Both myxedema crisis and Sheehan's syndrome are uncommon conditions. The first-time presentation as myxedema crisis is rare in Sheehan's syndrome. The present study describes the case of a 31-year-old female patient who presented with altered sensorium in the emergency room. The patient was not a known case of hypothyroidism, but had a history of secondary amenorrhea and lactation failure following the birth of a child 11 years prior. Upon evaluation, she was found to have hypothermia, hypotension, the delayed relaxation of deep tendon reflexes, bradycardia and hyponatremia, which led to the suspicion of myxedema crisis. Her thyroid function tests were suggestive of secondary hypothyroidism and her pituitary hormonal profile revealed panhypopituitarism. The patient was managed on the lines of myxedema crisis with oral levothyroxine, hydrocortisone infusion, antibiotics and rewarming. Her clinical and biochemical parameters exhibited an improvement; however, her altered sensorium persisted. A repeat neurological examination revealed cogwheel rigidity with paraparesis, which led to the clinical suspicion of acute parkinsonism. Magnetic resonance imaging of the sella and brain was suggestive of an empty sella and extrapontine myelinolysis, substantiating the diagnosis of Sheehan's syndrome with acute parkinsonism. The patient was commenced on levodopa-carbidopa following which there was an improvement in symptoms. The patient improved over the ensuing 6 months and can now perform all household activities. On the whole, the present study indicates that the early suspicion of myxedema crisis, prompt treatment and the recognition of additional aetiology for persistent altered sensorium can result in a successful outcome for the patient.

When I see patients in the office for evaluation of hip pain, I start with a complete history and physical exam. Some important factors that I consider are the patient's age, limitations secondary to pain or stiffness, and his or her occupation. Once I determine that the pain is due to hip pathology and that the patient has failed conservative management (ie, lifestyle modification, weight loss, trial of different anti-inflammatory medications, and physical therapy), I have a discussion with the patient about total hip arthroplasty (THA). At this point, based on the patient's age, I explain what he or she can expect after a THA. Usually, patients over 60 have diminished physical activity at baseline, and they tend to have realistic expectations in terms of returning to baseline activity after surgery. In addition, their revision rate is low and acceptable. If the patient is between age 40 and 60, his or her activity level is still high. These patients tend to have high expectations post-recovery and will often need revisions, as they will wear out their implants (likely will need a bearing change/poly change). If the patient is younger than 40, his or her activity level is high, and life expectancy is another 30 to 40 years. This younger patient will likely need revision for implant wear (likely poly change with possibility of component revision). If the patient is very young (ie, in the second decade of life), I strongly recommend hip fusion as a bridging procedure, and 10 to 15 years later as he or she starts to develop back pain, contralateral hip pain, or ipsilateral knee pain, the hip fusion can be taken down and revised to a THA.

Introduction: Glomerular diseases (GDs) have varied presentations in adults. The spectrum varies from benign to aggressive presentations. Materials and Methods: We conducted an observational prospective study at a tertiary care teaching hospital in North India from July 2020 to June 2022 to evaluate GD's spectrum and clinicopathological correlation. All kidney biopsies conducted during this period were considered as per inclusion and exclusion criteria, and detailed history and clinical examination were done. Results: One hundred and twenty-six kidney biopsies were evaluated as per inclusion and exclusion criteria. The mean age was 37.77 ± 17.73 years. Overall, the male-to-female ratio was 2.3:1 while the male-to-female ratio in lupus nephritis (LN) is 0.37:1. Primary GD (PGD) dominated among males whereas secondary GD (SGD) was more common in females. Nephrotic syndrome (NS, 44.5%) and acute kidney injury 27% were the most common clinical syndromes. The most common symptoms were edema and frothuria in NS (70%), and hematuria in acute nephritic syndrome 59%, whereas fatigue and gastrointestinal symptoms (44%) dominated in SGDs. The PGD-to-SGD ratio was 61.1:38.9. The most common PGD was immunoglobulin A nephropathy (IgAN, 22.1%), followed by minimal change disease (MCD, 20.8%), whereas LN (22.5%) was the prominent SGD, with Class IV + V (36.4%) being most common. Conclusion: GDs have a multitude of presentations – from asymptomatic urinary abnormalities to crescentic ones. IgAN and MCD were the most common of PGD whereas LN was the most common SGD.

