Bcl-2 does not appear to play an important role in the apoptotic process in psoriasis. In contrast, it is likely that p53 has a far more important role to play. Mutation analysis of the p53 protein is necessary to evaluate if the protein has mutated or if it is of the wild type.

Background: Acute pancreatitis is an acute inflammatory process of the pancreas. The Ranson and the modified Glasgow scores require 48 hours of data collection to asses' severity. Hypocalcaemia is one of the components of Ranson's scoring system done to assess the severity of pancreatitis. Albumin-corrected calcium (ACC) has also been associated with severity, but no study has evaluated it as a prognostic severity factor within the first 24 h of the patient's hospital admission. This study tries to evaluate total calcium and albumin corrected calcium as prognostic severity markers in acute pancreatitis within first 24 hour of admission. Methods: This prospective study was conducted in Bowring and Lady Curzon hospital, a tertiary care centre from June 2016 to May 2018. Inclusion criteria included all patients above 18 years of age, who presented within 72 hours of onset of epigastric pain. The clinical and demographic data with respect to gender, age, previous history of pancreatitis, total calcium taken 24 h after admission. In order to evaluate total calcium and albumin corrected calcium as prognostic factors of severity, the lowest total calcium values were collected within the first 24 h of hospital admission. These values were then corrected according to the serum albumin level. Results: A total of ninety-four patients were included in the study. There was no significant difference in the age of patients in each severity grade (p value: 0.242). No difference was observed in gender distribution of three groups. (P >0.05). As compared to total calcium, mean values of albumin corrected calcium were 8.03, 7.18 and 6.28 for mild, moderate and severe acute pancreatitis respectively, which were also significant at 0.05. Conclusions: Total calcium and albumin-corrected calcium obtained within the first 24 hours of hospital admission are useful predictors of severity in acute pancreatitis.Cite this article as: Kemparaj T, Narasimhamurthy KN, Muralidhar A. Total serum calcium and corrected calcium as a predictor of severity in acute pancreatitis. Int Surg J 2018;5:3558-61.

Background: Liver abscess is a common problem in India and is associated with high morbidity and mortality. Broadly they can be divided into two types- Pyogenic and Amoebic. Amoebic in particular has a very high burden on society in India, believed to be secondary to poor sanitation and hygiene in the population.Methods: We performed a prospective, descriptive case series assessing demographic characteristics, presentation patterns, etiological factors, microbiological etiology, and management for patients treated for liver abscess at our centres between 2016 and 2018. 70 patients were identified and diagnosed on the basis of ultrasound and gram staining and culture of the pus aspirate.Results: Amoebic liver abscess was in majority (75%), with males being more affected than females (90%). Alcoholic and diabetic males between 30 and 50 years of age were most affected. Most presented with abdominal pain (96%). 53% needed Pigtail catheter drainage. Average duration of stay was 8 days, and 72% of the total patients showed relief of symptoms within 3 days.Conclusions: Most cases were found to be due to amoebic etiology rather than pyogenic. Both amoebic and pyogenic abscesses are noted to be more common in young men between the ages of 20 - 50, with a higher incidence noted among the alcoholic and diabetic patients. Most patients present with Upper abdominal pain and ultrasound is a useful tool in diagnosing the condition and providing valuable information about the site and volume of the abscess. Majority of patients needed Ultrasound guided drainage of the abscess. Average hospital stay was 8 days.

Background: A solitary Nodule Thyroid is a palpable swelling in an otherwise normal thyroid. It is noted to have a higher incidence of malignancy. The disease is seen to affect 4-7% of the total population with a predominance for females to males with a ratio of 4:1. A systemic approach is thus needed to evaluate and treat Solitary Nodule Thyroid.Methods: A prospective study of 80 patients admitted with solitary nodule thyroid admitted to Bowring and Lady Curzon Hospital between September 2017 and November 2018. A detailed history and examination were carried out and routine investigations were sent. Hemi thyroidectomy was done in all patients.Results: Peak incidence seen at the 3rd and 4th decades of life, with 73 females and 7 males. Most common was swelling in the thyroid region, with the duration being 1 month to 6 years. Right lobe to be involved in 52 of the total cases studied. Multinodular goitre is the most common cause of solitary nodule thyroid followed by follicular Adenoma. Most common malignancy noted was papillary carcinoma, followed by follicular carcinoma. All patients underwent hemi thyroidectomy. There was no mortality in our study.Conclusions: Solitary nodule thyroid is a common clinical entity that occurs more commonly in females. Usually presents as a painless neck swelling. FNAC and thyroid profile are the most important investigations that help in its diagnosis. MNG is the most common cause of SNT. Surgery is the treatment of choice of all cases. Hemi thyroidectomy is the most appropriate and least expensive procedure that can be done for its treatment.