FNAC diagnosis of tuberculosis--an eight years study at Mangalore

1. FNAC is a very useful adjunct in the diagnosis of tuberculosis: 2. Diagnosis of tuberculosis can be made by the demonstration of epithelioid granulomas with or without caseation even in the absence of AFB. 3. Necrotic features whether acellular or accompanied by neutrophilic infiltrate are usually misdiagnosed as suppurative abscesses. Such smears however show high AFB positivity and thus the diagnosis of tuberculosis is still possible even in the absence of epithelioid granulomas. 4. Therefore all smears obtained by FNAC of suspected tuberculous lesions should be subjected to ZN staining for AFB.     

Leukoerythrophagocytosis by sinus histiocytes: case report

Leukoerythrophagocytosis by sinus histiocytes in the lymph nodes is a rare cytological observation. Though often seen in lymph nodes draining malignancies, one may occasionally encounter them in vascular lesions. We report a case of leukoerythrophagocytosis by sinus histiocytes of the right supraclavicular lymph nodes in a 35-yr-old male. He presented with a painful soft tissue mass in the right anterior region of the chest wall extending into the axilla of 6 mo duration. Bilateral radial pulsations were absent. The patient had received treatment for pulmonary tuberculosis 1 yr ago. FNAC of the soft tissue mass revealed only blood. Radiological evaluation revealed a vascular lesion, with smooth borders, extending into the upper zone of right lung and displacing the second rib inferiorly. Doppler evaluation confirmed it to be a right subclavian aneurysm with arteritis.     

Neovascularization of nucleus pulposus. A diagnostic feature of intervertebral disc prolapse

STUDY DESIGN: Seventy-five surgically excised prolapsed intervertebral discs were histopathologically evaluated. Fifteen prospective normal cadaveric discs were used as control specimens. OBJECTIVE: To compare the morphologic features between the prolapsed and normal discs. SUMMARY OF BACKGROUND DATA: The histologic criteria were edge neovascularization of the fibrocartilage, chondrocyte cloning, fibrillation with fraying, and granular change. METHODS: Sections stained with hematoxylin and eosin, Van Gieson's, and toluidine blue were studied. The presence or absence of edge neovascularization was noted. The other criteria were graded based on a semiquantitative scoring system. RESULTS: Edge neovascularization was observed in 56% of the discs in the test group and in none of the control specimens. Fibrillation with fraying was the most significant finding in the test group (P < 0.001). Although the mean grades were higher in the test group, they did not predict the presence of edge neovascularization. CONCLUSIONS: Edge neovascularization was the most significant finding to confirm disc prolapse. Fibrillation with fraying, was observed more frequently in prolapsed intervertebral discs and the grades of fibrillation with fraying, chondrocyte cloning, and granular change were significantly higher in the test group. Pathologists can usually agree on the presence or absence of a particular histologic characteristic but are rarely consistent when they estimate the degree. Simple, reproducible agreed-on criteria are needed before semiquantitative evaluations become reliable.     

Trochleoplasty and medial patellofemoral ligament reconstruction for recurrent patellar dislocation

We report a case of recurrent patellar dislocation with high-grade trochlear dysplasia which persisted despite two previous operations. We did a Dejour''s sulcus deepening trochleoplasty, medial patellofemoral ligament reconstruction, and lateral retinacular release. Trochleoplasty and medial patellofemoral ligament reconstruction is required in patients with high grade trochlear dysplasia.     

Chemical resistance of the gram-negative bacteria to different sanitizers in a water purification system

Background  

Purified water for pharmaceutical purposes must be free of microbial contamination and pyrogens. Even with the additional sanitary and disinfecting treatments applied to the system (sequential operational stages), Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Pseudomonas fluorescens, Pseudomonas alcaligenes, Pseudomonas picketti, Flavobacterium aureum, Acinetobacter lowffi and Pseudomonas diminuta were isolated and identified from a thirteen-stage purification system. To evaluate the efficacy of the chemical agents used in the disinfecting process along with those used to adjust chemical characteristics of the system, over the identified bacteria, the kinetic parameter of killing time (D-value) necessary to inactivate 90% of the initial bioburden (decimal reduction time) was experimentally determined.