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Biomedical subjects

Karuna Rameshkumar

Publications and source records attributed to Karuna Rameshkumar.

4 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed2003

Cutaneous vasculitis--a dynamic process posing diagnostic challenge.

AIM: To characterize the clinicopathologic features and to assess the therapeutic outcome in cutaneous vasculitis. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Fifty biopsy proven cases of cutaneous vasculitis seen between January 1998 and July 1999 were studied. RESULTS: The commonest presentation was palpable purpura. The site most commonly affected was the extremity, irrespective of the age (adults - 40 and children - 10) and sex. The histopathologic picture ranged from an acute to chronic process, which besides the classic picture included bullous presentation, granulomatous histology and nonspecific features. Clinical correlation and investigations including direct immunofluorescence (DIF) were required to differentiate primary from secondary vasculitis (SLE-4, dermatomyositis-2, rheumatoid artritis-1, HIV-1, septicaemia-1 and drug reaction 2). DIF was diagnostic in 13 out of 21 cases providing evidence of an immune-mediated pathogenesis. Drugs used in the treatment included dapsone, colchicine, pentoxyphiline and steroids. CONCLUSIONS: The clinical picture and outcome of primary cutaneous vasculitis were benign while the prognosis of secondary vasculitis depended on the primary disease, irrespective of the histopathological picture.

Adolescent↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Impact of vascular abnormalities in neoplastic and non-neoplastic lung disease.

BACKGROUND: Vascular abnormalities of the pulmonary circulation in the setting of destructive lung diseases caused by inflammation or neoplasia has been scantily researched. A need was felt to document the spectrum of pathological alterations in the vasculature and thus permit speculation into both their pathogenesis and possible clinical significance. METHODS: Between January 1999 and June 2001, 21 patients (male:female 3:4) who had chest disease exceeding a duration of six months and later underwent lobectomy were included in the study. The histopathological material was analysed for vascular changes such as arterial intimal fibrosis, muscularisation of intima and pericapillary fibrosis. The study included a detailed morphometric analysis. RESULTS: The lesions included 15 non-neoplastic diseases and six neoplastic diseases. The striking vasculopathic changes observed in the absence of pulmonary hypertension were pulmonary artery medial hypertropy (100%), intimal fibrosis (62%) and muscularisation of the neo-intima (3%). Pericapillary fibrosis was seen in 83% of the neoplastic lesions and 67% of the non-neoplastic lesions. CONCLUSION: This study highlights the impact of chronic lung disease on pulmonary vasculature. The role that neoplastic and non-neoplastic lung disease have to play in the evolution of the documented vascular changes have been postulated, and the need to design effective therapeutic strategies to modulate hypoxia, reverse the inflammatory process and stabilise the fibroblastic process is also highlighted.

Adolescent↗