An outbreak of Plasmodium falciparum malaria due to Anopheles minimus in central Assam, India

Epidemiological investigations were conducted in Nellie subcentre, PHC Jhargaon, under Morigaon district (Assam). The results of fever cases revealed 68 per cent slide positivity rate (SPR) and 40 per cent slide falciparum rate (SfR). The Pf proportion was > 87 per cent and remaining cases were P. vivax infections. An. minimus was incriminated as a malaria vector during the study period. The sporozoite rate was 3.08 per cent. The indoor man mosquito contact was 35 per bait/night as against 23 in outdoors. Results of susceptibility test revealed that the vector was still susceptible to both DDT and malathion at discriminating dosages. The study revealed that inadequate surveillance and vector control measures were contributing factors for malaria outbreak. In view of this, insecticide treated nets may be introduced to provide cost-effective control of malaria.     

Neurofibroma of the external ear - a case report

Neurofibromas are relatively common tumours of the nervous system, but only a few cases involving the external ear have been reported. We are reporting here a case of a 20-year-old female with neurofibroma of the external ear. The primary complaint was cosmetic deformity. There was partial occlusion of the external auditory canal. The swelling was excised by postauricular approach. Surgery resulted in an excellent functional and cosmetic outcome.     

Chondrosarcoma of the arytenoids- a rare laryngeal malignancy

Even though laryngeal malignancies are the most frequent primary malignancies of the upper aero digestive tract except for oral cavity cancers, laryngeal chondrosarcomas are rare tumors, constituting less than 1% of all laryngeal tumors. We present a rare case of chondrosarcoma arising from the right arytenoid cartilage with sub glottic extension. The mode of presentation and management of the case is presented along with a review of the literature.     

Conformational study of sodium pectate from circular dichroism induced in dyes

Sodium pectate ( 1c ) induces strong circular dichroism (CD) in 3,7-bis(dimethylamino)-1,9-dimethylphenothiazinium chloride ( 2b ) and weak CD in 1-ethyl-2-[3-(1-ethyl-2-(1H)-quinolylidene)propen-2-yl]quinolinium chloride (pinacyanol chloride) ( 4 ) and 2,8-bis(dimethylamino)-acridinium chloride (Acridine Orange) ( 3 ), and no CD in 3,7-bis(dimethylamino)phenothiazinium chloride (Methylene Blue) ( 2a ), besides inducing strong metachromasia in all these dyes. The signs of the CD spectra induced in the dyes 2b, 3 and 4 by pectate are opposite to those induced by hyaluronate (HYAT). Pectate is, thus, inferred to have a 3₁ helical conformation (like HYAT) with the sense of helicity opposite to that of HYAT. Such an inference is also in harmony with the reported 3-fold screw axis of pectate fibre from X-ray crystallography. Since left-handed extended helical polyglutamate induces negative biphasic CD, 1c , depicting positive biphasic CD with the same dye, may be assigned by analogy to have a right-handed helicity.     

Neurofibroma of the external ear - a case report

Neurofibromas are relatively common tumours of the nervous system, but only a few cases involving the external ear have been reported. We are reporting here a case of a 20-year-old female with neurofibroma of the external ear. The primary complaint was cosmetic deformity. There was partial occlusion of the external auditory canal. The swelling was excised by postauricular approach. Surgery resulted in an excellent functional and cosmetic outcome.     

Strut fracture after Greenfield filter placement

We present the unusual event of strut fracture of a Greenfield filter. This being an extremely rare complication, we postulate a possible cause of fracture and present a review of literature.     

Laryngocoele: our experince

Laryngocoele is an extremely rare condition. Three cases of Laryngocoeles are presented. Two cases had infected laryngocoeles. The diagnosis was done clinically and confirmed radiologically. No predisposing factor was found except in one case who was a singer by profession and initially presented with stridor which was an unusual presentation. Surgical excision were done in two cases (case 1 and 3)and both the case were symptom free.