Context:diabetes mellitus is a global pandemic. The increased platelet activity may play a role in the development of vascular complications of this metabolic disorder. The mean platelet volume (MPV) is an indicator of the average size and activity of platelets. Larger platelets are younger and exhibit more activity.Aims:to determine the MPV in diabetics compared to nondiabetics, to see if there is a difference in MPV between diabetics with and without vascular complications, and to determine the correlation of MPV with fasting blood glucose, glycosylated hemoglobin (HbA1c), body-mass index, and duration of diabetes in the diabetic patients.Materials and Methods:platelet counts and MPV were measured in 300 Type 2 diabetic patients and 300 nondiabetic subjects using an automated blood cell counter. The blood glucose levels and HbA1c levels were also measured. Statistical evaluation was performed by SPSS using Student's t test and Pearson correlation tests.Results:the mean platelet counts and MPV were higher in diabetics compared to the nondiabetic subjects [277.46 ± 81 X 109/l vs. 269.79 ± 78 X 109/l (P= 0.256)], 8.29 ± 0.74 fl versus 7.47 ± 0.73 fl (P= 0.001), respectively. MPV showed a strong positive correlation with fasting blood glucose, postprandial glucose and HbA1C levels (P=0.001).Conclusions:our results showed significantly higher MPV in diabetic patients than in the nondiabetic subjects. This indicates that elevated MPV could be either the cause for or due to the effect of the vascular complications. Hence, platelets may play a role and MPV can be used as a simple parameter to assess the vascular events in diabetes.

Eighty-five percent of the patients with non-B non-C HCC had at least one risk factor for NAFLD. None of the study patients had occult hepatitis B infection. NAFLD is emerging as the major etiological contributing factor for non-B non-C HCC in India.

No abstract

No abstract

No abstract

In India, an unexplained enteropathy is present in a majority of non-cirrhotic intrahepatic portal hypertension (NCIPH) patients. Small intestinal bacterial contamination and tropical enteropathy could trigger inflammatory stimuli and activate the endothelium in the portal venous system. Groundwater contaminated with arsenic is an environmental factor of epidemic proportions in large areas of India which has similar consequences. Von Willebrand factor (a sticky protein) expressed by activated endothelium may promote formation of platelet microthrombi and occlusion of intrahepatic portal vein branches leading to NCIPH. Environmental factors linked to suboptimal hygiene and sanitation, which enter through the gastrointestinal (GI) tract, predispose to platelet plugging onto activated endothelium in portal microcirculation. Thus, NCIPH, an example of poverty linked thrombophilia, is a disease mainly affecting the lower socio-economic strata of Indian population. Public health measures to improve sanitation, provide clean drinking water and eliminate arsenic contamination of drinking water are urgently needed. Till such time as these environmental factors are addressed, NCIPH is likely to remain 'an Indian disease'.

Amyand's hernia is an extremely rare condition, often misdiagnosed as a strangulated inguinal hernia, in which the inguinal hernial sac contains the vermiform appendix. It is often a surgical surprise. The reported incidence is approximately 1% of all adult inguinal hernia cases. Acute appendicitis in the Amyand's hernia is even less common. We report a rare presentation of acute appendicitis associated with Amyand's hernia managed by en masse reduction of the hernia followed by laparoscopic appendicectomy and open Lichtenstein's tension free inguinal hernioplasty.

AIMTo study the clinicopathological characteristics of neuroendocrine neoplasms (NEN) on liver samples and apply World Health Organization (WHO) 2010 grading of gastroenteropancreatic (GEP) NEN.METHODSClinicopathological features of 79 cases of NEN of the liver diagnosed between January 2011 to December 2015 were analyzed. WHO 2010 classification of GEP NEN was applied and the tumors were graded as G1, G2 or G3. Two more categories, D1/2 (discordant 1/2) and D2/3 (discordant 2/3) were also applied. The D1/2 grade tumors had a mitotic count of G1 and Ki-67 index of G2. The D2/3 tumors had a mitotic count of G2 and Ki-67 index of G3. The follow up details which were available till the end of the study period (December 2015) were collected.RESULTSOf the 79 tumors, 16 each were G1 and G2, and 18 were G3 tumors. Of the remaining 29 tumors, 13 were assigned to D1/2 and 16 were D2/3 grade. Male preponderance was noted in all tumors except for G2 neoplasms, which showed a slight female predilection. The median age at presentation was 47 years (range 10-82 years). The most common presentation was abdominal pain (81%). Pancreas (49%) was the most common site of primary followed by gastrointestinal tract (24.4%) and lungs (18%). Radiologically, 87% of the patients had multiple liver lesions. Histopathologically, necrosis was seen in only D2/3 and G3 tumors. Microvascular invasion was seen in all grades. Metastasis occurred in all grades of primary NEN and the grades of the metastatic tumors and their corresponding primary tumors were similar in 67% of the cases. Of the 79 patients, 36 had at least one follow up visit with a median duration of follow up of 8.5 mo (range: 1-50 mo). This study did not show any impact of the grade of tumor on the short term clinical outcome of these patients.CONCLUSIONLiver biopsy is an important tool for clinicopathological characterization and grading of NEN, especially when the primary is not identified. Eighty-seven percent of the patients had multifocal liver lesions irrespective of the WHO grade, indicating a higher stage of disease at presentation. Follow up duration was inadequate to derive any meaningful conclusion on long term outcome in our study patients.