Paediatric cholelithiasis treated with homoeopathy: A case report

Introduction: Gallstones are formed due to the precipitation of components of bile in the lumen of the gallbladder. The incidence of gallstones is extremely rare in children and patients are mostly asymptomatic. However, biliary colic may occur due to reflexive smooth muscle spasm by the stone obstructing the bile duct and may be the presenting symptom in 50% of cases of paediatric cholelithiasis whereas 25% may have non-specific symptoms, 20% may be asymptomatic and 5–10% may have complicated symptoms. The conventional treatment of gallstones is surgery even in children, whereas homoeopathy can provide non-surgical treatment in such cases. Case Summary: A 3-year-old girl child presented with multiple gallstones and recurrent right hypochondrial pain, nausea and vomiting. Surgeons had advised the parents to wait and watch. Phosphorus 30C and Chelidonium majus Q were selected after a detailed case recording and repertorisation, and this treatment gave a positive outcome in 4 months. Evidence-based treatment with individualised homoeopathic medicine thus, seem to help in the cases of paediatric cholelithiasis

Tinea cruris managed with a single dose of individualised homoeopathic medicine: A case report

Introduction: Tinea cruris is an infection of the skin over groins by a species of dermatophyte. It is a common ringworm infestation that affects the groin and is caused by Trichophyton rubrum, characterised by red, itchy erythematous plaques extending from the Groin and flexures onto the thighs, buttocks and perianal region of the skin. More than eight million people visit primary care physicians annually to treat tinea-related symptoms. Topical agents are the mainstay in conventional medicine. However, a holistic approach with Homoeopathy for treating tinea cruris can make a difference in terms of both cure and preventing relapse. Case Summary: A 30-year-old male presented with a ring-like red erythematous lesion on the buttocks and perianal region of skin with severe itching. The case was diagnosed clinically as tinea cruris. The patient was treated with individualised homoeopathic medicine Sulphur 1M in a single dose and followed up for 6 months. There was a complete disappearance of tinea cruris lesions, as documented as photographic evidence, without any adverse effects and recurrence of lesions in the follow-up period. In this case, the outcome and causal attribution of the changes were assessed using the Modified Naranjo Criteria for Homoeopathy. The score was +10 showing the positive relationship between the intervention and the outcome. This case shows the positive role of individualised homoeopathic medicine in the management of tinea cruris

Safety of potentised dilutions of Rhus toxicodendron in Wistar albino rats

Background: Rhus toxicodendron (Rhus tox.) is a well-known homoeopathic medicine used to treat inflammatory disorders supported by historical and modern scientific evidence. Objective: The safety testing of 6C, 30C and 200C potencies of Rhus tox. through acute and sub-acute oral toxicity tests as per the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development test guidelines. Methods: For the acute oral toxicity study, Rhus tox. (2000 μL/kg) was administered to rats and observed for 14 days. For the subacute oral toxicity study, Rhus tox. (200 μL/kg) was administered for 28 days and additional recovery groups were included to monitor reversibility, persistence, or delayed occurrence of toxic effects for 14 days post-treatment. Histopathological assessments of vital organs were done to detect any signs of toxicity. Results: No mortality occurred during the acute toxicity study at a dose of 2000 μL/kg, indicating an oral LD50 of Rhus tox. \u3e2000 μL/kg. In the sub-acute toxicity study, Rhus tox. administration for 28 days showed no adverse clinical signs, with normal weight gain and feed intake in treated animals. No adverse changes were noticed in the biochemical and haematological parameters of Rhus tox. treated rats. Furthermore, no abnormalities were observed in gross and histopathological examinations of vital organs. Conclusion: The study found that Rhus tox. in 6C, 30C and 200C potencies exhibited a safe toxicological profile, supporting its beneficial pharmacological effects

Reporting Clinical Cases: Advancing Homoeopathy, one case at a time

Case reports have been invariably contributing to the research world in their own way. They remain a popular genre among the readers, especially the clinicians who lay their hands upon a clinical journal with an interest to pick new knowledge about a certain disease or a drug than to learn about new evidence generated through statistical calculations. Its presence in medical literature is reported to be quite ancient, with some evidence dated back to the Egyptian antiquity. In fact, a well-documented case report is a representative version of many similar clinical success stories

Research Highlights

Research Highlight

Homoeopathic treatment of a child with internet gaming disorder and atopic dermatitis: A case report

