Journal of Postgraduate Medicine back issues from January 2007:
Age-related sperm abnormalities due to varicocele: Is there an answer?
Jan 01, 2007; ... To date, the effect of patients' age on the pathophysiology of varicocele-related sperm abnormalities has not been fully understood. Several mechanisms have been proposed to cause seminal alterations in varicocele: inhibition of the testicular temperature regulating systems, hypoxic damage due ...
Semen analysis: Role of age and varicocele
Jan 01, 2007; ... Andrade-Rocha performed a very interesting study showing that varicocele harms equally the sperm characteristics of adolescents, adults and older men.[1] Apparently, it affects sperm quality more adversely than it does sperm production. Men with varicocele have poorer semen quality than fertile ...
Is there any relationship between toxoplasma infection and reactive arthritis?
Jan 01, 2007; ... Toxoplasmosis is the disease caused by infection with the obligate intracellular parasite face=+Italic; T. gondiiface=-Italic; and has worldwide distribution. The most common clinical presentation of acquired Toxoplasmosis is asymptomatic. Only about 10% of infected individuals develop signs ...
Use of recombinant factor VIIa for emergency reversal of anticoagulation
Jan 01, 2007; ... Anticoagulation for prevention and treatment of thromboembolism is achieved with the help of agents such as warfarin, acenocoumarol (coumarin), unfractionated heparin (UFH) and low molecular weight heparins (LMH). Patients on anticoagulation therapy may require rapid reversal of anticoagulation ...
Reactive arthritis and the investigation of novel organisms
Jan 01, 2007; ... The clinical study of Sert face=+Italic; et alface=-Italic; .[1] provides limited strength of evidence[2],[3] to support a diagnostic decision to discount toxoplasmosis as a cause of reactive arthritis in seropositive patients in their clinical setting. This unlikely diagnosis should not be ...
Microscopic papillary thyroid cancer as an incidental finding in patients treated surgically for presumably benign thyroid disease
Jan 01, 2007; ... Papillary thyroid microcarcinoma (PTMC) is defined as papillary thyroid cancer measuring less than 10 mm in its greatest diameter.[1] It represents the most common form of thyroid cancer and frequently remains clinically occult. A common clinical scenario is the incidental diagnosis of PTMC on ...
The role of family configuration in early childhood intellectual development in the context of an extended family system in Pakistan
Jan 01, 2007; ... Social environment plays an important role in the mental development of a child.[1],[2],[3],[4] Issues pertaining to a child's cognitive development have largely been ignored in South Asian countries and factors identified as an impediment to development have mostly been identified in western ...
Rapid reversal of anticoagulant bleeding- rFVIIa an option?
Jan 01, 2007; ... Recombinant factor VIIa (rFVIIa) was originally developed and approved for the treatment of bleeding episodes in patients with congenital and acquired hemophilia with inhibiting antibodies towards factor FWm or IX. As FVIII enhances thrombin generation on activated platelets, it may help to ...
An injectable cement: Synthesis, physical properties and scaffold for bone repair
Jan 01, 2007; ... Minimally invasive technique is a newly emerging surgical technique,[1],[2] which includes micro-invasive bone grafting. Micro-invasive bone grafting means that the bone is taken out and bone graft materials are delivered to the desired site through a small incision or even local percutaneous ...
Splenic rupture following idiopathic rupture of the urinary bladder presenting as acute abdomen
Jan 01, 2007; ... Intraperitoneal injuries of the urinary bladder are most often associated with blunt abdominal injuries while extraperitoneal injuries usually occur with pelvic fractures. Less frequently, bladder rupture occurs spontaneously.[1],[2] The incidence of spontaneous bladder rupture has been reported ...
Significance of sperm characteristics in the evaluation of adolescents, adults and older men with varicocele
Jan 01, 2007; ... Varicocele has been clearly identified as an important cause of male infertility. However, the influence of varicocele on men's reproductive capacity has been subject to debate due to its markedly diverse effects on the testicles. Varicocele's elementary pathologies include variations in size, ...
Progestogen and retinopathy due to stasis in the central retinal vein
Jan 01, 2007; ... Sir, A 32-year-old lady presented with a one-day history of cloudy vision in her left eye on awakening. She was otherwise a healthy nonsmoker with no significant ophthalmic or medical history. She took no regular medication. However, on the previous morning she had taken 15 mg of Utovlan ...
Hydrothorax following right internal jugular vein cannulation: Prompt diagnosis with a simple innovative bedside test
Jan 01, 2007; ... Sir, Internal jugular venous (IJV) catheterization is a fairly routine part of the anaesthetic management for cardiothoracic and vascular surgical procedures. It is a relatively safe and simple procedure for a trained anesthesiologist.[1] Complications like hydrothorax have been cited on ...
Clinicians' response to red cell parameters on automated blood counts indicative of thalassemia trait
Jan 01, 2007; ... Sir, The most important measure for the control and prevention of thalassemia is early identification and counseling of its carriers. The distinction between beta thalassaemia trait and other causes of microcytosis is of great importance, as it has the potential of preventing the birth ...
Therapeutic magnesium for eclampsia: An unusual cause for antepartum flaccid paralysis
Jan 01, 2007; ... Sir, We describe a patient who developed profound transient weakness with parenteral magnesium therapy for eclampsia. This 23-year-old second gravida with amenorrhea of five months duration, presented with headache and vomiting for four days followed by diplopia, visual ...
