Neonatal sepsis (NS) continues to be a diagnostic challenge and a prime cause of mortality. Forage for a lucid, cost-effective yet highly sensitive and specific marker in diagnosing this entity is an incessant task. This study aimed to evaluate the predictive value of mean platelet volume (MPV) in diagnosing NS. Neonates diagnosed with sepsis from January 2016 to March 2016 were included in the study. The subjects were stratified into the following: (i) culture-proven sepsis (group I); (ii) culture-negative clinical sepsis (group II); and (iii) control group (group III). Several hematologic markers such as hemoglobin, total leukocyte count, platelet count, MPV, plateletcrit, platelet distribution width, immature-to-mature neutrophil ratio, toxic change, serum urea, bilirubin, and C-reactive protein were analyzed. The results were compared among the groups, and their efficacy in diagnosing NS was appraised. The study involved 210 neonates, of which, groups I, II, and III constituted 64, 75, and 71 cases, respectively. The mean MPV among groups I, II, and III was 9.56, 8.86, and 8.58 fL, respectively (P<0.05). Strikingly higher values of platelet count, immature-to-mature neutrophil ratio, MPV, plateletcrit, and C-reactive protein were found in group I in contrast to those in groups II and III (P<0.05). The baseline MPV of patients with culture-proven sepsis was comparatively higher than controls and was found to be statistically significant. Hence, MPV can be a simple, economical, and specific predictor of NS.

Background:Triple negative breast cancer (TNBC) is a recent concept and the burning topic of research today. Various studies have been reported in western literature on TNBCs or the similar group of basal like cancers, all highlighting the poor prognostic features of this molecular subtype in comparison to the other types of breast cancers. However extensive data from India is lacking. The aim of this study was to analyze the epidemiological and clinical profile of TNBcs at our institute.Materials and Methods:Data on 171 patients of TNBCs registered at this hospital between 2005 and 2008 and followed up until December 2010 was collected and reviewed for epidemiological and clinical features.Results:The median age at presentation was 49 years (22-75 years). Sixty eight patients (40%) had lump in the breast of less than 1 month duration. Fourteen (8%) were nulliparous and 10 (7%) patients had crossed the age of 30 years at first full-term pregnancy, 89 (52%) were pre or peri-menopausal at presentation. Only 8 (5%) patients had a family history of breast or ovarian cancer. One hundred and six (62%) patients were stage II, 26 (15%) stage III, 21 (12%) stage I and 18 (10%) stage IV at presentation. One hundred and twenty eight patients (75%) had early breast cancer eligible for surgery at presentation, 25 (15%) were locally advanced and received neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NACT) and 18 (10%) were found to be metastatic. Modified radical mastectomy was the preferred surgical option by most patients (76%) who underwent upfront surgery in our study. The pathological overall response rates (complete and partial response) after NACT was 75% with complete response rate of 25% and there were no relapses in the complete responders. The median follow-up was 30 months (9-70 months). One hundred and twenty two patients (71%) were alive at last follow-up, 34 (22%) had relapsed, 18 (11%) had died due to progressive disease. Thirty one patients (18%) were lost to follow-up. Most of the relapses were systemic and rarely preceded by local relapses.Conclusions:TNBCs are aggressive cancers with high rates of systemic relapses within the first 3 years of presentation. Longer follow-up of these patients is required for more mature data on these cancers.

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Background Plasma cell disorders are a rare group of hematological malignancies that accounts for 10% of all hematological neoplasms. Solitary plasmacytomas are rarer entities accounting for less than 5% of all the plasma cell dyscrasias. They encompass three subtypes - Solitary Plasmacytoma of Bone (SPB) and Solitary Extramedullary Plasmacytoma (SEP) and multiple solitary plasmacytomas (MSP). In this study, we discuss the clinical, histopathological and immunohistochemical characteristics of solitary plasmacytomas. Methods A 13 year retrospective analysis of solitary plasmacytomas was performed from a single tertiary care center. Bone marrow evaluation was done concurrently at the time of diagnosis to rule out the presence of multiple myeloma. Results A total of 29 cases fulfilled the diagnostic criteria for SP during the study period. SPB accounted for 55.2%, SEP for 44.4% and MSP for 3.4% of the cases. The most common sites involved were the paranasal sinuses and vertebrae. Other infrequent sites included lymph node, tonsil and lungs. The mean age of presentation of SPB was a decade later than SEP. A male preponderance was observed in both subtypes. Conclusion Solitary plasmacytoma is a rare entity, the diagnosis of which requires a systematic approach. There is limited data available in the literature on the clinico-pathological characteristics of SP from India.

