Forestry to Support Increased Agricultural Production: Focus on Employment Generation and Rural Development

India possesses several advantages due to its varied ecological range and agro-climates to cultivate several important and diverse commercial food commodities ranging from cereals, fruits and spices to medicinal plants. The country has abundance of human resource comprising skilled, educated, technical and scientific manpower on one hand and unskilled manpower on the other. Forests- and agriculture-based industries are a major source of employment in the primary, secondary and tertiary sectors all over the country. This article has presented a brief overview of the potential of forest and agriculture in generating employment, providing livelihood and environmental services, sequestration of green house gases, carbon trading, rehabilitation of degraded lands, production of fuel wood, etc. There are clear linkages and synergies between agricultural production and sustainable forest management. If the sustainability of the agriculture and forests can be assured, food security and employment generation would go in long-term perpetuity.Community/Rural/Urban Development, Resource /Energy Economics and Policy,

Uterine leiomyosarcoma metastasizing to multiple sites: a rare presentation

Uterine leiomyosarcoma is a rare malignant neoplasm which has a dismal outcome especially when associated with widespread metastasis. It shows early metastasis primarily to the lungs, peritoneal cavity, bones, pelvic and para-aortic lymph nodes. We report simultaneous metastasis to the scalp, breast and soft tissue from leiomyosarcoma arising in the uterine broad ligament. Leiomyosarcoma poses a diagnostic difficulty at the metastatic site, especially when the primary site is unknown. Correct tumor typing and separating a primary from a metastatic one is important because of the different treatment modalities for both. Fine Needle Aspiration Cytology (FNAC) has emerged as an indispensable preliminary modality in investigating the metastatic disease and therefore cytomorphological recognition of the tumor presumes a great significance

Computed tomography guided fine needle aspiration cytology of thoracic lesions: 10 year experience of an interventional pulmonologist

Background: Diagnosis of thoracic lesions may be challenging, due to various factors associated with the lesion and subsequent invasive investigations. Computed tomography guided fine needle aspiration cytology (CT-guided FNAC) is a minimally invasive method for thoracic lesions considered non approachable by other modalities.Methods: Retrospective analysis of patients subjected to CT-guided FNAC during year 2004 to 2014 was done. In these patients, non-invasive and invasive methods like fibre-optic bronchoscopy/ ultrasound guided FNAC were inconclusive/ expected to be inconclusive. Records were statistically analyzed for patient related, lesion related and procedure related factors, and their effect on yield and complications.Results: 435 patients underwent CT-guided FNAC. Age ranged from 10 to 95 years, with male preponderance. Diagnostic yield was 80.2%. Neoplastic lesions (255/435 (58.6%)) were most commonly diagnosed with majority (206/255 (80.8%)) being non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). This was followed by non-neoplastic lesions (94/435 (21.6%)) with Tuberculosis (42/94(44.7%)) being most common in this group. In 227/435 patients, other details like side and size of the lesion, position of patient during the procedure, depth of lesion from skin surface, number of passes undertaken and complications, if any, were also available. They were separately analyzed. Mean size of lesion was 5.7575 X 5.4173cms (maximum vertical X maximum horizontal diameter). Mean depth to which needle was inserted was 5.6663cms. Mean number of passes per patient were 1.98. Right sided lesions were more commonly sampled than left. Supine positioning was most commonly employed. Overall complication rate was 4% (9/227).Conclusions: CT-guided FNAC for thoracic lesions can serve as early diagnostic tool and guide in planning effective management strategies

Fine needle aspiration cytology of bursal cyst

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the cytomorphology of bursal cyst and assess the efficacy of aspiration cytology in its diagnosis and treatment. STUDY DESIGN: Nineteen cases of bursal cyst seen over four years were studied. Material was obtained by fine needle aspiration. The smears were stained with May-Gr\ufcnwald-Giemsa stain and hematoxylin and eosin. RESULTS: Eight cysts were in the popliteal fossa, 4 on the elbow, 3 on the knee, 2 on the shoulder and 2 in the calf. Gelatinous material was aspirated in all the cases. In some cases the cyst collapsed after aspiration. The key diagnostic features were hypocellular smears in a mucoid background. Histiocytelike (synovial) cells were seen lying singly in all cases and as pseudopapillary structures in two. CONCLUSION: The presence of a cyst at a classic location with aspiration of gelatinous material and the presence of singly occurring histiocytelike cells in a mucoid background in smears is diagnostic of bursal cyst. The procedure is therapeutic in some cases

Role of fine needle aspiration cytology in nonneoplastic testicular and scrotal lesions and male infertility

