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Biomedical subjects

G Garewal

Publications and source records attributed to G Garewal.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

True hermaphroditism: clinical profile and management of six patients from North India.

True hermaphroditism (TH) is an uncommon cause of genital ambiguity. This is a retrospective compilation of six cases of true hermaphroditism seen at our institute over the last one and a half decades. Clinical presentation was wide-ranging, with age at presentation varying from 2 months to 41 years and symptoms ranging from ambiguous genitalia to a lower abdominal mass. All patients had perineoscrotal hypospadias with varying degrees of labioscrotal fusion. Clinically, gonads were not palpable in four cases and internally an ovotestis was observed in half of them. Karyotyping was 46, XX in all except one. The majority of the patients were reared as males. True hermaphroditism (TH) forms an important differential in the diagnostic algorithm of ambiguous genitalia especially if gonads are not palpable and congenital adrenal hyperplasia has been ruled out.

Adult↗

Role of FAB classification of acute leukemias in era of immunophenotyping.

French-American-British classification for leukemias had been widely accepted due to its objectiveness and good reproducibility. WHO classification of leukemias was formulated in 1997 with a purpose of further enhancing the objectivity. However, the requirement of cytogenetics and immunophenotyping makes it difficult for many countries like India to put WHO classification in routine use. This study was carried to know the effectiveness of FAB classification in an era of technical advancement. A retrospective analysis of all acute leukemias over a period of 2 years was done. Out of total of 469 cases of acute leukemias, 193 were diagnosed as Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia (ALL), 200 as Acute Myeloid Leukemia (AML), and 76 cases diagnosed as Acute Leukemia, cytochemically undifferentiated. Hence, only 16% of all leukemias remained unclassifiable. Subclassification of AML cases revealed a much higher percentage of AML-M3, as compared to western literature. In conclusion, FAB classification, based on morphology and simple cytochemical stains, remains effective enough, although cytogenetics and immunophenotyping can add to diagnostic accuracy in some cases.

Acute Disease↗

Parvovirus B19-associated transient red cell aplasia in children: the role of bone marrow examination in unusual presentations.

Human parvovirus B19 (PV B19) infection in children commonly presents as fifth disease. Transient red cell crisis, the other manifestation of PV B19 infection, is usually reported in children with chronic hemolytic anemia, with a worsening of the anemia. However, this condition may pass unrecognized in children without an underlying hemolytic disorder, since the anemia may be of a short duration and self-limiting. The authors report 3 cases of PV B19-induced transient aplastic in different clinical settings--pancytopenia in one child, during induction phase for acute lymphoblastic leukemia in the second, and fever with joint pains in the third. Treatment for PV B19-induced transient aplastic crisis is essentially supportive. There may be a dilemma in patients on immunosuppressive therapy, since initially it is difficult to distinguish between chronic pure red cell aplasia (a condition where intravenous immunoglobulin therapy is beneficial) and transient aplastic crisis, where supportive red cell transfusions suffice. The patient with leukemia also recovered spontaneously despite being on steroids. In all the 3 patients, the pure red cell aplasia recovered spontaneously without administration of intravenous gammaglobulins.

Bone Marrow Examination↗

Splenectomy in a case of splenic vein thrombosis unmasks essential thrombocythemia.

We report a patient with splenic vein thrombosis (SVT) in whom splenectomy resulted in the unmasking of essential thrombocythemia (ET). He had portal hypertension with haematemesis, resulting in anaemia requiring repeated blood transfusions. Investigations revealed SVT. Following splenectomy, he suffered a transient ischaemic attack episode, associated with persistent thrombocytosis (> 2000 x 10(9)/l). Other myeloproliferative disorders were excluded and a diagnosis of ET was established. He responded to hydroxyurea but, due to financial constraints, he discontinued treatment and subsequently relapsed. The association of ET with SVT is rare and the diagnosis of ET was missed initially as the platelet count was normal prior to splenectomy.

Adult↗

Vitamin K deficiency in diarrhoea.

