North Bengal Medical College

About: North Bengal Medical College is a other organization based out in Darjeeling, India. It is known for research contribution in the topics: Population & Cancer. The organization has 624 authors who have published 691 publications receiving 5492 citations.

A living foreign body (leech) in the trachea

Abstract: An unusual living foreign body (leech) in the trachea is documented for its extreme rarity. Its mode of lodgement, symptomatology, method of its removal and its abnormal behaviour in unprecedented environment are mentioned and discussed.

Spontaneous rupture of benign cystic teratoma

Abstract: Operation. Laparotomy: found foul smelling pus with hairs in the peritoneal cavity (Figure I). Omentum adherent to loops of intestine. Ruptured left sided ovarian tumour (12cm x 8cm) containing hair and foul smelling pus. Done: Left oophorectomy, peritoneal toilet and drainage. Her post-operative progress was stormy with a chest infection, and a wound infection caused dehiscence and required secondary suture.

A clinicopathological study of peripheral lymph nodes in HIV-infected patients with special reference to CD4+ T-cell counts: Experience from a tertiary care institution in Darjeeling (India)

Abstract: Background HIV/AIDS is a major health burden worldwide. India bears the third highest HIV-patients load globally. In the Darjeeling district, HIV-prevalence is >1% with very little known about the profile of HIV-lymphadenopathy. The aim of this study was to identify the different causes of peripheral lymphadenopathy among HIV–infected patients in this region, correlate them with CD4+ T-cell counts and formulate some common clinico-haematological parameters as potential predictors of CD4+ T-cell count. Methods In the present study, 76 cases were evaluated. Fine Needle Aspiration Cytology (FNAC) was performed as an out-patient procedure in the Department of Pathology. Smears were stained routinely with Haematoxylin-Eosin and Leishman stains. ZN stains were done when indicated by the cytological findings. Immediate CD4+ T-cell count was obtained by referring the patients to the Anti-retroviral therapy centre. Results Cytological diagnoses included tuberculosis (82.9%), reactive hyperplasia (6.6%), nonspecific granulomatous lesions (3.9%), non-Hodgkin lymphoma (2.6%), histoplasmosis (2.6%) and simultaneous filariasis with toxoplasmosis (1.3%). Statistically, the opportunistic infections and lymphomas significantly concurred with a CD4+ T-cell count <350/μl. Likewise, the number of enlarged lymph nodes and absolute lymphocyte count (ALC) were found to be useful predictors of CD4+ T-cell counts. Conclusions Lymph node cytology in HIV-infected patients is essential to identify opportunistic infections from neoplastic lesions and; to enable therapeutic strategies. Correlation of lesions with mean CD4+ T-cell count predicts personal immunity, stage of disease and disease activity. Furthermore, enlarged lymph node numbers and ALC can be surrogate markers of CD4+ T-cell count for monitoring the severity of the immune suppression in under-resourced countries like India. Diagn. Cytopathol. 2015. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Miller Fisher syndrome--an uncommon clinical presentation.

Abstract: Miller Fisher syndrome is an uncommon disease and it is a variant of Guillain-Barre syndrome Miller Fisher syndrome also has rarer variants Combined features of classic Guillain-Barre syndrome and Miller Fisher syndrome are uncommon Here we are reporting a case of Miller Fisher variant with Guillain-Barre syndrome overlap in which ataxia, are flexia, oculomotor disturbance and limb weakness occurred within few days

Chemoradiotherapy for advanced head and neck cancer — Analysis of a prospective, randomized trial

Abstract: Objective: To study the efficacy of neo-adjuvant chemotherapy followed by radiotherapy in advanced head and neck cancer.Study design: Randomised, prospective study.Setting: Tertiary academic referral center.Patients: One hundred and eighty patients of advanced head and neck squamous cell carcinoma.Intervention: Patients were randomized into two arms. The study arm (CT-RT arm) received 3 cycles of anterior chemotherapy with Inj. Cisplatin 100 mg/m2 on D1 and Inj 5F.U. 700 mg/m2 on D1-D4 at an interval of 21 days, followed by external radiation. The control arm (RT arm) received external radiotherapy only. The dose of Radiotherapy was 64 to 68 Gy in conventional fractionation.Results: Patients of CT-RT showed better tumour control locally than patients who received only RT. Toxicities were commoner in CT-RT arm but they were manageable. 5 year survival is higher in the CT-RT arm (21% vs 16%; p value> 0.05).Conclusion: Anterior chemotherapy with Cisplatin and 5F.U. is associated with good clinical response which is translated into increased survival along with acceptable toxicities.