Intussusception in a premature neonate: A rare and often misdiagnosed clinical entity

Intussusception is a very rare cause of intestinal obstruction in neonates. It is of extremely rare occurrence among premature neonates. We present a case of 11-day-old premature neonate who presented with abdominal distension, intolerance to feeds, vomiting, significant bilious aspirate and bleeding per rectum. The initial diagnosis of necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC) led to a delay in the diagnosis. On exploratory laparotomy, it turned out to be a case of ileo-colic intussusception with Meckel''s diverticulum as a lead point. This site of intussusception (ileo-colic) and presence of a lead point among premature neonate is of exceedingly rare occurrence and very few such cases have been reported.In this article, the published work about clinical features and management on intussusceptions in premature neonates has been reviewed. The authors intend to highlight the difficulty in distinguishing the NEC and intussusception. Subtle clinical and radiological features which can help in differentiating the two conditions have been emphasized. This can avoid the delay in diagnosis and management which can prove critical. High index of suspicion with timely intervention is the key for optimizing outcome. A diagnosis of intussusception should always be considered in any preterm infant with suspected NEC.     

Nitrobid therapy in sudden sensorineural hearing loss

The efficacy of local application of Nitrobid oinment in the treatment of idiopathic sudden sensorineural hearing loss has been presented Overall good to fair recovery occured in 40% of the patients, important prognostic indicators were found to be severity of initial hearing loss, time from onset to initial visit, age of the patient and hearing status of the opposite ear.     

Results of penetrating keratoplasty in vascularized corneas.

A retrospective longitudinal study of 105 penetrating keratoplasties for vascularized corneal opacities was done. The results of cases with an etiology of healed trachoma or healed corneal ulcers were compared. The vascularization was graded from Grade I to V depending on the quadrant and type of vascularization. Graft clarity of 2+ or more in cases of trachomatous opacity was achieved in 93% of cases and that after postinfectious opacity in 71.8%. Prognosis was poor in cases where deep vascularization was present in more than two quadrants or more than 180 degrees.     

Corneoscleral ulceration in congenital erythropoietic porphyria (a case report)

A case of congenital erythropoietic porphyria, with corneoscleral ulceration, a rare association in this disorder, was reported. Anterior segment ischemia is believed to play an important role in the etiopathogenesis of corneoscleral ulceration. Remarkable improvement occurred with use of topical heparin drops (500 units/ml).     

Beta hemolytic streptococcal carriers among school children in western Orissa.

Detection of carriers of Beta hemolytic streptococci and serogrouping of the strains isolated from throat of School Children helps in the epidemiological serosurveillance of the disease. With this in view the carriers among otherwise healthy school children in and around Buria, a small town in western Orissa, have been detected and the Streptococci isolated are grouped and typed.     

Sleeve urethroplasty: New technique

A single-stage urethroplasty for penile urethral stricture is described. This method obviated some of the common complications, such as fistula formation. This operation was performed on 11 patients with encouraging results. Further study is needed to assess its ultimate value.