The study was undertaken to determine the frequency of occurrence of vitamin K deficiency in infants with diarrhoeal illness. Infants were categorized into four groups as follows: A(acute diarrhoea), B(protracted diarrhoea) C(intractable diarrhoea) and D(healthy controls). Screening coagulation tests, PT and PTTK along with estimation of functional activity and total antigenic levels of prothrombin were performed. The ratio of functional to total prothrombin was calculated. PT was prolonged in 30% (24/75) of all infants with diarrhoea as compared to controls where the abnormality was observed in 11.1% infants (2/18). The ratio of functional to total prothrombin was significantly lower in infants with diarrhoea, the mean +/- SD values being 0.65 +/- 0.41 vs 1.1 +/- 0.26. This difference was statistically highly significant (p < 0.001). Low ratio was observed in 57.3% (43/75) infants with diarrhoea. Thus functional to total prothrombin ratio identified approximately twice as many diarrhoeal infants with vitamin K deficiency as compared to PT alone. There was no significant correlation with breast feeding as the only mode of diet, or the prior administration of antibiotics in infants with diarrhoea. The inherent malabsorptive state in diarrhoea may be a major contributory factor.

Diarrhea, Infantile↗

Effect of maternal low dose aspirin on neonatal platelet function.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the effect of maternal low dose aspirin ingestion in platelet function of newborn. DESIGN: Prospective randomized placebo controlled study. METHODS: 25 neonates born to mothers receiving low dose aspirin and 25 matched neonates with no maternal exposure to aspirin were studied. 2 ml of EDTA and 4.5 ml of citrate blood was collected from umbilical vein using double clamped umbilical stump for hemogram, coagulation profile and platelet functions. RESULTS: The platelet counts (10(9)/l) of study and control groups were 186.4 +/- 22.76 (116-225) and 205.28 +/- 17.34 (176-225), respectively. There was no significant difference in coagulation parameters. Prothrombin time index (PTI) was 86.24 +/- 6.623 and 87 +/- 6.43, respectively in the study and control group while PTTK (sec) was 55.88 +/- 20.54 and 52.12 +/- 11.82 in study and control subjects, respectively. The platelet aggregation studies (platelet function) with various platelet agonists in study and control group did not show any significant difference. Clinically, none of the babies had bleeding. CONCLUSIONS: Use of low dose aspirin in pregnant women was found to be safe and had no adverse effects on platelet functions of newborn.

Aspirin↗

Histological and clinical evolution patterns of chronic myelocytic leukemia.

Trephine biopsies of 101 chronic myelocytic leukaemia (CML) patients were analysed to study the relationship between initial and subsequent histological features vis-a-vis clinical behaviour of the disease. The patients with blast crisis at presentation were excluded. At diagnosis 62 (61.4%) patients revealed granulocytic-megakaryocytic (gran-meg) proliferation whereas granulocytic (gran) proliferation was found in 39 (38.6%) patients. Gran pattern at diagnosis was associated with shorter survival and early evolution into blast crisis (36.8%) in 12 months, although the difference in the total incidence of blast crisis between the two histological groups was not statistically significant. Myelofibrosis was detected in more number of cases on follow up (89.1%) as compared to the initial biopsies (80.2%). However myelofibrosis did not correlate with initial cellular composition, overall survival or the phase of CML (P > 0.05). Transition from one histological type to another was observed in 15 out of 60 (25%) cases while remaining in the chronic phase.

Biopsy, Needle↗

Primary pulmonary malignant teratoma with yolk sac element associated with hematologic neoplasia.

We describe the unique case of a primary pulmonary malignant teratoma with yolk sac elements, associated with hematologic neoplasia. This 20-year-old male was admitted with complaints of fever, right-sided chest pain, dry cough, and hemoptysis. Necropsy revealed a mass in the right middle and upper lobe which microscopically was a malignant teratoma with yolk sac element. The associated hematologic neoplasia was a myelofibrosis, cellular phase, with myeloid metaplasia in liver, spleen, hilar lymph nodes, left adrenal gland, and lower lobe of the right lung.

Adult↗

Carcinocythemia.

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Biopsy, Needle↗

Hyperaggregation of platelets in intestinal tuberculosis: role of platelets in chronic inflammation.

Eighty-eight percent (38/43) patients of intestinal tuberculosis showed significant hyperaggregation of platelets (P < 0.001). Serum and plasma from 15 patients when incubated with normal platelets caused hyperaggregation. Gel filtered platelets from 2 patients suspended in normal plasma showed hyperaggregation of platelets with arachidonic acid. Tubercular protein had no effect on platelet aggregation. A role of hyperactive platelets in chronic inflammatory response is discussed.

Adolescent↗