Lesion of the gastrointestinal tract is a very common condition encountered in medical science. An endoscopic biopsy is a favourable tool for early diagnosis and management of these conditions. The aim of the work is to study the histopathological spectrum of gastrointestinal endoscopic biopsy. In a prospective study of 500 biopsies, Formalin-fixed tissue was processed and stained with Hematoxylin-Eosin stain and studied under the microscope. A wide spectrum of neoplastic and non-neoplastic lesions was noted with male preponderance in most of the gastrointestinal tract. The commonest age group was 6 decades of life. Mean age being 51.83years. Predominant sample collected was from stomach accounting for 36.6% of total gastrointestinal biopsies. The ratio between non-malignant: malignant lesion was 2.7:1. Majority of the malignancy was Adenocarcinoma seen in 71 out of 135 cases closely followed by Squamous cell carcinoma (62/135). Most of the oesophageal malignancy was squamous cell carcinoma whereas adenocarcinoma was common in rest of the gastrointestinal tract. Gastritis was the commonest non-neoplastic lesion. Celiac disease was common in our study. Eight cases of adenomatous polyp identified, four of them showed high-grade dysplasia. Celiac disease and inflammatory bowel disease need further studies as there were many overlapping features which make a definitive diagnosis difficult. Endoscopy itself is insufficient in the diagnosis and management of gastrointestinal tract disease and biopsy must be performed in all cases of suspected endoscopic finding. Conditions like Barrett’s oesophagus, Celiac disease, Inflammatory Bowel Disease and high-grade dysplasia needs timely intervention to avoid more serious complications.

The diseases of the prostate gland are the major cause of morbidity and mortality among adult males worldwide. Prostate cancer is the most common malignant tumour in men over the age of 65 years. The present study was done to evaluate the histomorphological spectrum of malignant lesion of prostate and to establish the correlation between S.PSA (Serum Prostate-Specific Antigen) levels and Gleason’s grade in the Western Himalayan region of India. Histopathological examination of 100 prostatic tissue was done. Serum PSA assessed and its values were correlated with Gleason’s grading of prostate cancer. Malignancy was found in 29 per cent of cases. Conventional adenocarcinoma encountered in 96.6 per cent cases. Undifferentiated carcinoma was reported in 3.4 per cent cases. Serum prostate-specific antigens level was increased in 93.1% of malignant cases. More than 10ng/ml was seen in 68.9 per cent cases. Mean S.PSA level in malignancy was 122.9ng/ml. The Commonest Gleason’s score being seven (37.9 percent).This prospective study concluded that there is a higher percentage of prostatic carcinoma in the Western Himalayan region of India. PSA is found to be a sensitive marker for the diagnosis of prostate cancer. With a cut off value 4ng/ml sensitivity was found to be 93.75% and specificity was 46.15%, and there is a positive correlation between Serum PSA level and Gleason’s grading. Mean serum PSA level of moderately and poorly differentiated carcinoma was 32.15ng/ml and 325.3ng/ml respectively.

Introduction: Diacerein and oxaceprol are frequently used for the treatment of Grade-I & II osteoarthritis of knees. Diacerein acts by blocking the action of interleukin-1 whereas oxaceprol prevents leukocyte infiltration in the synovial joints. Both the drugs are effective. But there are few comparative studies regarding safety and efficacy of these two drugs. Hence we planned this study. Materials and Methods:An open label randomized comparative study was conducted by the departments of Pharmacology and Orthopedics at Dr RPGMC, Tanda, H.P, after taking permission from the IEC. Patients were diagnosed clinically as per American College of Rheumatology (ACR) guidelines and graded radiologically as Grade I & II osteoarthritis of the knee joint based on Kellgren and Lawrence classification. Then considering exclusion criteria, patients were enrolled after taking written informed consent. 31 and 29 patients were enrolled in diacerein and oxaceprol groups respectively. Tab diacerein 50 mg and oxaceprol 200 mg were prescribed twice daily for three months in respective groups. One patient dropped out in each group, who opted for operative intervention after a few days of enrolment. Efficacy was assessed clinically by WOMAC scale during their follow up at three months. Safety was evaluated clinically considering adverse effects and by complete haemogram & blood biochemistry. Results: In diacerein-group, WOMAC score (mean ± S.D.) improved from 48.77± 18.17 to 29.40 ± 19.94 (p-value = 0.00001) and in oxaceprol group from 42.59 ± 19.49 to 26.58 ± 16.83 (p-value = 0.00001). No adverse effect was reported in any group. Conclusion: Both medicines are almost similar in safety and efficacy.

Lactating adenomas, though considered being benign, sometimes turn out to be malignant. We are hereby presenting two cases of lactating adenomas which turned out to be harboring infiltrating duct cell carcinoma (DCC). Two lactating women with mass in the breast were referred from surgery for fine-needle aspiration cytology and biopsy. On histopathology, it was found that both had infiltrating DCC (either as collision tumor or as a malignant transformation of lactating adenoma). These cases point toward some association between lactating adenoma and DCC, however, small it may be. Therefore, any mass lesion in the breast should be followed up under strict vigilance for an early diagnosis and management of this deadly disease. A large sample size and elaborate study are required to frame its prognostic relevance. Like estrogen receptor and progesterone receptor, prolactin and prolactin receptor expression can be exploited for developing newer receptor-targeted therapy.