Innholdsfortegnelse for Volume 3 Issue 9 i Aster Medical Journal (AMJ)

www.theamj.org As I pen this message, the world is on a gentle pause to the new outbreak, viz. monkeypox. The media, since May 2022, has reported around 53000 cases of monkeypox across 102 countries, and 18 deaths from this. Notably, most of these cases have been reported in geographies where monkeypox has not been endemic. The WHO had been concerned enough to declare the current monkeypox outbreak a Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC). This was on July 23, 2022, and the highest alarm the U.N. agency could sound. Meanwhile, the number of cases in the U.S. had crossed the 10,000 mark by mid-August 2022, and the Biden administration declared a national health emergency. During the week of 29 August to 4 September 2022, the number of cases reported…

1 Specialist Dermatologist, Aster Hospital, 9 A Street, Al Qusais Industrial 2, PO Box 119428, Dubai-UAE Author for correspondence: email: ravidoc@gmail.com Abstract Primary syphilis is a form of early syphilis developing 9 to 90 days after exposure. It usually takes typical, easily-recognizable clinical forms, including non-tender and non-itchy chancres on the genitals, which may be accompanied by regional lymphadenopathy. However, different presentations are being seen, which could cause diagnostic misses if a clinician lacks full awareness of these forms. Two cases are reported with different presentations, one mimicking innocuous balanitis and the other a probable herpetic genital eruption. The serology for both was positive and led to the correct treatment. Keywords: Balanitis, Follmann, Chancre INTRODUCTION Sexually-transmitted diseases are commonly encountered in present-day society due to varying lifestyle habits and the…

1Department of Paediatric Cardiology, Aster Ramesh Hospitals, Vijayawada, India Corresponding author: Dr Murtaza Kamal, Consultant Paediatric Cardiology, Room no: 10, Aster Ramesh Hospitals, Vijayawada, India; Email: murtaza.vmmc@gmail.com Keywords: UHL’s anomaly; congestive cardiac failure; right ventricle; myocardium; right ventricular dysfunction. Acknowledgement: The authors acknowledge Mr P Satheesh Kumar, Pediatric Echo Labora-tory in charge for his technical assistance. ABSTRACT Uhl’s anomaly is a rare congenital anomaly of the heart in which there is a congenital absence of the right ventricular myocardium. Only a few cases have been reported in the literature. It normally presents in infancy with features of congestive cardiac failure; however, cases have been reported in adults with right heart failure. Although the prognosis is not good, palliative surgical modalities are being performed in the Indian population. We report below…

This is my maiden editorial for Aster Medical Journal (AMJ). I know that being an editor of a scientific journal is a challenging task amidst clinical practice. I am fully conscious of the commitment of my predecessors in this office in curating each edition of the Aster Medical Journal – they have identified good science and shared it with the scientific communities responsibly. Their outstanding job over the years has set a standard of excellence that is difficult to improve. Their dedication has transformed AMJ into a journal of the highest quality, with engaging articles, wide acceptance, and an appreciative readership. I put on record my gratitude for their entrusting me with this legacy. As I am writing this editorial, I read how the head of the World Health Organization…

Introduction A great challenge regarding diagnosis of neurologic diseases today is the lack of stable and validated biomarkers that can reliably detect disease pathology early enough to provide a window for preventative treatment. Likewise, there are few validated biomarkers that can reliably detect changes in the brain as a result of interventions. Even though blood biomarkers have shown some promise, there are great variabilities between different studies related to experimental conditions and the size of the cohort tested. In the current article, we discuss pros and cons of existing blood biomarkers, as well as introduce a new methodology that may revolutionize the biomarker field. Biomarkers, including blood, cerebrospinal fluid (CSF), or imaging techniques, have been used to simplify the diagnosis of neurologic diseases during the last couple of decades. They…

1Aster hospital, Mankhool, Dubai 2NMC Specialty Hospital, Al Nahdha, Dubai. Corresponding author: Dr Amal Upadhyay, Consultant, Gastroenterology, Aster hospital Mankhool, Dubai. Email: dramal.upadhyay@asterhospital.com, Phone: +971 5540 31191 Abstract The presence of pancreatic tissue away from its normal location, in various places throughout the gastrointestinal tract, is known as ectopic pancreas, or pancreatic rest. It is usually an incidental finding and clinically silent. Rarely, an ectopic pancreas can become inflamed or develop bleeding, obstruction or cancer. At times it may be challenging to diagnose. We would like to present two cases that demonstrate how variable the clinical presentation can be. Keywords: Ectopic pancreas, gastrointestinal stromal tumor (GIST), Leiomyoma. INTRODUCTION Ectopic pancreatic rest was first reported associated with an ileal diverticulum in 1727[1]. It is defined as pancreatic tissue with no anatomic…

