammation of the skin, and in characteristic clinical and histological changes. The taxonomy of Malassezia spp. has recently been modified to include six obligatorily lipophilic species, all of which can be found on human skin, plus one non-obligatorily lipophilic species, which only rarely colonizes human hosts. LEARNING OBJECTIVES: At the conclusion of this learning activity, participants should be aware of the role of Malassezia in the development of pityriasis versicolor, the clinical and histological changes arising from this dermatosis, and the diagnosis and treatment of this disorder.     

Domestic Violence Against Women and Their Mental Health Status in a Colony in Delhi

Background:

Violence against women is a major public health and human rights issue in the world today. This study was conducted to assess the consequences of domestic violence on the mental health of women of reproductive age group.

Materials and Methods:

A community-based, cross-sectional study was conducted in Raj Nagar- I, urban locality in west Delhi near Palam. 350 women of 15-49 years age group residing in the community were selected by stratified random sampling. These women were administered an interview schedule adapted from WHO multi-country study on women’s health and domestic violence. They were assessed for the presence of domestic violence. Mental health status of these women was estimated by using self-reporting questionnaire 20. Data were analyzed using SPSS 12 software. The test applied was chi square test for proportion and binary logistic regression.

Results:

42.8% of the women reported one or the other types of violence. 34.9% of the women reported either physical or sexual violence ever in life. 29.1% of the women reported either physical or sexual violence in past 1 year (current violence). 12% of the women reported mental ill health. Women who had experienced domestic violence were more likely to report mental ill health status and suicidal tendencies as compared to women who had not experienced violence.

Conclusions:

Domestic violence is associated with mental ill health.     

Skeletal Biology and Disease Modeling in Zebrafish

Zebrafish are teleosts (bony fish) that share with mammals a common ancestor belonging to the phylum Osteichthyes, from which their endoskeletal systems have been inherited. Indeed, teleosts and mammals have numerous genetically conserved features in terms of skeletal elements, ossification mechanisms, and bone matrix components in common. Yet differences related to bone morphology and function need to be considered when investigating zebrafish in skeletal research. In this review, we focus on zebrafish skeletal architecture with emphasis on the morphology of the vertebral column and associated anatomical structures. We provide an overview of the different ossification types and osseous cells in zebrafish and describe bone matrix composition at the microscopic tissue level with a focus on assessing mineralization. Processes of bone formation also strongly depend on loading in zebrafish, as we elaborate here. Furthermore, we illustrate the high regenerative capacity of zebrafish bones and present some of the technological advantages of using zebrafish as a model. We highlight zebrafish axial and fin skeleton patterning mechanisms, metabolic bone disease such as after immunosuppressive glucocorticoid treatment, as well as osteogenesis imperfecta (OI) and osteopetrosis research in zebrafish. We conclude with a view of why larval zebrafish xenografts are a powerful tool to study bone metastasis. © 2021 The Authors. Journal of Bone and Mineral Research published by Wiley Periodicals LLC on behalf of American Society for Bone and Mineral Research (ASBMR).     

Successful treatment of IgA nephropathy in association with low-grade B-cell lymphoma of the mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue type

Kidney and the urogenital tract are among the various mucosal sites involved in mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue (MALT) lymphoma. We report a case with simultaneous onset of crescentic immunoglobulin (Ig) A nephropathy and gastrointestinal low-grade B-cell lymphoma of the MALT type with kidney infiltration. M-component of IgM lambda was detected in the serum, and the renal biopsy specimen showed monotypic lambda light chain staining in the lymphoma cells but not the glomeruli. The heavy proteinuria and impaired creatinine clearance returned to normal, and microscopic hematuria disappeared 20 months after treatment with chlorambucil as single-agent chemotherapy. This coincided with a complete resolution of the gastric and renal lymphoma infiltration. The close association of both the onset and successful outcome of the two entities thus support their possible causal relationship, and we discuss the possibility of an association of the disturbance of the MALT by the lymphoma cells with the pathogenesis of IgA nephropathy.     

Hyperimmune cow colostrum reduces diarrhoea due to rotavirus: a double-blind, controlled clinical trial

The therapeutic efficacy of hyperimmune bovine colostrum (HBC) from cows immunized with four serotypes of human rotavirus was evaluated in a double-blind, randomized trial in 75 boys, aged 6-24 months, infected with rotavirus diarrhoea. The treatment group received 100 ml of HBC three times a day for 3 consecutive days, while the controls received the same amount of bovine colostrum from unimmunized cows. The two groups were comparable at entry. Patients who received HBC had a significantly shorter duration of diarrhoea than the controls (median 56 versus 72 h ( p < 0.001); confidence interval of median difference (CI) 8-32 h). Total stool output (g/kg) between admission and cessation of diarrhoea was reduced by 29% in the HBC-treated group compared with controls (median 205 versus 290g ( p = 0.04); CI= 1-154g). In 50% of the children in the study group, diarrhoea stopped by 48 h, whereas nearly 100% of the controls were still suffering from diarrhoea. No untoward effects were noted in either group. Colostrum from cows immunized with rotavirus antigen is clinically effective in reducing the duration and severity of childhood diarrhoea due to rotavirus.
Children, hyperimmune cow colostrum, rotavirus diarrhoea