Background: Diabetes mellitus (DM) affects the corneal endothelium by altering the function of Sodium Potassium ATPase activity, thus causing functional changes in diabetic corneas. Associated structural changes if any are important to be recognized timely since it has multiple clinical implications. A few studies have studied corneal morphological changes, including endothelial morphology and corneal thickness in diabetic subjects but it is still a topic of research and there are not many Indian studies in literature. Aim: 1) To analyze central corneal thickness (CCT) in subjects with diabetes mellitus and to compare this with age and sex matched healthy controls. 2) To correlate the association between CCT and duration and severity of diabetes. Methods: This was a cross-sectional study conducted in the diabetic patients of the age group of 18-76 years presenting to the Medicine department of the hospital. Eighty six subjects with Type-II DM and eighty six age matched controls were included in the study and were undertaken for CCT measurement by Ultrasonic pachymeter. Results: CCT significantly increased in diabetes (559.48±31.29) as compared to controls (534.61±34.55). Positive correlation was found between CCT and disease duration ≥ 10 years, HbA1c≥7 gm% and presence of diabetic retinopathy. Conclusion: CCT could assist in early identification of diabetics with higher risk for systemic and ocular complications, thus enabling better control of disease.

Aim: To determine the association of HOXA13 gene expression in vaginal wall tissue with the severity of pelvic organ prolapse (POP) among premenopausal women. Materials and methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted on a total of 60 premenopausal women. Subjects with ≥stage II POP were enrolled as cases, while those with benign gynecological conditions other than prolapse were taken as controls. Vaginal tissues were obtained during surgical procedures and HOXA13 gene analysis was done using real-time polymerase chain reaction. Spearman rank correlation coefficient was used for the correlation of true fold change of HOXA13 gene with other parameters. Results: Overall, HOXA13 gene was observed 1.21-fold downregulated in women with POP (p = 0.38). The gene was diminished in higher stages (stage III and stage IV) of POP (p = 0.007). It was found downregulated in most (84.21%) of the females above 40 years (p = 0.01). Conclusion: Downregulation of HOXA13 gene was seen in the majority of the women with POP, though not statistically significant. The gene expression was significantly diminished in women with advanced stages of prolapse (stage III and stage IV) as well as in women with age above 40 years. Clinical significance: Downregulation of HOXA13 gene can be one of the etiological factors of POP. Hence, preventive strategies may be developed using its gene expression analysis in future.

Background: Vaginal leiomyoma is an extremely rare benign tumor with only few cases reported so far. It usually arises from smooth muscle cells in sub-epithelial layer of vagina. Its variable presentations can often be confused with other benign or malignant vaginal masses. Case Report: A 40-year-old female, parity 4 living 4, reported to the gynaecology casualty with complaints of frequent menses for 3 years and urinary retention for 2 days. Pelvic examination revealed a mass of around 10×6 cm originating from the left lateral vaginal wall. Histopathological examination of the enucleated mass revealed vaginal leiomyoma. Conclusion: Although vaginal leiomyoma on lateral vaginal wall is a rare entity, it should be included in one of the differential diagnosis of vaginal masses.