Clinicopathological Profile of Breast Cancer Patients at a Tertiary Care Hospital in Kashmir Valley

Introduction: Breast cancer is the commonest malignancy in women worldwide. There are considerable variations in risk factors and presentation of the disease region wise. The present study aimed to describe clinical and pathological profile of breast cancer patients attending tertiary care hospital. Method: All consenting patients attending to surgical out-patient department (OPD) with complaints pertaining to breast disease were enrolled from 16th June 2015 to 15th June 2016. The patients were followed and demographic, clinical and pathologic information was recorded and analysed. Results: Total Of 180 patients with breast disease were enrolled. 34/100 were diagnosed of malignancy and formed the cases of the present study. Age of the patients ranged from 22 to 60 years with mean age of 42.06 ± 10.7 years. All the patients presented as breast lump variably associated with pain or discharge. Infiltrating Ductal Carcinoma Not Otherwise Specified (IDC NOS) was common histologic diagnosis (76.47%). Conclusion: Breast carcinoma presents with painless lump and patients are usually diagnosed in our setup at locally advanced stage. Implementation of the simple and effective screening programs for early detection is urgent need in our population.

Laparoscopic Transabdominal Preperitoneal Mesh Hernioplasty: A Medical College Experience

Objectives: To determine the feasibility and patient’s outcome of laparoscopic transabdominal preperitoneal mesh hernioplasty for inguinal hernias. Patients and Methods: This study was carried out from March 2011 to April 2014. A total of 130 patients underwent laparoscopic transabdominal preperitoneal mesh hernioplasty (TAPP) for uncomplicated inguinal hernia. Of this, 10 patients presenting with bilateral inguinal hernias were operated in the single sitting. A 15 cm × 12 cm polypropylene mesh was used in all cases. Operative morbidity, postoperative pain, seroma formation, evidence of superficial infection, chronic groin pain and hernia recurrence were noted. The majority of the patients were discharged within 24 hours and follow-up was done at 1 week, 1 month, and 6 months. Results: 130 patients presenting with uncomplicated inguinal hernias were operated over a period of three years in the department of surgery, Govt. Medical College Srinagar. The mean age of the patients was 39.18 years (range: 18 - 70 years). The median duration of operation was 48.5 minutes (range: 18 - 120 minutes). None of the procedure was converted to open inguinal hernia repair. Postoperative pain was observed in 9.23% of the cases and was easily controlled by oral analgesics. Six patients (4.62%) developed seroma, out of which one required aspiration while others settled conservatively. Two patients (1.54%) developed wound infection and one patient (0.77%) had recurrence. None of the patients developed scrotal hematoma or neuralgia. Return to normal activity after TAPP repair was found to be after a median of 16.1 days. Conclusion: Transabdominal preperitoneal repair for inguinal hernia using proline mesh may be a safe and effective procedure with low morbidity, early return to normal activity and with a very low recurrence after six months follow-up.

Development of a Risk Model for Abdominal Wound Dehiscence

Objectives: To identify independent risk factors for abdominal wound dehiscence and develop a risk model to recognize high risk patients. Methods: The samples studied were patients who underwent midline laparotomy in the department of surgery, SMHS Hospital Srinagar from March 2009 to April 2015. For each case of abdominal wound dehiscence, three controls were selected from a group of patients who had undergone open abdominal surgery as close as possible in time. Preoperative, perioperative, and postoperative variables and in-hospital mortality were studied for all patients. Cases were compared with controls using the chi-square test or the Mann-Whitney U-test for categorical or continuous data, respectively. Subsequently, multivariate stepwise logistic regression with backwards elimination test used to identify main independent risk factors of abdominal wound dehiscence. The resulting regression coefficients for the major risk factors were used as weights for these variables to calculate a risk score for abdominal wound dehiscence. Results: 140 cases of abdominal wound dehiscence were reported and compared with 420 selected controls. All variables that were significant in univariate analyses were entered in a multivariate stepwise logistic regression to determine which variables were significant independent risk factors. Major independent risk factors were male gender, chronic pulmonary disease, corticosteroid use, smoking, obesity, anemia, jaundice, ascites, and sepsis, type of surgery, postoperative coughing, and wound infection. Based on these findings, a risk model was developed. Conclusions: The model can give an estimate of the risk of abdominal wound dehiscence for individual patients. High-risk patients may be planned preventive wound closing with reinforcements as mesh.

Percutaneous Cholecystostomy in High Risk Patients with Acute Cholecystitis

Aims and Objectives: To assess efficacy and safety of percutaneous cholecystostomy (PC) in high risk patients with acute cholecystitis. Materials and Methods: The study was carried out in high risk patients with acute calculous or acalculous cholecystitis. Patients qualifying for the study were subjected to PC under ultrasound (USG) guidance. A cholecystogram was done postoperatively, to help establish satisfactory catheter position. Results: 24 (70.59%) patients had empyema-gallbladder, 8 (23.53%) had acute calcular cholecystitis and 2 (5.9%) patients were diagnosed as acalcular cholecystitis. None of the patients was fit for general anesthesia at the time of admission. Median hospital-stay after performing procedure was 4 days. Clinical success rate was reported 100% in our study. Bile cultures yielded growth of E Coli in 10 (29.41%), klebsela in 8 (23.53%), pseudomonas aeruginosa in 6 (17.65%) and Proteus mirabilis in 4 (11.8%) of patients. 6 (17.65%) patients did not grow any organism in their bile. Growth noted was sensitive to imipenem 29.41% (10), ciprofloxacin 17.65% (6), levofloxacin 17.65% % (6) and cefuroxime 11.76% (4). No major complication was recorded in our study. No procedure related death was observed. Tube displacement occurred in one patient and minor bleeding was reported in 2 patients. Catheter was removed after a mean of 25.25 days. All patients underwent definitive surgical intervention during the follow up period of 3 months. Conclusion: USG guided PC is a safe and effective procedure for treating high-risk patients who present with acute cholecystitis. Once the acute symptoms diminish or resolve, it should be followed by elective surgery.

Multiple Calcifying Epitheliomas of Malherbe’s of Axilla: A Case Report of Rare Variety

Pilomatrixoma, a rare benign tumour of sebaceous gland is commonly known as calcifying epithelioma of Malherbe or Tricholemmal cyst. We came across even the rarest form of this benign tumour of skin. Our case report was interestingly detected at a higher age group, unusual site of the body, multiple in nature following postoperative incision drainage of abscess in left axilla.