A 3-year-old male was brought to us by his parents with complaints of bilateral progressive lenticular opacity since early childhood. Elsewhere child was diagnosed to have a developmental cataract and referred here for a detailed workup.

Children are being forced to stay at home due to the Coronavirus pandemic, and keeping them engaged during this period can be quite difficult.

In what can be described as one of the most challenging surgical fetes, doctors from Amrita Institute of Medical Sciences (AIMS), Kochi have successfully done fetoscopic valve ablation on a 22-week old foetus.

Surgeons at Manipal Hospitals Bangalore have successfully removed a rare tumour of the nerve cells, ‘Paraganglioma’ which was secreting excess hormone and was present at the lower back, near the spine of 36-year-old patient, Jagadeesh Ratha.

The shoulder joint has the greatest range of motion when compared to hip joint even though both of them are ball and socket joints. The stability of shoulder joint depends on static stabilisers and dynamic stabilisers.

“Mr Uwen was reinvestigated at Manipal Hospital. In addition to aortic valve leak with heart enlargement, he was also found to have gross enlargement of aortic root and early part of his aorta, medically called annuloaortic ectasia.

Dr Partha Pratim Majumder gives a fresh update on Genome Asia 100K, as well as the clinical relevance and possible applications of the project.

Bhim Rao, a retired government officer from Karnataka, is relieved man today as he has been cured of pancreatic cancer by a team of doctors at Narayana Health City, Bengaluru.

Babies with anticipated breathing problems are delivered through EXIT procedure. This method is opted during Cesarean Section.

Cardiac concerns are on the rise. Technology aiding in the prevention and treatment of  heart issues has been in the spotlight for several decades. Often, cardiac problems occur due to the narrowing of arteries, and stents are often the treatment of choice. Stents are small, extendable devices that are placed at the site of the […]

Timely organ transplantation is critical in saving a life. Patients diagnosed with heart or liver disease often require urgent transplantation for the diseased organ as the only means of treatment. Long waiting times for a suitable donor may be detrimental and can result in a loss of life. Patients with kidney disease, on the other […]

45 year old Seema (name changed) had been getting severe headaches and had a few epileptic seizures when she visited Dr Soumya CV, Neurologist, Aster MIMS Kannur. Seema had a previous history of breast cancer and had undergone surgery, roughly 6 years ago. There had been no recurrence since then. However, cancers tend to metastasize, […]

Nikhil (name changed) had been visiting Dr K N Shah for the past 20 years. He first consulted Dr Shah, Senior Paediatric Neurologist, at Lilavati Hospital and Research Center in Mumbai at the age of 5 years, when he had his first epileptic seizure. His family history and birth history were completely normal and without […]

While most children are vaccinated against chickenpox during infancy, the disease often attacks us at some point or the other. In the majority of cases, children develop rash-like lesions along with cough/cold and fever which resolves with minimal treatment. The only memories that might remain are perhaps the odd scar left behind after the skin […]

Gayatri was in her 31st week of pregnancy when her blood pressure started rising and she was taken to the Apollo Children’s Hospitals, Chennai. She had to undergo an emergency C-section to deliver a pre-term baby boy who weighed only 1.2 kgs. At 31 weeks, babies are still far from being ready to live independently, […]

Immune thrombocytopenic purpura or idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura or ITP is an autoimmune disorder where antibodies destroy platelets, resulting in a tendency to bleed. Common visible symptoms are purpura or bruising, petechiae or large patches of bluish discoloration of the skin and pinpoint dots of bleeding. Bleeding may occur in the nose or mouth, and in […]

Conventional pacemakers are external devices that are placed in a pocket in the chest area and stimulate the heart muscles through a connecting lead or wire.

Vikas Sharma (name changed) brought in his 2-year-old son, Avinash (name changed), to Dr Krishnakumar Shah, Senior Paediatric Neurologist, Lilavati Hospital and Research Center at Mumbai, for a regular check-up.

In India, total body irradiation is a part of the standard of treatment for leukaemia as a conditioning regimen before bone marrow transplantation.

Many consider procreation to be one of life’s main purposes. Having children is a priority for most couples who aspire to have a family.

Neuroblastoma is a rare paediatric cancer that affects immature nerve cells, typically in infants and children under the age of 5.

