Ajit Sebastian

A nested case–control study to evaluate the association between fetal growth restriction and vitamin B12 deficiency

To study the association between maternal vitamin B12 levels and fetal growth restriction.

A Case Control Study to Evaluate the Association between Primary Cesarean Section for Dystocia and Vitamin D Deficiency.

BACKGROUND Milder forms of vitamin D deficiency could be responsible for poor muscular performance causing dysfunctional labor. The aim of our research was to study the association between vitamin D deficiency and primary cesarean section. MATERIALS AND METHODS This was a case control study. Forty six women who delivered by primary cesarean section with dystocia as primary or secondary indication after 37 weeks of gestation were taken as cases and a similar number of women who delivered vaginally were taken as controls. Vitamin D deficiency was diagnosed when the serum 25(OH)D level was ≤20 ng/ml and this was compared between cases and controls. RESULTS Median serum (OH) vitamin D levels was 23.3ng/ml among women who delivered by cesarean section and 26.2ng/ml among controls (p=0.196). Baseline characteristics were similar in both groups except for a strong association between Body Mass Index (BMI) and cesarean section, (29.7kg/m(2) in cases and 25.9kg/m(2) in controls p=0.001) seen in multivariate analysis. Vitamin D deficiency was seen in 34.8% of cases and 21.7% of controls (p=0.165). CONCLUSION This small case control study did not show a significant association between vitamin D deficiency and primary cesarean section.

Human papilloma virus-16 causing giant condyloma acuminata

A 28-year-old multiparous lady presented to the Gynaecology outpatient department with a 12 × 5 cm warty growth in the vulva. A biopsy of the growth revealed condyloma acuminata of the vulva. Simple vulvectomy was done. A PCR of the specimen detected the presence of human papilloma virus (HPV)-16 which is usually considered as a high-risk HPV type for carcinogenesis.

A randomised double-blind placebo-controlled trial comparing stepwise oral misoprostol with vaginal misoprostol for induction of labour.

A comparison of induction of labour (IOL) using three doses of 25 µg vaginal misoprostol inserted at intervals of 4 h or more with a stepwise oral regime starting with 50 µg followed by two doses of 100 µg was studied in a double-blind placebo-controlled trial in a tertiary centre in South India. Primary outcome was vaginal delivery in 24 h. Significantly more women in the first group required oxytocin augmentation and a third dose of the drug than women in the second group. Uterine tachysystole and other maternal and neonatal complications were similar. Thus it is concluded that women induced with oral, as compared to vaginal misoprostol are more likely to labour without oxytocin.

Extrauterine Placental Site Trophoblastic Tumor Involving the Vagina.

Very few cases of placental site trophoblastic tumor (PSTT) primarily involving extrauterine sites have been reported to date. We report a case of a 29-year-old female who presented with a vaginal nodule 9 months after delivery at an outside hospital which was initially diagnosed as a poorly differentiated squamous cell carcinoma. Subsequently she was referred to our institute, and on the basis of histology, mildly elevated serum β-HCG level, and immunohistochemistry, PSTT was diagnosed. After the completion of chemotherapy, the vaginal nodule completely regressed and serum β-hCG returned to baseline. Her follow-up has been unremarkable. This case highlights the importance of the fact that PSTT can be easily misdiagnosed at extrauterine sites in the absence of proper clinical, histologic, and immunohistochemical correlation.