Reports of “tomato flu” outbreak in India are not due to new virus, say doctors BMJ has reported that a “new” virus known as tomato flu reported in India is a variant of the already endemic hand, foot, and mouth disease (HFMD), doctors have confirmed. A letter published in Lancet Respiratory Medicine on 17 August reported the emergence of the “new” virus in the Indian state of Kerala in children younger than 5. It said that as of 26 July, more than 82 children aged under 5 had been reported by local government hospitals, to have had the infection. One of the predominant symptoms of the disease is the presence of tomato-like red welts all over the body, particularly the hands, feet, and oral cavity. These are accompanied by symptoms…

*Joint senior co-authors. Dermatology Department (E J Tarín-Vicente MD, M Agud-Dios MD, J Arroyo-Andrés MD, L Calderón-Lozano MD, E Gil-Cruz MD, B González-Rodríguez MD, C Gutiérrez-Collar MD, J Montero-Menárguez MD, S I Palencia-Pérez PhD, C A Rubio-Muñiz MD, A Wang MD, Prof P L Ortiz-Romero PhD) and Microbiology Department (M D Folgueira PhD, P López-Roa PhD, M de los Ángeles Meléndez PhD, I Muñoz-Gallego PhD, A Pérez-Rivilla PhD), Hospital Universitario 12 de Octubre, Madrid, Spain; Skin Neglected Diseases and Sexually Transmitted Infections Section (A Alemany MD, M Ubals MD, C Suñer PhD, M Vall PhD, C Galván-Casas MD, O Mitjà PhD) and Infectious Diseases Department (R Paredes PhD, J M Cabrera MD, P Coll MD, Á Rivero MD), University Hospital Germans Trias i Pujol, Badalona, Spain; Fight Infectious Diseases Foundation,…

1 Department of General Medicine, Aster MIMS Hospital, Kozhikode, Kerala, India 2 Department of Nephrology, Aster MIMS Hospital, Kozhikode, Kerala, India Corresponding author: Dr. Jabir M P, Consultant, Department of General Medicine, Aster MIMS, Kozhikode-673016 Email: jabir.mp@asterhospital.com Phone: +91 94963 57213 Keywords: COVID-19, Thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura, plasma exchange, ADAMTS13 ABSTRACT A 22-year-old female with no previous morbidities presented with acute onset neurological symptoms in the form of hemi-sensory phenomena. On evaluation, she had fever. Routine COVID-19 RT-PCR testing proved to be positive. During the course of hospital stay, the patient developed classical features of acquired TTP. Her ADAMTS13 level was 36% of normal activity, which is suggestive of direct, viral-mediated thrombotic microangiopathy. High VWF levels and low ADAMTS13 activity have both previously been reported with SARS-Cov-2 infection. In rare cases…

1,2,3,4,5,6,7 Aster Hospital, Mankhool, Dubai-UAE Author Note The authors have declared no conflict of interest. Corresponding Author Dr. Amal Premchandra Upadhyay, Consultant-Gastroenterology, Aster hospital Mankhool, Dubai. Email: dramal.upadhyay@asterhospital.com Keywords Acute cholecystitis, pancreatitis, CBD calculus, laparoscopic cholecystectomy, Rendezvous ERCP, traditional ERCP. Study design Retrospective, non-randomized, observational, using historical control subjects. Study population Twenty-five consecutive patients with gallbladder and CBD calculi, for whom both ERCP and LC were considered clinically indicated, were recommended to receive joint LC and IOR-ERCP. Detailed informed consent was taken for both procedures. Their outcomes were compared with an equivalent number of patients who underwent conventional management. ABSTRACT This case series compares the traditional approach of endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) with separate laparoscopic cholecystectomy (LC), versus combined LC and intra-operative rendezvous ERCP (IOR-ERCP). We consider the costs and…

The Song of the Cell: An Exploration of Medicine and the New Human Written By: Siddhartha Mukherjee Publisher: Penguin Allen Lane ISBN-13: 978-1847925985 Mukherjee, a physician, professor of medicine, and Pulitzer Prize–winning author (The Emperor of All Maladies), has a knack for explaining difficult ideas in terms that are both straightforward and interesting. In his latest, he punctuates his scientific explanations with touching, illustrative stories of people coping with cell-based illnesses, tracking how the knowledge gleaned from those cases contributed to further scientific advancement. In the early chapters, the author traces the discovery of cells as the building blocks of animal and plant life, with the invention of the microscope making analysis possible. With this development, researchers could better understand the roles of cells in human physiology, including the illnesses…