Four years ago, at the age of 15, Rifat Iqbal developed pain and a large swelling on his left leg

Congenital hearing loss is a very common problem affecting about 6 out of every 1,000 children

Three-year-old Feroz (name changed), was brought to Surya Hospitals, Mumbai, after complaining of limb pain and low-grade fever for over a fortnight

Mrs Malliga, a 63-year old lady from Ambattur in Chennai, had been suffering from chest pain for the past six months.

55-year-old Satish (name changed) suddenly started having chest pains and was rushed to a local hospital in Pallakad, Kerala.

Two-and-a-half-year-old Pratik (name changed), a normal, seemingly healthy child, was visiting his paediatrician for a regular check-up.

Six-year-old Mallika (name changed) was brought to the Department of Neurosciences, Bai Jerbai Wadia Hospital for Children in Mumbai, to consult regarding her year-long- history with epileptic seizures.

13-year old Ciara (name changed) lived in Mauritius. She had been suffering from repeated skin rashes and kidney and lung ailments since she was 2 years old and was diagnosed with systemic lupus erythematosus and class IV lupus nephritis.

The formation of a fully developed human baby from an embryo involves a series of complicated cellular and molecular events spread over 40 weeks.

Over the past several decades, life expectancy has been steadily increasing. As medical research and technology advance by leaps and bounds, they have been successful in pushing life expectancy to new heights.

Josh (name changed) is a 30-year-old man, who was healthy, happily married, regularly went to the gym and had a good job and a relatively stress-free life.

42-year-old Pulak Pal (name changed) was working in his hairpin manufacturing factory when he accidentally put his hands into a machine and the fingers of his right hand got crushed.

Elbualy Mohamed Ali, a Kenyan national, was visiting New Delhi to support a close relative who was undergoing treatment for a cancerous condition.

52-year old Jignesh was suffering from weight loss and changes in bowel movement. A similar incident in his brother had already been diagnosed as cancer.

Rajesh (name changed), a 10-year-old boy from Kolhapur, was a studious kid. However, lately, he had started reading his books while lying down

Small children, especially those younger than 3 years, are prone to putting small objects in the mouth.

A 25-year-old male patient presented with repeated episodes of loss of consciousness and seizures

Gurvinder Kaur and Devender Singh gave birth to a normal 3.5 kg baby boy, Angad Singh, on 2 Nov 2011 in Raipur.

Two-year-old Aarav was constantly getting fever and appeared tired and lethargic for over a month. His parents were worried about him and finally took him to Lilavati Hospital and Research Center in Mumbai.

Ramana (name changed), a 14-year-old boy, was brought to Dr. Kiran Kartheek Veeranki, a leading paediatrician practising at Sravani Hospital in Guntur, Andhra Pradesh with a bleeding nose and bleeding gums.

Lysosomal storage diseases are a group of inherited metabolic disorders that occur as a consequence of a deficiency in a single key enzyme required for either lipid, glycoprotein or mucopolysaccharide metabolism, affecting several organs. The key symptoms of lysosomal storage disease include developmental delays, movement disorders, seizures and/or even dementia, deafness or blindness. Some patients […]

A 14-year-old male child from Rajasthan presented with chronic diarrhoea to Dr. Shaivali Joshi, a paediatrician in Mumbai. The child complained of loose stools 4-5 times a day and also had a history of anaemia since infancy. Examination revealed that he had severe platonychia and koilonychia, suggestive of iron-deficiency anaemia. There was no enlargement of […]

Severe congenital neutropenia is a chronic blood disorder due to an accumulation of granulocyte precursors in the bone marrow, resulting in recurrent fever and recurrent infections, including respiratory, skin and oropharyngeal infections, most often due to staphylococci and streptococci

A four-month old male child was brought to Lilawati Hospital in Mumbai with complaints of blindness and frequent rubbing of eyes.

A 19-year old male from Jharkhand presented with a 10-year history of left sided swelling on the face. It was insidious in its onset, with a rapid increase in size during last three years.

An eight-year-old boy was presented to his paediatrician with breathlessness. Upon regular examination, the pediatrician identified a murmur and referred the child to Dr. Shine Kumar, Paediatric Cardiologist at Amrita Institute of Medical Sciences, Kochi, for further evaluation.

A 72-year-old woman presented with multiple painful lesions on the abdomen to the dermatology department at Amrita Institute of Medical Science, Kochi.

Brachytherapy is an age-old method that is effective for irradiating cancer cells, especially in cervical, prostate, breast and skin cancers.

