Ashwini Medical College Hospital is a medical college located in Solapur, Maharashtra.The college accommodates 100 seats for MBBS undergraduate course.
Background: Demographic shift is happening in India, with the older adults population projected to reach 347 million in 2050. In Maharashtra, particularly in the Vidarbha region, youth migration has led to an increasing number of older adults living alone, often without classical familial support. Even though large epidemiological data are available, limited evidence is available on the lived experiences of this vulnerable cohort. Methods: A qualitative study with purposive sampling of 40 participants aged above 60 years was conducted. Participants were chosen from the five primary health centers under the field practice area of the medical college in rural Central India. Following initial discomfort with focus group discussions, the methodology was adapted to exclusively employ interviews to enhance data sensitivity and depth. Data collection continued until thematic saturation was achieved. Interviews were audio-recorded, transcribed, and translated using inductive thematic analysis. Coding was done by two independent researchers, and a consensus was built after multiple discussions. Results: Three overarching themes emerged: (1) daily living challenges, highlighting physical dependency, nutritional neglect, and severe financial anxiety; (2) coping strategies, including stoic acceptance, spirituality, and the acquisition of new survival skills (e.g., cooking for men); and (3) expectations of social support, where participants expressed a deep craving for emotional connection over material aid and highlighted the unreliability of existing pension schemes. Conclusion: Health decline, financial insecurity, and isolation are the triple burden of older adult individuals living alone in rural Vidarbha. Some practices, such as spirituality, provide emotional solace, although it is not sustainable solutions such as integrated community-based geriatric care. Strengthening primary health care with specialized geriatric services and ensuring the reliability of social security are vital for achieving dignified aging.
Emerging treatments in dermatology are often introduced into clinical practice due to the hype and publicity they carry. Dermatologists are often tempted to introduce these treatments which lack clinical evidence pertaining to safety and efficacy. This consensus position statement is presented to make dermatologists aware of the efficacy and safety, recommending the present status of six emerging treatments in dermatology, namely exosomes, polydeoxyribonucleotides (PDRNs), autologous micrograft transplant using Rigenera Activa ™ device, nanofat and stromal vascular fraction (SVF) for androgenetic alopecia, intravenous (IV) therapy, and thread lifts. It has been conducted by the Task Force of the Association of Cutaneous Surgeons of India (ACSI). Emerging treatments in dermatology gain immense traction due to their prominence on social media and peer usage. Most of these treatments are unregulated, unapproved, with unknown long term-safety data. Many also have questionable efficacy with no standard protocols for use. This study consensus was thus conceived to find current clinical evidence, identify gaps, and provide a guideline to dermatologists while using these treatments. Sixteen dermatologists of the Task Force of ACSI divided into groups of two and three, researched evidence for efficacy, guidelines for use, and safety from published literature. Six emerging treatments in dermatology, namely exosomes, PDRN, autologous micrograft transplant using Rigenera Activa TM device, nanofat and stromal vascular fraction (SVF) for androgenetic alopecia, IV therapy, and thread lifts were included. The expert panel developed a consensus statement deducing the level of evidence, strength of recommendation grade, and safety of the six treatments, using a modified Delphi consensus method. The final consensus was arrived at if >90% fully agreed to the recommendations. Less than a 90% consensus on a particular treatment was deliberated upon in a second round, asking the concerned expert to provide a reasoning and a re-evaluation was done. Out of the 14 dermatologists, over 90% fully agreed to the strengths of recommendation, levels of evidence, and safety recommendations of all the six emerging treatments. The final consensus was thus arrived at.
The recently published case report describing mixed connective tissue disease coexisting with tuberculosis (TB) provides an important contribution to the growing literature on complex autoimmune-infectious disease interactions. This letter expands on the diagnostic challenges highlighted by the authors by defining its added clinical value: Identifying practical diagnostic "red flags", emphasizing parallel consideration of autoimmunity and infection, and proposing a pragmatic approach to evaluation in TB-endemic settings. Early immunological testing, differentiated pulmonary assessment, and multidisciplinary decision-making are essential when overlapping features obscure timely diagnosis and complicate therapeutic choices.
Angiolymphoid hyperplasia with eosinophilia (ALHE) is a rare benign vascular proliferation that poses therapeutic challenges due to frequent recurrence and cosmetic concerns. We report a 40-year-old woman with nodular ALHE of the right ear, previously unresponsive to corticosteroid injections, successfully treated with intralesional radiofrequency (RF) using an insulated microneedle RF (MNRF) needle. The uniqueness of our case is the use of an innovative and cost-effective insulated needle assembly adapted from an MNRF probe. This modification was specifically designed to enhance precision while minimizing surrounding epidermal damage. This design improves durability and conductivity while reducing complications often seen with conventional probes. Six monthly sessions achieved marked lesion regression and excellent cosmetic outcome without recurrence at 6 months.
Background Breast cancer is the most frequently diagnosed cancer among women and remains a leading cause of cancer-related mortality worldwide. Understanding the relationship between demographic characteristics, treatment modalities, and survival is essential for improving patient management. This study evaluated the association of demographic characteristics with treatment modalities and one-year overall survival among patients with breast cancer treated at a tertiary cancer centre. Methods A retrospective observational study was conducted among 313 patients with histopathologically confirmed breast cancer managed between January and December 2023 at a tertiary cancer centre in Maharashtra, India. Demographic characteristics, treatment modalities, and one-year overall survival were retrieved from hospital records. Associations between categorical variables were analysed using the Pearson chi-square test or Fisher's exact test, as appropriate. A P value <0.05 was considered statistically significant. Results The mean age at diagnosis was 54.0 ± 12.5 years, and 49.8% of patients were aged 50–70 years. Urban residents accounted for 58.5% of the study population. Chemotherapy was the predominant principal treatment modality (69.6%), followed by surgery (19.2%) and other treatment modalities (11.2%). At one-year follow-up, 311 (99.4%) patients were alive and two (0.6%) had died. Age was significantly associated with treatment modality (P = 0.047), whereas place of residence was not associated with treatment modality (P = 0.85) or one-year overall survival (P = 0.63). Treatment modality demonstrated a statistically significant association with one-year overall survival (P = 0.0003). Conclusion Among patients with breast cancer treated at a tertiary cancer centre, age influenced treatment selection, whereas place of residence did not affect treatment modality or one-year overall survival. The observed association between treatment modality and one-year overall survival should be interpreted in the context of disease severity and clinical decision-making inherent to observational studies. Larger prospective multicentre studies with longer follow-up are required to identify independent predictors of survival.
