Pattern of regional metastasis in papillary thyroid cancer: our experience of 86 cases

Background: Papillary thyroid cancer (PTC) have a high propensity for regional metastasis which ranges from 30- 80%. The objective of the study is to assess the pattern of lymph node metastasis and to plan the extent of neck dissection accordingly. Though central neck dissection (CND) is routinely done in PTC but the indication of extent of  neck dissection is still controversial.Methods: The medical records of   86 patients with PTC  who underwent total thyroidectomy (TT) and neck dissection at Dr. B. Borooah Cancer Institute(BBCI) from January 2010 to  December 2014 were retrospectively reviewed.Results: Out of 86 patients 22 were males and 64 were females. The median age of presentation was 40.0 years. 43 out of 86 patients (50%) had cervical lymph node metastasis. Ipsilateral nodal metastasis was found in 37 patients (43.0%) and contralateral metastasis was found in only 6 patients (7.0%).Tumors with size more than 3cm had ipsilateral nodal metastasis in 21(56.7%) patients which is statistically significant (p 0.03).A strong association was found between level VI and the ipsilateral group of lymph nodes involving level II,III,IV and V.Conclusions: Majority of patients present with multiple level nodal metastasis, with the central compartment commonly involved. In view of the high incidence of metastatic lymph nodes in levels II, III, IV and level VI ,our study  supports the recommendation  for posterolateral  and anterior  neck dissection in patients with clinically positive neck  nodes and tumor with aggressive criteria

Rosai-Dorfman disease in a child with involvement of extra-nodal wrist joint

Rosai-Dorfman Disease (RDD) is a benign condition primarily affecting the lymph nodes. The term sinus histiocytosis with massive lymphadenopathy was first used. There may be extra-nodal presentation of RDD with or without constitutional symptoms. A 10-year-old boy presented with massive bilateral cervical lymphadenopathy which mimicked the diagnosis of lymphoma. We describe here a case of RDD in a child with extra-nodal bone involvement of the wrist joint, its diagnosis by histopathological examination supported by immunohistochemistry and consequent initial management

Primary cutaneous tuberculosis associated with reactive cervical lymphadenopathy: a case report

Tuberculosis (TB) is a mycobacterial infection that most frequently occurs due to infection with Mycobacterium tuberculosis, an acid-fast bacillus. Cutaneous lesions are relatively uncommon manifestations of TB, occurring in only 1 to 2 percent of all infected patients.  Cutaneous tuberculosis can be acquired either exogenously or endogenously .We present here a case of primary cutaneous tuberculosis with reactive cervical lymphadenopathy.  A high index of suspicion is necessary for prompt diagnosis and treatment

Utility of telemedicine in COVID-19 pandemic: our experience at a tertiary cancer center in North East India

Background: Telemedicine is a very useful tool of communication between the doctor and the patient. The aim of this study was to find out the utility of telemedicine during the lockdown period of COVID-19 pandemic in North East India.Methods: It is a cross sectional study among the cancer patients at our center on follow up or ongoing treatment and analysis of all the data acquired from telephonic conversation with our patients from 30th March, 2020 to 3rd May, 2020. Have contacted 4181 patients during this period over phone. All phone calls were done by respective department doctors.Results: From the demographic data, we get that 35.4% of patients were at good physical condition, 3.5% with poor general condition, 11.6% patients having ongoing treatment in our institute, 21.1% patients expired, 0.9% patients have nonmalignant diagnosis, 1.4% patients left the institute due to various reasons. Analyzed this data with brain storming sessions amongst the COVID-19 task force doctors and tried to find out solutions of each problem.Conclusions: Telemedicine cannot replace conventional method of in person treatment, but it proved to be a useful tool during the COVID-19 pandemic for patient follow up and treatment of cancer patients

Primary oro-pharyngeal tuberculosis mimicking as malignancy

Primary oropharyngeal tuberculosis is a rare entity and accounts for 0.05-5% of all cases of tuberculosis cases. We report here a case of 20-year-old female with primary oropharyngeal tuberculosis. The patient initially presented with an ulcer-proliferative growth on the right tonsil. Subsequently, after a delay of 6 months due to noncompliance of the advice given, she presented with extensive involvement of the oropharynx. The diagnosis of primary tuberculosis was made after histopathological examination and cytological examination for exclusion of acid-fast bacilli in the sputum and bronchoalveolar lavage fluid as well. In endemic region young patients presenting with ulcer-proliferative growth on oropharynx, a high degree of suspicion for tuberculosis should be made. Early diagnosis and prompt treatment with anti-tubercular drugs results in a good treatment outcome with complete resolution of symptoms and signs

Squamous cell carcinoma of upper alveolus: An experience of a tertiary care center of Northeast India

Objective: The main objective of this study was to analyze the clinical behavior and the impact of nodal metastasis on the prognosis of upper alveolus squamous cell carcinoma (SCC). Materials and Methods: The medical records of 110 patients with SCC of the upper alveolus (International Classification of Diseases-10-C03.0) diagnosed during 2010–2015 were reviewed. Survival analysis was done using the Kaplan–Meier method and was compared using log rank-test. P < 0.05 was considered statistically significant. Results: Of the 110 patients, 59 were males and 51 were females. Forty-six (41.8%) patients presented with lymph node metastasis. Fifty-three (51.8%) patients presented in Stage IVA, thirty (27.3%) patients in Stage IVB, ten (9.1%) patients in Stage III, 12 (10.9%) patients in Stage II. The 5-year overall survival (OS) was 71.1% in Stage II, in Stage III it was 65.6%, in Stage it was IVA 56.7%, and in Stage IVB it was 19.4% (P = 0.02). The 5-year OS for node negative compared with node positive was 66.3% versus 37.3%, respectively (P = 0.019). Conclusion: Presence of lymph node metastasis is associated with lower survival rates. Adequate surgical resection with adjuvant treatment, where necessary, offers the best chance of disease control