Extramedullary hematopoiesis (EMH) is a normal response to failure of hematopoiesis at its normal site i.e., bone marrow. It is a manifestation of many congenital hemolytic anemias and marrow failure secondary to myelodysplastic syndromes. Usually, extramedullary myeloid proliferation occurs in liver, spleen and lymph nodes. However, there are many unusual sites where EMH can occur. The authors report two cases of intracranial extramedullary hematopoiesis in beta thalassemia. In one of these patients, epidural soft tissue was detected along frontal and parietal convexities causing compression of brain parenchyma leading to raised intracranial tension and sagging of brain stem, corpus callosum and herniation of cerebellar tonsils. The other case had a similar but unilateral epidural soft tissue. Expansion of diploic spaces of skull was seen in both these cases. As myeloid proliferation is slow, it presents with subtle symptoms of headache and gradually progressive lower limb weakness. A high index of clinical suspicion coupled with imaging findings is the only way to confirm the diagnosis.

Coronavirus Disease of 2019 (COVID-19) has afflicted the health of women and children across all age groups. Since the outbreak of the pandemic in December 2019, various epidemiological, immunologic, clinical and pharmaceutical studies have been conducted across the world to understand its infectious characteristics, pathogenesis and clinical profile in affected individuals, with the hope of improving outcomes and ultimately leading to the development of vaccinations. COVID-19 has shown to affect pregnant women more seriously than non-pregnant women, endangering the health of the newborn. Various changes in the guidelines have been implemented in antenatal care of pregnant women, their delivery as well as newborn care during the COVID-19 pandemic, with the hope of reducing the risk of viral transmission and, in turn, improve outcomes in pregnant women and children. In this review, we highlight the current trends of clinical care in pregnant women and newborn during COVID 19 pandemic

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Neuropathy is one of the major reasons of morbidity in diabetes mellitus (DM). We presented a 64-year-old male who was a case of type 2 DM for >6 years. He presented with orthopnea and respiratory failure secondary to bilateral phrenic neuropathy and resultant diaphragmatic palsy. Clinical examination, ultrasound, and nerve conduction studies confirmed the bilateral involvement of the phrenic nerves. Phrenic neuropathy may be an important, albeit a rare complication of diabetes, and hence, diaphragmatic dysfunction associated with diabetic phrenic neuropathy should be considered in any patient with unexplained breathlessness, orthopnea, and respiratory failure.