Genital herpes is the main cause of genital ulcers worldwide; the prevalence of herpes simplex virus (HSV) type 2 infections in the general population ranges from 10% to 60%. Most genital herpes is caused by HSV-2, although HSV-1 accounts for about half of new cases in developed countries. The risk of HIV acquisition is three times higher in people with HSV-2. Neonatal herpes is an uncommon but serious complication of genital herpes. Most genital HSV-2 infections are unrecognised and undiagnosed; infected individuals, even with mild symptoms, shed HSV, and can infect sexual partners. Since clinical diagnosis is neither sensitive nor specific, virological and type-specific serological tests should be used routinely. Oral antiviral drugs for HSV infections are safe and effective and can be used both to treat episodes and to prevent recurrences. Antiviral treatment of the infected partners and condom use reduce the risk of sexual transmission of HSV-2.

Although the suppression of viral replication is not complete, valacyclovir and acyclovir are highly effective in suppressing the frequency and quantity of genital HSV shedding.

Background: This study evaluated the clinical efficacy of mirtazapine and its effect on serum brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) and tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) levels in patients of major-depressive disorder (MDD) with severe depression. Methods: Patients (aged 18-60) with MDD diagnosed by DSM-IV criteria, and Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression (HAM-D) score ≥25 were included (n = 30). Mirtazapine was given in the doses of 30 mg/day. All patients were followed up for 12 weeks for the evaluation of clinical efficacy, safety along with serum BDNF and TNF-α levels. Results: HAM-D score at the start of treatment was 30.1 ± 1.92, which significantly (p < 0.05) reduced to 13.47 ± 1.77 at 12 weeks of treatment. In responders, mean serum BDNF levels at the start of treatment were 2.32 ± 0.3 ng/ml, which significantly (p < 0.05) increased to 2.79 ± 0.33 ng/ml at 12 weeks of treatment and mean serum TNF-α levels at the start were 5.18 ± 0.67 pg/ml, which significantly decreased to 4.36 ± 0.72 pg/ml (p < 0.05) at 12 weeks of treatment. Conclusion: Our results suggest that mirtazapine is effective and well tolerated in severely depressed patients and treatment response is associated with an increase in serum BDNF and a decrease in serum TNF-α levels.

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As the eyes are in close proximity to the skull, they can get simultaneously affected in head injuries. This close association warrants careful ocular examination in all cases of head injury. This is a prospective non-randomized analytical study to evaluate various ocular manifestations in cases of head injury with special reference to ocular motor nerve involvement, correlation between pupillary changes, and survival. A total of 1,184 patients with head injury were screened for ocular manifestations. This study comprises 594 patients with ocular manifestations of head injury. All the relevant data was compiled and analyzed as per proforma. Ocular manifestations were evaluated in each patient and appropriate investigations were carried out. Patients with ocular morbidity were analyzed for age, sex, mode of injury, Glasgow Coma Score, and associated injuries in addition to ophthalmic and neurosurgical evaluations. Of the 594 patients, 81.6 % were male and 18.4 % were female, with a male-to-female ratio of 4:1. The major cause of head injury was road traffic accidents (70.37 %). The most common age group involved was, 21-40-year-olds (67.40 %). Out of 594 patients, ecchymosis was found in 51.85 %, subconjunctival hemorrhage in 44.44 %, lid edema in 41.48 %, lacerated wound in 22.59 %, pupillary involvement in 21.04 %, ptosis in 6.73 %, cranial nerve palsy in 11.62 %, orbital fractures in 10.44 %, optic nerve trauma in 4.04 %, and exposure keratitis in 4.21 %. Patients with bilaterally dilated or pinpoint fixed pupils had a 10 times higher risk of mortality than patients without pupillary involvement. Third nerve involvement was seen 2.85 times more frequently in frontal and parietal region injuries compared to other sites of injury. The involvement of the sixth nerve occurred 4.6 times more frequently in parietal region injuries compared to other sites of injury.

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