Phaeohyphomycosis is a chronic subcutaneous fungal infection caused by dematiaceous fungi, commonly involving the extremities, which present as single or multiple lesions mimicking a benign tumor. Fine-needle aspiration cytology (FNAC) is an easy method for the diagnosis of the lesion. Morphology of the fungus is characteristic with no difficulty for cytopathologist for identification; with a close differential diagnosis of Candida and Aspergillosis. The special stains like periodic acid schiff (PAS) highlights the fungus and the Masson Fontana confirm the melanin pigment and dematiaceous nature of the fungi. Liquid-based cytology (LBC) preparation of the aspirated material was attempted, which is not usually performed on day to day basis. However, in our case the conventional smears were better for appreciating the fungal morphology.

A 39 years old woman presented with painful loss of vision in left eye for 3 days. Patient had similar complaints in left eye 3 months back. On examination, her visual acuity was perception of light with accurate projection of rays with RAPD. Severe ptosis was present in left eye. The patient had restricted extra ocular movement in all gazes and numbness in periorbital region. Right eye examination was unremarkable. The case was diagnosed as multiple cranial nerve palsy and MRI contrast revealed abscess in the left orbital apex region involving, left cavernous sinus, extra axial left temporal lobe, extending into superior orbital fissure and associated patchy meningeal involvement. Tolosa-Hunt syndrome (THS) is a rare disorder characterized by severe unilateral headaches with multiple cranial nerve palsies, usually involving the third, fourth, fifth, and sixth cranial nerves and periorbital pain, along with weakness and paralysis of extra ocular muscles. [1] The exact cause of THS is not known, but the disorder is associated with inflammation of cavernous sinus and superior orbital fissure.

OBJECTIVETo identify the common causes for blindness among rural population, and also to know the prevalence of ocular diseases among people in coastal villages. MATERIAL AND METHODSCase records of all the free eye camps conducted by Department of Ophthalmology during January 2011 to December 2012 were collected. Demographic data, vision and clinical diagnosis were entered and analysed. DESIGN-Retrospective analytical study. RESULTSBlindness due to cataract is 66.79%, refractive error 21.67%, Pterygium 3.09% and other causes 8.45%. CONCLUSIONCataract and refractive error are the leading causes for blindness in coastal villages.

Introduction: Free radical-induced damage on the lipids results in the creation of a novel oxidative stress marker—malondialdehyde (MDA). MDA-induced cell damage affects the immune mechanisms of saliva and may lead to the initiation and progression of bacterial diseases like periodontitis and even dental caries. Aim and Objectives: To determine the salivary levels of the oxidative stress marker—malondialdehyde (MDA) in subjects with dental caries before and after treatment to assess the role of MDA in the initiation and evolution of dental caries. Materials and Methods: The study included 40 patients in total. Based on the number of caries teeth present at the time of diagnosis, patients were divided into two groups: Group I: Subjects with dental caries in 1–2 teeth, N = 20; Group II: Subjects with dental caries in 3–4 teeth, N = 20. The patients were further divided into two groups after undergoing treatment: Group III: Group I subjects who undertook treatment for dental caries, N = 20; Group IV: Group II subjects who underwent treatment for dental caries, N = 20. The whole saliva was obtained from all subjects before treatment and one month after treatment. Estimation of MDA levels was done using ELISA. Statistical analysis was conducted using Student's t-test and Pearson's correlation coefficient. A P value ≤ 0.05 was considered significant. Results: Elevated levels of MDA were evident in subjects with greater carious lesions. The levels of MDA decreased significantly in post-treatment subjects. Pearson's correlation analysis also showed a strong positive correlation with the R-value of 0.832 between Group I and Group II. Conclusion: MDA levels increased with an increase in carious lesions and significantly reduced following treatment proving the role of salivary MDA in the evolution of dental caries.

Hemangiomas are benign tumors of the oral cavity. Some consider them as hamartomas or developmental anomaly. There are multiple ways of classification of hemangiomas. The most common being as capillary and cavernous ones. In this article, we present a case report of cavernous hemangioma of the tongue reported at our institution. Histopathological and immunohistochemical analyses were done to arrive at the diagnosis.