Pregnancy and labor outcomes in squat versus western style sitting toilet users: a pilot study

Background: Squatting posture may appear outdated and primitive, but in the antenatal period, it is an important resistance exercise to strengthen the abdominal and pelvic floor muscles which are believed to potentially prepare the women for a more natural delivery. No study till date has evaluated the effect of type of toilet seat regularly used during pregnancy. This was a pilot study to assess obstetric outcomes in antenatal women using squat versus western style sitting toilet seat.Methods: In an observational prospective pilot study, low risk primigravida at 28-32 weeks gestation were recruited from the outpatient department and divided into two groups after matching baseline characteristics. Group I (n=50) included women regularly using squatting type toilet seat and group II (n=50) comprised women using western style toilet seat. Pregnancy was followed till delivery; obstetric and neonatal outcomes were noted.Results: Squatting group, as compared to sitting type seat users, had lower incidence of vaginal discharge (10% vs 16%), urinary tract infection(12% vs. 24%), constipation (2% vs. 6%), labor induction (52% vs. 58%), shorter second-stage duration (0.60 vs. 1.24 hours) and a higher incidence of normal vaginal delivery (94% vs. 86%), albeit not statistically significant. NICU admissions (16% vs. 20%) and mean birth weight (2.83 vs. 2.97 kg) were comparable in the two groups.Conclusions: Squatting type toilet seat users had many favourable obstetric outcomes, especially a higher incidence of normal vaginal delivery; although, the difference was not statistically significant. Large community based surveys in this regard can reveal the true effects of squatting type toilet seat on pregnancy and labour outcomes

Ureteral Dilatation with No Apparent Cause on Intravenous Urography: Normal or Abnormal? A Pilot Study

A pilot study was done in 18 adults to assess the significance of ureteral dilatation having no apparent cause seen on Intravenous Urography (IVU). A clinicoradiological evaluation was undertaken to evaluate the cause of ureteral dilatation, including laboratory investigations and sonography of the genitourinary tract. This was followed, if required, by CT Urography (using a modified technique). In 9 out of 18 cases, the cause of ureteral dilatation on laboratory investigations was urinary tract infection (6) and tuberculosis (3). In the remaining 9 cases, CTU identified the cause as extrinsic compression by a vessel (3), extrinsic vascular compression of the ureter along with ureteritis (2), extrinsic vascular impression on the right ureter and ureteritis in the left ureter (1), ureteral stricture (2), and ureteral calculus (1). Extrinsic vascular compression and strictures did not appear to be clinically significant in our study. Hence, ureteral dilatation without any apparent cause on intravenous urogram was found to be clinically significant in 12 out of 18 (66.6%) cases. We conclude that ureteral dilatation with no apparent cause on IVU may indicate urinary tract tuberculosis, urinary tract infection (E. coli), or a missed calculus. Thus, cases with a dilated ureter on IVU, having no obvious cause, should undergo a detailed clinicoradiological evaluation and CTU should be used judiciously

Transungual surgical excision of subungual glomus tumour

Background: Glomus tumours are rare vascular tumours arising subungually in fingernails. Surgical excision provides histopathologic diagnosis and rapid resolution of symptoms. Objective: Present study was aimed at delineating common presentations and long-term treatment outcome of this rare subungual tumour. Patients and Methods: The clinical features and imaging results for 10 patients with subungual glomus tumours were recorded. All were treated with transungual excision. Per-operative findings and, treatment outcomes were recorded and analysed. Results: Females outnumbered males with average age being 33.3 ± 7.55 years. Presenting symptoms were severe pain (100%); nail-plate discoloration and onycholysis. X-ray was normal in 70%, though a magnetic resonance imaging done for five, helped visualise the lesion in three patients. The tumour involved nail bed in five cases and matrix in five, with an average size being 6.1 ± 2.13 mm (range 3-11 mm). An average follow-up of 16.8 months (range 8-24 months) was largely uneventful with longitudinal ridging in two cases and recurrence in two (both attributed to a sister lesion). Conclusion: Subungual glomus tumours have characteristic clinical presentation. Imaging is helpful pre-operatively but has a low success rate. Transungual surgical excision is safe and effective, allowing better visualisation, easy exploration and minimal long-term complications

A blind-ending ureter with infection due to vesicoureteric reflux with associated renal agenesis: A rare cause of pain abdomen

