Initiation of PD results in early improvement of hypertension in end-stage renal disease (ESRD). BP control thereafter deteriorates steadily with time and this is associated with age, duration of hypertension, and declining residual renal function. This suggests that hypertension in ESRD patients is a progressive disease primarily related to falling glomerular filtration rate, the preservation of which might improve BP control and possibly modify cardiovascular risk.

Background/Aims: Very little is known about the occurrence of tropical ataxic neuropathy (TAN) from southern India. This study describes the clinical spectrum of TAN from Kerala, southern India, and explores its etiology. Methods: We reviewed the clinical and laboratory profile of 40 TAN cases diagnosed in a tertiary referral center in central Kerala. We enquired the consumption of cassava foods and estimated the thiocyanate levels in the serum, urine and sural nerve. Results: The notable demographic characteristics included female preponderance, peak age at onset in the thirties, rural residence and poor socioeconomic status. The diet in the majority comprised a large amount of tapioca, which is low in protein. In addition to sensory peripheral neuropathy, 90% had decreased hearing, 50% had decreased vision, and 25% had spasticity involving the lower extremities. None had signs of overt vitamin deficiencies or malabsorption syndrome. Compared to the controls, the serum, urine and sural nerve thiocyanate levels were significantly elevated in the patients. With cessation of cassavaintake and better nutrition, improvement in the neurological disability occurred in the majority. Conclusions: This study, for the first time, provides evidence for the occurrence of TAN in south India and the possible etiological role of cassava intake.

Permutation Entropy (PE) statistic is a measure of self-similarity of the time series estimated from its ordinal patterns. This measure is used to detect the dynamical differences between patients with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and normal controls. The comparison of PE values of Electroencephalograph (EEG) of the two groups in the resting eyes closed (EC) state and the short-term memory task (STM) state reveals altered efficiency of the different lobes of MCI brain in the compensational dynamical mechanism for task management. In resting EC state, PE values of MCI group is significantly (p †0:05) lower than that of controls in the frontal, temporal, and anterior parietal regions. In the STM task state, entropy levels of MCI group are significantly (p †0:05) lower than that of controls in the frontal region and the left parietal region. These findings suggest that nonlinear analysis of EEG using PE can provide important information about EEG characteristic of cognitively impaired condition that can lead to Alzheimer's Disease(AD).

Case: A 30 year old male presented with numbness of palms and soles followed by weakness of upper limbs and lower limbs of 5 days duration, which was ascending and progressive. Three months back he was treated for oral and genital ulcers with oral steroids. His ulcers improved and shifted to indigenous medication. His clinical examination showed polyneuropathy. CSF study did not show albuminocytological dissociation. Nerve conduction study showed demyelinating polyneuropathy. His blood samples and the ayurvedic drug samples were sent for toxicological analysis. Inference: Acute toxic neuropathy - Arsenic