Small intestinal deficit in pellagra

Twenty-four persons with pellagra were the subjects of absorption testing. Fourteen (58.3%) showed evidence of defective absorption of two or three absorption tests and eight showed (33.3%) abnormality of only one of the tests of absorption. Only two cases (8.3%) were found to be having completely normal absorptive status of the small bowel. Six of these fourteen (42.8%) cases recovered completely or partially on treatment with nicotinic acid. The etiopathogenesis of malabsorption in pellagra is discussed. Patients of both primary as well as secondary pellagra showed similar derangement of small intestinal functions

Myoidema

This article does not have an abstract

Case of Congenital Tuberculosis

This article does not have an abstract

Effect of corticosteroid and irradiation on caecal amoebic infection in rats

Albino rats (Wistar strain) were pretreated with corticosteroid, irradiation or both to study the effect on the outcome of amoebic infection given intracaecally. The number of animals with lesions amongst "treated" groups was not significantly different from that amongst untreated control animals (P > 0·05) but amoebic pathology was markedly exacerbated amongst the treated animals. It is thus thought that once the amoebic infection is established, amoebae become better established for penetration in the immuno-depressed host. The study further suggests that corticosteroid therapy could aggravate an otherwise sub-clinical amoebic infection in man

Diagnostic value of combined transhepatic venography and inferior vena cavography in chronic Budd-Chiari syndrome

In a series of 19 patients with Budd-Chiari syndrome, transhepatic venography and inferior vena cavography were used to localize the site of hepatic outflow obstruction. Classification into two types was made on the basis of the site of obstruction. Four cases were grouped as type I, in which obstruction was localized in the hepatic vein alone, and the inferior vena cava (IVC) was patent. Fifteen cases were of type II, in which there was a well-defined obstruction in the intrahepatic portion of the IVC or ostium of a hepatic vein. This study highlights the frequent occurrence of IVC obstruction as a cause of chronic Budd-Chiari syndrome in northern India and the utility of transhepatic venography in its diagnosis

Spontaneously occurring renal diseases in wild rhesus monkeys

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Landry-Guillain-Barre-Strohl syndrome in India

Sixty-three patients from a series of 710 patients suffering from various types of neuropathy were considered to be suffering from the Landry-Guillain-Barre-Strohl syndrome. Prodromal symptoms were noted in 49.2% of cases. There was virtually complete paralysis of the limbs in 57 cases, moderate weakness in 4 and mild weakness in only 2. In 26 out of 33 cases in whom differential weakness could be recognized, distal groups were predominantly involved and in only 7, the proximal muscles. Higher cerebral functions were disturbed in 10 cases. Cranial nerves were involved at some stage in 58.7% of cases. Loss of tendon reflexes was generally the first abnormal sign and these were the last to return. In 1 case there was evidence of involvement of the pyramidal tract. Sphincters were involved in 23.8% of cases. Hypertension persisting from a few days to 4 months was seen in 23 patients. The CSF protein content in these cases was analysed in detail. The protein level did not vary significantly with the day of determination. Major electrocardiographic abnormalities were seen in 18 patients out of 47 in whom an ECG was done. Nerve biopsies done in 29 patients showed degenerative changes in the majority. In 4 out of 5 cases in whom nerve biopsy was repeated, the abnormalities disappeared along with clinical recovery. Pyruvic acid levels in blood (recorded in 15 patients) were significantly high in the fasting state as well as after glucose in these cases when compared to normal values. The mortality rate in this series was 28.5%. Relapse was noted in 4 cases. 59% showed complete or almost complete recovery usually within the first 3 months. Compared to the course of arsenical neuropathy, recovery was significantly speedier in this condition (P < 0.05)

Echinococcus multilocularis infection in India: first case report proved at autopsy

The occurrence of Echinococcus multilocularis is reported in India for the first time. The patient was a young man, various clinical diagnoses were made and he finally died after an attempted membranotomy for suspected membranous obstruction in the inferior vena cava. Autopsy revealed classical E. multilocularis infection of the liver with direct spread of the inferior vena cava, the right atrium and through the diaphragm into the base of the left lung. It also had caused an outflow tract obstruction to the hepatic venous flow by direct physical pressure distorting the proximal intrahepatic portion of the inferior vena cava. In addition the patient had multi-valvular lesions of rheumatic origin and a terminal infective endocarditis due to staphyloccal infection