Introduction: Internet gaming disorder (IGD) is an emerging disorder, recently added to DSM-5, which has a capacity to reach pandemic proportions in the near future. The Indian mobile gaming market has grown significantly over the past few years with many users spending a significant amount of time on mobile games. A patient initially presenting with atopic dermatitis (AD) was subsequently diagnosed with IGD based on the analysis of his mental symptoms and was managed holistically with homoeopathy. Case Summary: A 3-year-old boy primarily presented with AD. During the interrogation of his mental state, he was found to have symptoms fulfilling the criteria of IGD as per DSM- 5. He was successfully treated with individualised homoeopathic medicine Mercurius solubilis over a period of 3½ months. The subjective symptoms improved, the lesions on the skin disappeared, itching subsided and hyper-pigmentation was resolved. Furthermore, there was gradual improvement in his behavioural symptoms such as anger, destructive nature and the habit of playing internet mobile games for long durations. The Modified Naranjo Criteria score after treatment was 8, which suggested a probable association between the homoeopathic medicine Mercurius solubilis and the outcome in this case. This case shows that the individualised homoeopathic medicine selected based on the totality can have favourable results in the treatment of IGD and remission of AD

Obstinate chronic venous ulcer treated with the homoeopathic medicine Silicea: A case report

Introduction: Vascular leg ulcers are highly prevalent conditions that have difficult management, a high sanitary cost and an impact on the patient’s quality of life. Individualised homoeopathic treatment could be a safe and affordable therapeutic option for venous ulcers. Case Summary: A 35-year-old male was treated with homoeopathic medication for an intractable case of chronic venous ulcer. Individualised homoeopathic medicine, Silicea, was prescribed after thorough case-taking, which led to improvement in subjective and objective symptoms. The Modified Naranjo Criteria score was 8 following the homoeopathic treatment, which shows positive causal attribution of the individualised homoeopathic medicine Silicea in this case. To draw more firm conclusion about the role of classical Homoeopathy in the management of peripheral vascular diseases, more in-depth research is necessary

269 years of Homoeopathy: The healing continues

As we gear up to celebrate 269 years of homoeopathy, it is a matter of pride for the homoeopathic fraternity that homoeopathy continues to evolve globally. Homoeopathy is now a widely used medical system with over 200 million users in 100+ countries. If factors such as strong evidence, wide, global usage, and economic viability can be considered as the pillars that make a healthcare model legitimate for a nation, Homoeopathy, indeed, makes the cut. Given its well-acclaimed abilities of permanent, effective, and safe treatment, homoeopathy went on to be a fundamental part of Indian healthcare. However, despite the relevance and evidence of homoeopathy as a validated system of medicine, scientific backing of Homoeopathy has always been under attack by skeptics

Management of psychosis with individualised homoeopathic medicines: A case series

Background: Psychosis is a clinical syndrome. The main clinical signs of psychosis are delusion and hallucination. It is a crucial focus of diagnosis and treatment in neurologic and psychiatric practice since it functionally disturbs numerous psychiatric, neurodevelopmental, neurologic and medical diseases. Case summary: The World Health Organization Quality of Life Scale and the Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale were used to evaluate the patients. The outcomes in all the cases suggested that homoeopathic treatment can play a significant role in easing psychotic symptoms and restoring the patient’s ability to understand. The most frequently prescribed medicines and potencies in these cases were Natrum muriaticum, Lachesis, Lycopodium, Stramonium in 30C and 200C potencies, Sulphur, Calcarea carb., Carcinosinum in 200C potencies and Ignatia amara in 30C potency. Extensive research studies are needed to generate additional, strong evidence of Homoeopathy in psychosis

Usage of Arsenicum album 30C as a prophylactic medicine in healthcare workers of a COVID health centre – A report

The homoeopathic medicine Arsenicum album 30C was recommended as prophylaxis by the Central Council for Research in Homoeopathy, along with general precautions during COVID-19 pandemic. A retrospective cohort study was conducted in Delhi, India, during May–August 2020 to evaluate the effectiveness of Arsenicum album 30C as prophylaxis for COVID-19 in a high-risk group of healthcare workers (HCWs). HCWs (n = 100) were categorised into two groups based on the number of days Arsenicum album 30C was administered during their duty: 7 days (N1 = 38) or 14 days (N2 = 62). Participants underwent COVID-19 testing (rapid antigen test/reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction) at the end of duty or earlier if symptoms developed. The incidence of a positive COVID-19 test and/or symptoms were primary outcome measures. The time taken for symptom resolution was the secondary outcome. At baseline, 89% of HCWs were at high risk, as per the World Health Organisation 2019 COV HCW risk categorization. At the end of duty, 98% of HCWs reported negative COVID-19 tests. No COVID-19-like symptoms were observed in the N2 group. In N1, four HCWs developed COVID-19-like symptoms, while two tested positive and recovered within 10 days