Mrs. Sharma (name changed) couldn’t taste her food anymore. “Just like my hair, my tastebuds are also aging,” she thought. Mrs. Sharma, at 70 years of age, had been a well-kept lady until the previous year. She had enjoyed a healthy, active lifestyle in her youth and adulthood.

Prenatal testing and its perceived benefits have been in focus for a long time. There has been widespread debate and passionate arguments on both sides. In India, where the law allows termination of pregnancy before 20 weeks, there are several prenatal tests that are available only after 20 weeks.

Genetic testing can go a long way in determining the treatment and outcome of a disease in a patient. Here is a case of a 19-year old girl who presented with a history of seizures at the neurological department at Amrita Hospital, Kochi, but turned out to have a heart condition.

A one-year-old female child was brought to a tertiary case hospital in Mumbai with fever, pallor, and conjunctival and intracranial hemorrhage. Blood tests revealed low platelet counts and hypothyroidism.

Muscular dystrophy is group of muscle disorders characterized by progressive muscle weakness, with Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy (DMD) being the most common. DMD is an X-linked recessive disorder primarily affecting males,

An 8-year old male child presented to Rainbow Children’s Hospital, Vijaywada, with on and off fever for the past three months. His parents also mentioned that he had had 2 episodes of seizures and complained of shortness of breath over the last 2 weeks.

A 32-year-old man, Nikhil (name changed), brought his 2 sons to the one-of-its-kind Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy Centre at Amrita Institute of Medical Sciences (AIMS), Kochi, to be screened for hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM).

Typical epileptic seizures can vary from brief to long periods of vigorous shaking. However, epileptic seizures may also be associated with sudden unconsciousness and/or rolling of the eyes.

Patients with recurrent ischemic stroke are typically given anticoagulant drugs to prevent stroke. In India, one of the most commonly known anticoagulants amongst physicians is the vitamin K antagonist, warfarin.

On a trip to Benaras, a 44-year old male developed a fever with chills. Seven days later, as he returned to Mumbai, he was drowsy and unresponsive, and had convulsions at the airport. He was immediately admitted to Hinduja Healthcare, one of the leading hospitals in Khar, Mumbai.

Recent trends indicate that early onset of breast cancer is becoming more prevalent, with about 5-10% being inherited.

Orthopaedic Oncology deals with bone and soft tissue tumours, and accounts for about 1-2% of all cancers in India, according to Dr Pramod Chinder, an orthopedic oncologist at HCG, Bengaluru. In his experience, these types of tumours typically affect the younger population, predominantly in the age group of 5-20 years, who do not have any known etiology.

Cataract is the second leading cause of preventable blindness on the globe. Among the global population (2015) with moderate or severe vision impairment and blind, cataract accounted for 52·6 million and 12·6 million, respectively.

A significant proportion of individuals with cleft lip — varying between 7% and 26% or even higher — present with the condition of velopharyngeal dysfunction (VPD), even after a surgical repair of the palate.

We have done open reduction, adductor and psoas tenotomy, femoral varus de-rotation osteotomy after shortening of femur along with capsuloraphy.

Datar Cancer Genetics launched a cancer screening profile in the form of ‘Easycheck360’, a blood test for the detection of 16 types of cancers.

The most common hip related complaints with which a child can presentto orthopaedic outpatient departmentare.

A massive testing campaign conducted across the general population in the European nation of Iceland showed a significant number of people without outward symptoms tested positive for the novel coronavirus infection.

The new coronavirus that causes COVID-19 may be present in conjunctival secretions of infected patients, according to a report from China.

covid-19, coronavirus, corona, ncov, sars-ncov-2

covid-19, coronavirus, corona, ncov, sars-ncov-2

ICMR, meanwhile, issued a protocol for the restricted use of the lopinavir/ritonavir combo in patients with COVID-19 infection.

The SARS-CoV-2 virus is stable for several hours to days in aerosols and on surfaces, according to a new study from National Institutes of Health (NIH), CDC, UCLA and Princeton University scientists in The New England Journal of Medicine.

The WHO South-East Asia office said that the novel coronavirus doesn’t spread airborne. However, there has been a reported possibility of aerosol transmission in a relatively closed environment with prolonged exposure.

Even though respiratory failure is the main cause of mortality among hospitalised COVID-19 patients, cardiac injury resulting from the infection is also linked to their mortality, according to a study conducted by researchers at Wuhan, China.