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Introduction: Breast carcinoma is one of the most common malignancies affecting women in developing countries. Molecular studies of breast carcinoma have classified the tumour based on the immunohistochemical staining into 4 subtypes, such as Luminal A, Luminal B, HER2/neu Positive and Triple Negative Breast Carcinoma (TNBC). TNBCs are reported to have an aggressive behaviour and wide metastasis, leading to selective treatment outcomes. Aim:The aim was to study the clinicopathological features such as age, site, tumour size, histopathological type, histologic grade, lymph node status, stage and treatment outcomes of triple negative breast carcinoma. Materials and Methods:A retrospective study was conducted on 108 cases of breast carcinoma received during the period of 2 years. The tumour was classified based on immunohistochemical staining into four subtypes. The clinicopathological details, histo morphological and immunohistochemical features of TNBC were studied. Results:Of the 108 patients, 34 patients were diagnosed as TNBC. The average age at presentation was 48 years. Most of the cases showed Nottingham Modification of Scarff Bloom Richardson (NMBR) grade 3 (55.9%) and stage II (67.6%). Ly mph node metastasis was seen in 50% of cases. Infiltrating ductal carcinoma (not otherwise specified) type (91.2%) was the most common histological type. Among the other subtypes, Luminal A carcinoma was the most common (36.1%), followed by TNBC (31.5%) and HER2/neu positive carcinomas (28.7%). Compared to the other types of tumours, TNBC showed the most frequent distant lymph node metastasis (50%) when compared to luminal A (38.5%), luminal B (25%), HER2/neu positive (48.4%). Unlike the other types of tumours, TNBC were mostly highgrade. Conclusion:TNBC have an aggressive behaviour compared to other subtypes with higher NMBR grade, nuclear pleomorphism, high mitotic rate and lymph node metastasis.

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Background India, being a developing country, harbors the third largest human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)‐infected population in the world, and HIV‐associated lymphadenopathy is commonly encountered. HIV lymphadenopathy is more commonly generalized and pathology ranges from reactive lymphoid hyperplasia to infections like tuberculosis to neoplasms such as lymphoma and Kaposi sarcoma. The study intended to assess the utility of fine‐needle aspiration (FNA) cytology in HIV lymphadenopathy. Materials and Methods A retrospective FNA slide review of HIV‐infected cases with lymphadenopathy received over a period of 2 years in the cytopathology department was performed. The clinicopathological characteristics, absolute lymphocyte count (ALC), and CD4 counts were analyzed. Results Seventy‐nine lymph node aspirates were received from HIV patients over 2 years. The mean age at presentation was 39 years with a male:female ratio of 2.4:1. Cervical lymph nodes (62%) were more commonly affected. Tuberculous lymphadenitis was the commonest lesion (41.8%), followed by reactive lymphadenitis (24%), nonspecific granulomatous lymphadenitis (14%), suppurative lymphadenitis (8%), cryptococcal lymphadenitis (2%), lymphoma (9%), and metastasis (1%). Conclusion Lymph node FNA in HIV/AIDS is not only useful in identifying those cases that require further evaluation, but also aids in categorizing various etiologies such as opportunistic infections, non‐neoplastic, and neoplastic lesions. FNA is a less expensive, expeditious minimally invasive method for an early diagnosis that abets in deciding the treatment strategy, thus curtailing the associated morbidity and mortality.