Objective To study the role of fine needle aspiration (FNA) in male infertility and in nonneoplastic lesions of the testis and scrotum. Study Design In a retrospective study over a 5-year period, 164 cases of FNA of testicular and scrotal nonneoplastic lesions were retrieved. Aspiration was performed with a 23-gauge needle on a 20-mL syringe. Results Of 164 cases, 27 (16%) remained inconclusive; they were mainly from epididymal lesions. The remaining 137 cases were categorized as inflammatory lesions, 52 (31.7%); noninflammatory lesions, 42 (25.6%); and infertility cases, 43 (26.2%). Among the inflammatory lesions, 33 cases had nonspecific inflammation, 13 had granulomatous epididymoorchitis, 3 cases were of spermatic granuloma, and 3 cases revealed microfilariae. Noninflammatory lesions included 25 cases of spermatocele, 8 of hematoma/torsion, 5 of hydrocele, 3 of benign epididymal cyst and 1 of calcinosis cutis. Among the patients investigated for infertility, 23 (53%) had normal spermatogenesis, 6 (14%) had Sertoli cells only, 5 (11%) had maturation arrest, 6 (14%) showed hypospermatogenesis, and 3 (7%) showed an atrophic pattern. Conclusion FNA of the testis and scrotum is a simple, quick, minimally invasive and painless outpatient procedure. The sample obtained is more representative than biopsy as several separate punctures can be made, and there is no local scarring

Cytodiagnosis of hydatid disease presenting with horner's syndrome: A case report

BACKGROUND: The diagnosis of echinococcosis is based on clinical, radiologic and serologic findings. Fine needle aspiration (FNA) is useful in evaluating the lesion when the presentation is atypical. We report a case of hydatid cyst at the lung apex in which the diagnosis was made on FNA, with no adverse reaction to the aspiration. CASE: A 30-year-old male, a chronic smoker, presented with pain radiating to the medial two fingers of the right hand for two years. He also had miosis and ptosis of the right eye and anhidrosis of the right side of the face. There was wasting of small muscles in the right hand. Magnetic resonance imaging revealed a hyperintense mass at the apex of the right lung, thoracic inlet and adjacent vertebral bodies. A clinical diagnosis of Horner's syndrome due to pancoast tumor was rendered. Ultrasound-guided FNA showed protoscolices, scattered hooklets and bits of acellular laminated membrane, characteristic of echinococcosis. Surgical excision of the cyst was done. Gross and histopathologic examination of the excised cyst confirmed the diagnosis. CONCLUSION: FNA, though traditionally contraindicated, is a highly desirable, rapid, noninvasive diagnostic mode for echinococcosis. In view of its pathognomonic cytomorphologic features and numerous reports on cytodiagnosis in the literature, it is time to evaluate the diagnostic benefits and weigh the risks against the advantages of the technique

Fine needle aspiration cytology of pilomatrixoma

Aim : To delineate and characterize the cytomorphologic features of pilomatrixoma (PMX) helpful in correct diagnosis of the lesion on fine needle aspiration cytology (FNAC). Materials and Methods : Archival records of clinical findings, FNAC and histopathological reports of PMX cases were analyzed. Aspirate findings in 14 cases of PMX were correlated with detailed clinical data and subsequent histopathology on excisional biopsy. Different morphological findings were graded semiquantitatively from 0 to 3+. Results : The series showed female preponderance, with head and neck being the commonest site. Majority patients had a single tumor with mean size of 1.6 cm. Out of 14 biopsy proven cases of PMX, cytology findings revealed PMX in 7 cases on the basis of ghost cells, groups of basaloid cells, squamous cells in combination with multinucleated giant cells and calcium deposits in a background of debris. The main reasons for erroneous diagnosis were predominance of one component over the others and non-representative aspirated material. Conclusions : The cytological features of PMX are characteristic and allow a conclusive diagnosis provided the smears are examined keenly bearing in mind the diagnostic traps that can mislead a cytopathologist

Fine-needle aspiration cytology of cutaneous granular cell tumor: Report of two cases with special emphasis on cytological differential diagnosis

Granular cell tumors (GCTs) are uncommon neoplasms with recently postulated origin from Schwann cell or neural crest. It can appear in different parts of the body and is most commonly found in the tongue. The cutaneous presentation is not that uncommon. Fine needle aspiration cytology (FNAC) has been suggested to be the diagnostic modality of choice. It will help to differentiate benign tumors from malignant ones and to differentiate GCT from frequent misdiagnoses such as granular histiocytic reaction, xanthogranuloma, rhabdomyoma, oncocyte rich lesions, alveolar soft part sarcoma (ASPS), epithelioid sarcoma, and carcinoma. We report two cases of GCT who presented with subcutaneous swellings in the right thigh and the left lumbar region for 24 months and 18 months, respectively. In the first case, a cytodiagnosis of chronic inflammation showing histiocytes was suggested while GCT was found in the second case. Subsequent histologic examination of the first case and immunocytochemistry in the second case gave the confirmatory diagnosis of GCT