As a measure to prevent the unregulated sale and possible misuse of hydroxychloroquine in the wake of the COVID-19 outbreak, the Union health ministry has brought the anti-malarial drug under Schedule H1.

There is currently no scientific evidence establishing a link between ibuprofen and worsening of COVID-19, the European Medicine Agency (EMA) said in a statement.

The US FDA has approved individual exploratory treatment for COVID-19 infections in which a patient may be eligible to receive convalescent plasma under single-patient emergency Investigational New Drug Applications.

Genentech announced the US FDA has approved clinical trial in collaboration with the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA) to evaluate the safety and efficacy of intravenous tocilizumab (Actemra) plus standard of care in hospitalised adult patients with severe COVID-19 pneumonia.

Gilead Sciences Inc said it was temporarily putting new emergency access to its experimental coronavirus drug remdesivir on hold due to overwhelming demand.

Entos Pharmaceuticals has announced the development of a Fusogenix DNA vaccine to prevent COVID-19 infections.

CanSino Bio and its collaborators at the Academy of Military Medical Sciences’ Institute of Biotechnology won a quick Chinese regulatory approval to start human testing of their recombinant coronavirus vaccine, the company said.

Recent advancement in diagnostic infrastructure helped discover that genetic factors play an important role in the development of the various diseases.

In today’s time, coronavirus is spreading at an epidemic rate, and many questions are there related to cancer patients who are on chemotherapy or visiting hospitals on a regular basis for treatment.

A healthy vaginal flora protects the body against urogenital infections. The vaginal flora composed of many different kinds of bacteria, the predominant being lactobacilli.

A cancer that affects the production and function of blood cells. Most of these cancers start in bone marrow, where blood is produced.

More than eleven lakh new patients get afflicted with cancer each year in India.

It is an enlightening paper that focuses on developments that have been breaking new ground over the last 5 years when it comes to treating myeloma, which is a blood cancer arising from plasma cells.

The author is Professor, Department of Head and Neck Surgery and Oncology, Amrita Institute of Medical Sciences, Kochi.

One would think that re-establishing normal blood flow by implanting a stent at the site of coronary stenosis to relieve the obstruction would result in a positive clinical outcome.

When someone is diagnosed with cancer, it throws innumerable challenges to the patient and to the family.

GLOBOCON 2018 survey states that among Indian women, breast cancer is the commonest cancer overall and 1,62,468 new cases and 87,090 deaths were reported for female breast cancer in India.

There is broad encumbrance of tobacco usage with respect to its accessibility in various forms and magnitude in India.

The prevalence of pseudoexfoliation (PXF) syndrome, a common cause of glaucoma-related blindness, is on the rise in India. If the findings of a recent study by Indian researchers are anything to go by, not only is the rate of occurrence of PXF very high in certain parts of the country, it is also emerging as […]

Influenza vaccination in patients with high blood pressure is associated with an 18% reduced risk of death during flu season, according to research presented at ESC Congress 2019 together with the World Congress of Cardiology. “Given these results, it is my belief that all patients with high blood pressure should have an annual flu vaccination,” […]

Malaria infection is linked with a 30% increased risk of heart failure, according to a small study presented at ESC Congress 2019 together with the World Congress of Cardiology. The mosquito-borne infection affects more than 219 million people worldwide each year, according to 2018 statistics from the World Health Organization (WHO). “We have seen an […]

Woman and child health segment is one of the markets most targeted by nutritional product companies in India. While the products range from vitamin supplements to nutraceuticals and functional health foods, the majority of these products are sold through over-the-counter or consumer health route. Hence, the marketing strategy is largely media-driven and consumers are often […]

Peritoneal surface malignancies are considered to be an enigma and one of the most difficult to treat cancers. They are a group of advanced stage cancers that develop on the lining of the abdomen, called the peritoneum.

Immucare Diagnostics, a research-oriented diagnostics laboratory dedicated to supporting the medical fraternity and patients suffering from all types of autoimmune diseases, has been launched in Kerala.

In India, two outbreaks in human were reported from Siliguri (2001) and Nadia (2007), West Bengal. Fruit bats of Pteropus genus are the natural reservoir of NiV.

The Indian Psychiatric Society (IPS) has subsequently worked on this document and published these guidelines with a view that IPS will hold all members to its ethical standard

Asthma is a complex inflammatory disorder of the airways characterized by airway hyper-responsiveness (AHR) and variable airflow obstruction.

