Semen analysis in patients operated on for impalpable testes

Semen analysis was performed on 48 men who had undergone orchiopexy, 40 for unilateral impalpable testes and 8 for bilateral impalpable testes. Patients with unilateral impalpable testes had varying sperm analysis; 18 (86%) of the 23 patients with unilateral impalpable canalicular testes had normal sperm analysis. All patients with bilateral impalpable testes were azoospermic. The subsequent quality of the semen is dependent upon the original anatomical positions of the undescended testes.     

Penile malignant peripheral nerve sheath tumour (schwannoma) in a three-year-old child without evidence of neurofibromatosis.

Malignant schwannoma (malignant peripheral nerve sheath tumour, MPNST) is a rare high-grade tumour arising from peripheral nerves. We report the case of a 3-year-old male who presented with a non-tender lesion on the dorsum of his penis. The lesion was excised and a formal circumcision performed. Histology of the lesion revealed a spindle cell tumour. Immunohistochemistry showed the tumour cells to be strongly positive for S100 and Vimentin. A diagnosis of intermediate grade malignant peripheral nerve sheath tumour was made. Malignant schwannoma is rare in children and is previously unreported in the penis in the paediatric age group without evidence of neurofibromatosis.     

Evaluation of four elastomeric interocclusal recording materials

Background: The fabrication of dental prosthesis requires the transfer of interocclusal records from patient's mouth to semiadjustable articulators using different kinds of recording media. Any inaccuracy in these interocclusal records leads to occlusal errors in the final prosthesis. This study was conducted to evaluate the dimensional changes occurring in the interocclusal recording material over a given period of time and the material's resistance to compression during the cast mounting on the articulator.     

Bilateral Hematogenous Pseudomonas aeruginosa Endophthalmitis After Lung Transplantation

Pseudomonas aeruginosa commonly colonizes the airways of patients with cystic fibrosis (CF). However, the occurrence of bacteremia with metastatic infection to the eye causing endogenous endophthalmitis is very rare. In the setting of lung transplantation, the significance of P. aeruginosa bacteremia in patients with CF whose airways are colonized before transplantation is unknown. We report a case of bilateral P. aeruginosa endogenous endophthalmitis in a patient with CF after lung transplant without documented bacteremia. The patient presented with acute eye symptoms in the presence of a left atrial thrombus and the disease followed a rapidly progressive course requiring aggressive medical-surgical treatment. Typically P. aeruginosa endophthalmitis has been associated with a poor visual prognosis. However, with combined medical-surgical management this patient retained useful vision in one eye without having retinal detachment or requiring enucleation. Endogenous endophthalmitis should be considered in the differential diagnosis of ocular complaints in patients with CF after lung transplant.     

Mortality in neonatal septicemia with involvement of mother in management.

In most Special Care Neonatal Units (SCNUs) in India, mothers are excluded from the care of their sick babies for fear of over-crowding and dislocation. We have attempted to study the feasibility of involving mothers in the care of their babies admitted for neonatal septicemia and to analyse whether this changed the sepsis related case fatality rate. The study material consisted of 158 neonates with blood culture positive neonatal septicemia whose mothers were actively involved in their care during their stay in the SCNU of LNJPN Hospital throughout 1987-88. The mothers lived in with their sick neonates and were extremely useful in feeding, cleaning, and monitoring for some important signs and symptoms. There were no epidemics of infection in the nursery during this period. All the babies discharged were receiving breast feeds, and the mothers were confident in taking care of them before discharge. The mortality in this group was 43%. The onset of septicemia was most often in the first week (36%) being 25.9% in second week, 26.6% in the third, and 11.4% in the fourth. Mortality was maximum (64.5%) when the onset of illness was in the first 3 days. Klebsiella and S. aureus were commonly isolated organisms (38.6 and 21.5%, respectively). Gram negative organisms were isolated in 66.5% cases with higher mortality in this group. Nearly 46% of the babies weighed 2 kg or less, with a mortality of 60.2% compared to 28.2% in those more than 2 kg. Only 3 to 5% and 40 to 66.7% of Gram negative and 23 and 70% of Gram positive organisms were sensitive to ampicillin and gentamicin, respectively.     

Autoantibodies to Serum Proteins in Women with Recurrent Spontaneous Abortion: Subsequent Pregnancy Outcome

Sera from 130 first trimester pregnant women were tested for their serum antibody level against a naturally occurring serum antigen purified from non-pregnancy sera. IgG and IgM antibody level was measured using enzyme linked immunosorbant assay. Results indicate that patients with multiple abortion (n=26) have significantly (p=0.0029) lower level of IgG antibody and significantly (p=0.0001) higher level of IgM antibodies; against the serum antigen as compared to the patients with successful pregnancies with no history of miscarriage (n=63). Western blot analysis identified the scrum antigen recognized by the IgM antibody as a 24 kDa molecular mass component. These IgG and IgM antibodies may play an important role in the outcome of pregnancy.