Factor VIIa: Mounting evidence or anecdotal reports
Jan 01, 2007; ... Approximately 1-10% of patients receiving anticoagulation therapies will experience a hemorrhagic complication.[1] In cases of severe or life-threatening bleeding events such as intracranial hemorrhage, rapid reversal of anticoagulation is associated with clinical improvements.[1] Unfortunately, ...
The hyponatremic hypertensive syndrome in renal artery stenosis: An infrequent cause of hyponatremia
Jan 01, 2007; ... The hyponatremic hypertensive syndrome is an infrequent complication of renal artery stenosis.[1],[2] Only a small number of cases have been reported since the 1960s.[3] Associated biochemical abnormalities include hyponatremia, hypokalemia and markedly elevated plasma renin activity.[4] ...
Bleeding gums: Duloxetine may be the cause
Jan 01, 2007; ... Duloxetine is a recently introduced drug and is being promoted as an effective antidepressant with significant action on the physical symptoms that commonly accompany depression in the Indian population. It has got additional indications for stress incontinence and fibromyalgia.[1] This case ...
Hypopyon in leprosy uveitis
Jan 01, 2007; ... A 42-year-old male patient presented with pain and redness in his left eye for two months. The patient presented to an ophthalmologist 15 years after his initial diagnosis of histopathologically confirmed polar lepromatous (LL) leprosy. The treatment history revealed discontinuation of the drugs ...
Mature cystic teratoma in the falciform ligament of the liver
Jan 01, 2007; ... A 38-year-old woman presented with severe epigastric pain radiating to the back. She had a similar episode six months before that lasted for a week and was treated elsewhere as pancreatitis. She was afebrile. Liver function tests and serum levels of amylase and lipase were normal. Physical ...
Thyroid intrafollicular neoplasia: A spectrum of morphological appearances from benign cytologic precursors to microscopic papillary carcinoma
Jan 01, 2007; ... Usually, papillary thyroid microscopic carcinoma (PTMC) is diagnosed after surgical intervention of an otherwise benign clinical lesion. The high frequency of PTMC in autoptic series (from 5-35%) and the low incidence of clinically manifest PTMC (< 0.1% lifetime risk) suggest that most ...
Partially thrombosed splenic vein aneurysm
Jan 01, 2007; ... A 48-year-old woman was admitted to our hospital with abdominal pain and distention and two episodes of hemetemesis. She had no previous illness and no history of trauma, alcohol abuse or pancreatic disease. On admission, her blood pressure was 130/80 mmHg and pulse rate was 80/min and regular ....
Unusual sequel of successful laparoscopic unilateral adrenalectomy in a hypertensive adolescent
Jan 01, 2007; ... An 18-year-old male presented with episodic headache and excessive sweating for two months; and diminished vision in left eye for 15 days. During these episodes, highest blood pressure (BP) recorded was 290/90 mmHg. He didn't have urinary complaints, nor history of weight gain or muscle ...
An international review of tobacco smoking among medical students
Jan 01, 2007; ... Health professionals have an important role to play in the fight against tobacco. As individuals they can help educate the population, as community members they can support anti-smoking policies and at a societal level, they can influence national and global tobacco control efforts.[1] ...
Management of occult papillary thyroid cancer found incidentally during surgery for benign disease
Jan 01, 2007; ... Thyroid carcinoma is, in many cases, an incidental finding in thyroid glands that are removed for other benign conditions or in postmortem examinations.[1],[2] This subgroup has been classified as occult papillary thyroid cancer (OPTC). The proper terminology for these tumors is controversial, ...
Psoriatic arthritis as a distinct disease entity
Jan 01, 2007; ... Psoriatic arthritis (PsA) is a chronic systemic inflammatory disease characterized by joint inflammation associated with cutaneous psoriasis. PsA may be progressive, destructive and deforming. Its exact prevalence is unknown, but estimates vary from 0.3% to 1% of the population.[1] Both the skin ...
Antimicrobial price variation: Conundrum of medical profession!
Jan 01, 2007; ... Pharmacoeconomics identifies, measures and compares the costs, and consequences of pharmaceutical products and services.[1] High cost of medicines has economic implications for the patients and patient compliance may be significantly dependent on the cost of medicines prescribed. In addition to ...
Middle-aged man with acute onset quadriparesis
Jan 01, 2007; ... Sir, The grand rounds case presented by Kumar face=+Italic; et alface=-Italic; . describes a patient who presented with acute flaccid paralysis and hypokalemia and concludes with the diagnosis of small cell carcinoma of the lung with ectopic corticotrophin syndrome.[1] We believe there ...
Clozapine-resistant mutism in noncatatonic schizophrenia
Jan 01, 2007; ... Sir, Mutism is defined as functional inhibition of speech and vocalization. Mutism has been reported in various types of schizophrenia.[1],[2] There are reports of mutism in catatonic schizophrenia lasting for years.[3] Cognitive dysfunction in schizophrenia and duration of untreated ...
Transvenous right ventricular pacing through coronary sinus in a patient with persistent left superior vena cava
Jan 01, 2007; ... Sir, A 60-year-old lady presented with two episodes of syncope in the last four weeks. Electrocardiogram showed complete heart block with ventricular escape rhythm at 30/min. Transvenous permanent pacemaker implantation (PPI) was planned. Using Seldinger's technique, guide wire was ...