The incidence of dry eye disease is reaching alarming proportions in India, especially among urban folks, according to a recently published paper by Indian clinicians.

Mycobacterium tuberculosis is an organism that causes multi-systemic involvement. Although pulmonary tuberculosis is the major manifestation of the disease, multifocal and extra pulmonary tuberculosis has gained medical attention since the emergence of HIV.

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is the third most common cancer with an estimated global incidence of 1.8 million. In India, the incidence and prevalence of the disease is 27,605 and 53,700 respectively with a mortality of 19,548 (https://www.uicc.org/new-global-cancer-data-globocan-2018).

The number of cancer-related deaths in India more than doubled between the years 1990 and 2016, according to a paper titled “The Burden of Cancers and Their Variations Across the States of India

Nipple-sparing mastectomy (NSM) in the United States was first described by Drs.
Joseph Crowe and Randall Yetman of the Cleveland Clinic (CCF) in 2004

Most doctors know that every patient responds differently to treatment

X-rays revolutionized orthopedic management in fundamental ways, especially in the diagnosis of conditions and their management.

Metropolis, as a company, has always believed in constantly focusing on innovative models that can benefit both the patients as well as the organisation. That has made us different in an industry that has been stodgy and traditional.

India’s leading diagnostic chain Metropolis Healthcare Ltd has launched a unique subsidiary— Metropolis HistoXpert Digital Services (P) Ltd, to offer advanced tissue investigation services in India.

One of the major challenges in the treatment of neuropathological conditions is getting the drug molecule to cross the blood-brain barrier. The second challenge is getting the drug to work only on the tissue/cells that are affected.

The Canadian Task Force on Preventive Health Care has released an updated breast cancer screening guideline placing emphasis on shared decision-making between women and their health care providers.

The American Joint Committee on Cancer (AJCC), 8th Edition marks a major change in the Tumour Nodal Metastasis (TNM) staging of head_and_neck cancers. It introduces many new concepts to stage and prognosticate patients better, with distinct therapeutic implications.

Thirty nine-year-old Juhi was cautiously delighted when she learned she was pregnant again. She had previously miscarried a foetus affected with Down Syndrome. During her current pregnancy,

THE DISCOVERY of antibiotics was a significant milestone in healthcare that resulted in a reduction in morbidity and mortality caused by bacterial infections. Ironically, better access to antibiotics has resulted in its overuse and misuse, leading to development of resistance to these antibiotics.

Astudy led by the University of Southern California (USC) in Los Angeles claims that Parkinson’s disease can be diagnosed non-invasively by analysing certain biological markers found in tears.

British researchers have developed a blood test that can predict autism with 92 per cent accuracy, according to findings published in the journal Molecular Autism. Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is characterised by impairment in cognition, behaviour, and social interaction.

In India, an increased prevalence of genetic disorders parallels with the increased population, birth rate and consanguineous marriage preferred by several communities. It is estimated that about 21,400 are born each year with Down syndrome.

Sepsis is among the most common causes of death in hospitals the world over. Diagnosis of this condition, which arises from the host’s response to an infection,

There is considerable scientific evidence for the need for vaccines and antiviral drugs as viruses remain a major cause of disease today.

The Drug Controller General of India (DGCI) has recently given its approval to the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) for conducting clinical trials on medicinal plant Cocculus hirsutus and antiviral drug favipiravir to treat coronavirus patients.

In December 2019, cases of pneumonia of an unknown aetiology were detected in Wuhan City in the Hubei Province of China.

The crosstalk between communicable diseases (CDs) and noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) is not completely understood, but with COVID-19, NCDs have emerged as major comorbidities.

Even as the central government presses ahead with its decision to conduct a common final MBBS examination, National Exit Test (NEXT), opposition has been growing against the move.

An international team based in Austria has unearthed a previously unknown type of virus in samples of human bodily fluids.

The MCI Board of Governors (BoG) has proposed a compulsory three-month service in district hospitals for all postgraduate medical students as a pre-condition to be eligible to appear in the final exam. Presently, a three-months’ rotating internship in primary health centres or urban health centres is compulsory for students pursuing undergraduate medical courses. The BOG […]

Research is the most important need to improve the quality of healthcare in any country. This can be verified by measuring the number of peer-reviewed articles published in the country. The search term “antibiotic resistance, India” in PubMed with restriction to “human” studies for the past 10 years yielded a result of 2,633 research articles. […]