BACKGROUNDGastrointestinal polyps are frequently encountered during routine endoscopy and colonoscopy. These are considered as luminal projections above the plane of the adjacent mucosa. These can be non-neoplastic, neoplastic or hamartomatous and syndromic. The classification of polyps has important clinical implications and provides targeted clues towards discovering abnormalities in the remaining mucosa or even elsewhere in the body in syndromic cases. Histopathological typing was done with an aim to assess their benign or malignant potential.

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BACKGROUNDThe National Family Health Survey 3 (NFHS-3) states the prevalence of anaemia in India to be 55.3% in women and 24.2% in men. The evaluation of Bone Marrow (BM) iron is a sensitive and reliable means for the diagnosis of iron deficiency anaemia. BM iron identified by Perls' Prussian blue reaction is regarded as the gold standard for evaluating BM iron stores. Surrogate serum biochemical markers are routinely employed to assess the BM iron status. Among the automated cell counter parameters, increase in the RDW is the earliest evidence of iron deficiency. Hb level, RBC count, PCV, MCV, MCH and MCHC values fall progressively with time.Our study was commenced with an intent to evaluate the Bone Marrow (BM) iron status in different haematological disorders and to correlate it with the peripheral blood red cell indices. MATERIALS AND METHODSBM aspirations of 100 patients were done. The Perls' stained smears were evaluated and graded for BM iron stores. Using ABX Pentra 60 automatic cell analyser, RBC indices were determined from the peripheral blood samples. RESULTSSignificant and fair correlations of MCV (rs = 0.317, n=100, p<0.05), MCH (rs = 0.327, n=100, p<0.05), MCHC (rs = 0.343, n=100, p<0.05) and a significant negative, but fair correlation of RDW-CV% (rs= -0.292, n=100, p<0.05) with the BM iron grade were observed in our study, which were comparable with similar other studies. MCV had a significant and very good correlation with MCH (rs = 0.945). 75% of patients with a depleted BM iron store also had simultaneously low MCV and MCH values. Among the RBC indices, MCHC had the strongest correlation (rs = 0.343) with the BM iron store. 75.7% of the patients with a normal MCHC value also had a normal MCV value. CONCLUSIONThe BM iron grade determined on the Perls' stained aspiration smears and the red cell indices determined by the automatic cell analyser fairly correlated with each other. Therefore, we conclude that the red cell indices may be of use as an affordable, ubiquitous parameter for predicting BM iron stores.

BACKGROUND In our study, 50 cases of transurethral prostate biopsies were evaluated histopathologically in the Department of Pathology in collaboration with Department of Urology, Regional Institute of Medical Sciences, Imphal, from October 2013 to September 2015. Total PSA (tPSA) was estimated from serum samples in all cases. MATERIALS AND METHODS A total of 50 patients with elevated serum tPSA levels were inducted in this study and prostate needle biopsies taken. Matched prostatectomy specimens were also obtained for 7 cases. Specimens were kept in 10% formalin saline, grossing done and tissues processed. H and E stained sections were examined and the different histomorphological features noted. Gleason scoring system was used in cancers to stratify it. RESULTS Out of the 50 cases, 30 malignant (all adenocarcinomas), 4 premalignant and 16 benign cases were found. Gleason scoring on needle biopsies were compared against the prostatectomy specimens. In 5 carcinoma cases with Gleason score 3+3=6 on needle biopsy, 4 cases had similar findings in the corresponding prostatectomy specimens, however, it was upgraded in 1 case. Intermediate differentiation prostatic carcinomas with Gleason score 3+4=7 in needle biopsies were comparable with prostatectomy specimens in 2 cases. The differentiation of prostatic carcinoma visa -vis Gleason scoring correlated well with the PSA values. In carcinomas, tPSA value and the Gleason score had a very good correlation (rs = 0.908). Mean PSA value was found to increase from benign to premalignant and malignant cases, this was found to be statistically significant (p<0.05). CONCLUSION Use of newer technologies like MRI and serum PSA as a screening tool for prostate pathology have made it possible to identify prostate cancer at an earlier stage in younger age group and has an increased case detection rate. However, there is no marker to predict disease course and at times lead to overtreatment. Image-guided prostate biopsy has a good patient compliance and is advantageous for procurement of representative material. While literatures have claimed that MRI can distinguish benign from malignant lesions accurately, the age old 'histopathology' still remains the gold standard.