North Bengal Medical College Research Articles

Rape among women and girls presenting at a gynecological emergency department, North Bengal Medical College, Darjeeling, India

Rape among women and girls presenting at a gynecological emergency department, North Bengal Medical College, Darjeeling, India

Functional Outcome after Rehabilitation among Different Diagnostic Groups of Childhood Meningoencephalitis

Abstract Objective To study the functional outcomes in different groups of meningoencephalitis patients after rehabilitation approach in addition to standard medical therapy. Study period From January 2007 to January 2009. Study Design Prospective longitudinal analytical study. Study Area Departmentof Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation, Department of Paediatric Medicine in North Bengal Medical College, Sushrutanagar, Darjeeling, India. Study population 108 patients. Material and methods After taking consent and institutional ethical committee clearance the sample size were assessed. After stabilisation of the affected children with medical therapies, rehabilitation regimen was added. Outcome measures Percentage of total Wee FIM score. Follow up 0, 2weeks, 6 weeks. Results Data analysed by McNamara's chi Square test showed disability rate is much higher than other aetiology. Best prognosis is seen in patients with viral infections. Discussion In developing countries children in lower socioeconomic group from rural areas are the most victim of tuberculous meningoencephalitis who responded reasonably with rehabilitation regimen. Conclusion Rehabilitation regimen is best helpful in viral infection. Tuberculous infection, relatively commoner in India does not respond very well.

Retained Foreign Body in the Pleura

DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.3329/jom.v12i2.6972 JOM 2011; 12(2): 191

Ovarian tumors in pediatric age group - A clinicopathologic study of 10 years′ cases in West Bengal, India

Background and objectives:Objective in this retrospective study is to find out the incidence of different ovarian tumors of girls up to 20 years of age observed in last ten years in North Bengal Medical College and to correlate clinical and gross findings with histopathologic findings and to compare the incidence with other studies and follow-up of patients with malignant ovarian tumors.Materials and Methods:Findings were retrieved from records of different pathological reports and clinical reports.Results:Total 151 cases of ovarian tumors were received in pathology department in which 34 cases were malignant (22.6%). Amongst malignant cases, 66% are of germ-cell origin–dysgerminoma being the commonest. Strikingly we got 9 cases of malignant surface epithelial tumor. As per follow-up records most of the dysgerminoma came in stage IA and recovered fully following chemotherapy and radiotherapy. Amongst other malignant tumors, few lost the follow-up management and others expired due to metastasis.Conclusions:Patients from hilly areas of North Bengal and low socio-economic status led to lower detection rate of ovarian tumors in early stage which are absolutely necessary for proper guidelines of management to reduce mortality.

Clinico-pathologic profile of Hodgkin’s lymphoma in a rural medical college

A prospective study was done at North Bengal Medical College and Hospital (NBMCH), Darjeeling, West Bengal, which caters predominantly to the rural and hilly population. All patients diagnosed as Hodgkin's lymphoma (HL) were analyzed for clinical presentation, histological classified and staging. Total of 48 cases reported for HL were studied (n=48). A lower median age of onset (28.1year) and higher male to female ratio (3.8:1) as compared to western countries were observed. We found neck swelling was the commonest presenting symptom (58.28%) and peripheral lymphadenopathy was the commonest sign (83.33%). "B symptoms" was noted in 79.17% cases. Cervical lymph nodes were commonly involved (79.17%), followed by inguinal (45.83%) and axillary (29.17%). Thoracic lymph nodes and abdominal lymph nodes were enlarged in 29.17% of the cases and 25% of the cases respectively. Eosinophilia was noted in 29.17% of cases. Marrow involvement by neoplastic process was observed in 8.33% of cases and reactive changes in the marrow were observed in 12.5% of cases. We found mixed cellularity subtypes was the commonest (45.83%) followed by nodular sclerosis subtypes (33.33%). At presentation 54.17% of cases were of advanced stage of disease (stage III and IV). We noticed a distinct geographical pattern of HL in respect of age, sex, presentation, histological typing and staging of the disease, which is comparable to some other Indian studies but is noticeably different from patterns noted in Western countries.

Analysis of the role of human leukocyte antigen class-I genes to understand the etiopathology of schizophrenia.

Background:Schizophrenia is the paradigmatic illness of psychiatry. The involvement of immunological and immunopathological mechanisms in the etiopathogenesis of schizophrenia has been a matter of research, with recently increasing effort.Aims:In this study, we investigated the incidence of human leukocyte antigen (HLA) Class I antigens to understand the role of HLA genes in schizophrenia.Materials and Methods:India born schizophrenic patients in and around Siliguri who attended outpatient department (OPD) of Department of Psychiatry, North Bengal Medical College and Hospital were considered for the present study. After the longitudinal follow up, 50 patients were enrolled for the study. The same number of age, sex and ethnically matched healthy subjects were considered as control. Low resolution polymerase chain reaction-sequence specific primer method was applied for typing the HLA antigens.Statistics:The phenotype frequencies were calculated by direct count. χ2 test was done to compare the frequency of each antigen among the patients and control group and it was followed by Fisher's exact test. Relative risk was estimated by using Haldane's method.Results:The result showed that some of the HLA antigens are associated with the schizophrenia and significant increase were observed for HLA A*03 antigen along with the significant decrease for HLA A*25, A*31 and HLA B*51.Conclusions:The study provides the evidence for the possible existence of susceptibility locus for schizophrenia within the HLA region. This preliminary observation may help to understand the etiological basis of this disorder and the study may further strengthen the HLA antigens as the marker for schizophrenia.

Evaluation of serum mucoproteins in patients suffering from liver cancers

Mucoproteins are normal and essential constituents of different types of cells, tissues, and organs in our body. Interestingly, an increase in the serum mucoprotein has been described in several malignant disorders in various studies. To study this in the cases of hepatocellular carcinoma thirty five patients suffering from histologically or cytologically confirmed hepatocellular carcinoma were tested for serum mucoprotein in the Department of Biochemistry and the Department of Pathology of North Bengal Medical College for a period of one and a half years against matched healthy controls. The serum mucoprotein was found to be increased significantly in the cases suffering from hepatocellular carcinoma (p<0.001). So, the present study suggests a strong correlation between the mucoprotein level and carcinomatous changes in the hepatocellular tissues.