We report a 12-year-old male child with an unusual cause of abdominal pain, i.e. a blind-ending ureter with vesicoureteral reflux. The pain improved with antibiotic therapy, implying infection as the cause of pain. This entity is difficult to diagnose clinically, thereby affecting management. Usually, a blind-ending ureter is not filled on intravenous urography (IVU) and the diagnosis is confirmed by retrograde pyelography, which is an invasive procedure. We illustrate the contribution of IVU and computerized tomographic cystography, which has not been reported earlier, in the evaluation of such cases

Simultaneous Non-Traumatic Perforation of the Right Hepatic Duct and Gallbladder: An Atypical Occurrence

Simultaneous non-traumatic perforation of the extrahepatic bile duct and the gallbladder is an uncommon occurrence that has been infrequently reported. We describe a patient with a spontaneous perforation of both the extrahepatic bile duct and the gallbladder. A contrast- enhanced computed tomography (CECT) scan of the abdomen and endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) demonstrated a perforation of the gallbladder and a free leak from the right hepatic duct, respectively. Endoscopic biliary drainage following a sphincterotomy and biliary stent placement led to a dramatic improvement in the patient’s general condition. He was subsequently scheduled to undergo an elective cholecystectomy. Repeat ERCP performed at 4 weeks after the initial stenting showed a normal cholangiogram and a distally migrated stent, which was there after removed. However, early stent removal led to re-perforation of hepatic duct and gallbladder. A repeat endoscopic biliary drainage did not help, and the patient developed biliary peritonitis. Surgical exploration revealed a perforation at the fundus of the gallbladder, 400 ml of biliopurulent collection and a frozen Calot’s triangle. A subtotal cholecystectomy, gall stone removal, and a thorough peritoneal lavage were undertaken. The patient improved postoperatively. The second biliary stent was removed after 4 months. This case report highlights the role of endoscopic biliary drainage in the management of an extrahepatic bile duct perforation and warns against the early removal of a biliary stent

Papillary Cystadenocarcinoma of Ovary Presenting as Obstructive Jaundice: A Rare Presentation

Obstructive jaundice resulting from malignancy of gastrointestinal tract and hepatobiliary tract has been reported in various studies. Ovarian malignancy leading to obstructive jaundice due to portal lymphadenopathy is of rare occurrence. We report a case presented with obstructive jaundice and on further evaluation, found to have ovarian papillary cyst adenocarcinoma with secondaries at porta hepatis which was managed successfully by neoadjuvant chemotherapy followed by cytoreductive surgery

Relationship of levels of Vitamin D with flow-mediated dilatation of brachial artery in patients of myocardial infarction and healthy control: A case-control study

Background: Cardiovascular diseases (CVD) remain the leading cause of death worldwide. Vitamin D deficiency has been linked to increased risk of adverse CV events. Vitamin D deficiency may be responsible for endothelial dysfunction which in turn affects the onset and progression of coronary artery disease and its risk factors, directly or indirectly through various mechanisms. Materials and Methods: It was case-control study. A total of 50 cases of acute myocardial infarction (AMI) (aged 40-60 years), admitted to medicine emergency/CCU, were taken as per ACC/AHA 2007 guidelines. An equal number of age- and sex-matched controls were also taken. Risk factors of AMI, flow-mediated dilatation (FMD), and 25(OH)D levels were studied in all cases and controls. Correlation was also studied between FMD and 25(OH)D. Results: The mean values of FMD were 18.86 ± 5.39% and 10.35 ± 4.90% in controls and cases, respectively (P < 0.05). The endothelial dilatation after glyceryl trinitrate (GTN) was also studied and was found to be 26.175 ± 4.25% and 18.80 ± 5.72% in controls and cases, respectively (P < 0.05). The mean levels of 25(OH)D in controls and cases were 25.45 ± 12.17 and 14.53 ± 8.28 ng/ml, respectively. In this study, 56% of subjects were Vitamin D deficient, 25% were Vitamin D insufficient, and only 19% had Vitamin D in normal range. A positive correlation coefficient was found between FMD and 25(OH) Vitamin D levels (r = 0.841, P < 0.01). In this study, a positive correlation coefficient was also found between endothelial dilatation after GTN and 25(OH)D levels (r = 0.743, P < 0.01). Conclusion: In this study, it was found that FMD was markedly impaired in patients of AMI when compared to controls. It was also found that majority of the study population was Vitamin D deficient; however, the deficiency was more severe in patients of AMI. We also found out that FMD was positively correlated (r = 0.841) to the deficiency state of Vitamin D in all the study subjects