Introduction: Monoclonal gammopathy of renal significance (MGRS) disorders are indolent B-cell or plasma cell lymphoproliferative neoplasms which do not meet the hematological criteria for malignancy, however they cause renal dysfunction as a result of production of nephrotoxic monoclonal immunoglobulin (MIg). Objectives: To study the clinical presentation, laboratory features, light microscopy and immunofluorescence (IF) characteristics of all cases of MGRS diagnosed at our hospital over a period of five years. Patients and Methods: A record of all renal biopsies performed at our hospital between 2014-2019 was accessed from the database. Out of 1356 kidney biopsies, 68 had evidence of MIg deposition on immunofluorescence. Only six cases met the criteria of MGRS. Histopathological and immunofluorescence characteristics were studied to classify the lesions as per International Kidney and Monoclonal Gammopathy (IKMG) Research Group classification. Results: All six cases presented with deranged renal function. Four had sub-nephrotic and one had nephrotic range proteinuria. MIg was identified in only one case on serum protein electrophoresis and free light chain assay. Using a conjunction of histomorphology of renal lesions, special stains and immunofluorescence all six cases of MGRS were categorized as per IKMG classification into monoclonal immunoglobulin deposition disease (two cases), AL amyloidosis, light chain cast nephropathy, proliferative glomerulonephritis with monoclonal immunoglobulin deposits (PGNMID) and light chain proximal tubulopathy (LCPT). Conclusion: MGRS presents as renal failure and proteinuria. MIg may not be detected on protein electrophoresis due to low-secretion in serum. A kidney biopsy is essential to study the morphology of renal lesions and identify MIg deposition.

Introduction:The data of acute kidney injury (AKI), that is, community-acquired AKI (CA-AKI) and hospital-acquired AKI (HA-AKI) among non-COVID patients from intensive care units (ICU) during the coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19) pandemic are scarce. We planned to study the change in the profile of such patients compared to the pre-pandemic era. Materials and methods:This prospective observational study was conducted at four ICUs dealing with non-COVID patients at a government hospital in North India, and was aimed at assessing outcomes, and mortality predictors of AKI among non-COVID patients during the COVID-19 pandemic. Renal and patient survival at ICU transfer-out and hospital discharge, ICU and hospital stay duration, mortality predictors, and dialysis requirement at discharge were evaluated. The current or previous COVID-19 infection, previous AKI or chronic kidney disease (CKD), organ donors, and organ transplant patients were excluded. Results: Among the 200 non-COVID-19 AKI patients, diabetes mellitus (DM), primary hypertension, and cardiovascular diseases were the predominant comorbidities in descending order. The commonest cause of AKI was severe sepsis, followed by systemic infections and post-surgery patients. Dialysis requirements at ICU admission during ICU stay and above 30 days were seen in 20.5, 47.5, and 6.5% of patients, respectively. Incidence of CA-AKI and HA-AKI was 1.24:1, whereas dialysis requirement above 30 days was 0.85:1, respectively. The 30-day mortality was 42%. Hepatic dysfunction [hazard ratio (HR): 3.471], septicemia (HR: 3.342), age above 60 years (HR: 4.000), higher sequential organ failure assessment (SOFA) score (HR: 1.107; p = 0.001), anemia (p = 0.003), and low serum iron (p = 0.001) were important mortality predictors in AKI. Conclusion: Compared to the pre-COVID era, CA-AKI was more common than HA-AKI due to restricted elective surgeries during the COVID-19 pandemic. Acute kidney injury with multiorgan involvement and hepatic dysfunction, elderly age with higher SOFA score and sepsis were predictors of adverse renal and patient outcomes.

Hyperviscosity syndrome (HVS) is an infrequent but life-threatening complication of multiple myeloma (MM) and classically presents with the triad of mucosal bleed, neurological, and visual disturbances. HVS is typically associated with immunoglobulin M (IgM) MM and very rarely may complicate immunoglobulin G (IgG) MM. Even suspicion of HVS necessitates therapy based on clinical severity rather than the calculated degree of viscosity. While plasmapheresis promptly decreases serum viscosity by 30% to 50%, early initiation of anti-myeloma therapy is crucial to prevent rebound phenomena. In this context, we report a case of IgG MM, which despite being complicated by HVS had gratifying outcome attributable to early clinical suspicion and consequent prompt therapeutic intervention.

Abstract Background: Nontuberculous mycobacteria (NTM) are omnipresent in the environment. It is an important infectious complication in kidney transplantation (KT) due to an immunosuppressed state and has morbidity and mortality. Methods:Kidney transplantation recipients (KTR) with NTM infection were assessed for associative factors and outcomes in this retrospective observational study. Results:Amongst the 737 patients who underwent KT at our center between January 2011 and Jun 2023, five males and one female developed NTM infection. All had positive Ziehl Neelson (ZN) staining, negative GeneXpert test, and positive culture for NTM. The commonest site was subcutaneous infection. The mean age at NTM diagnosis was 29.5 ± 7.89 years. The median time of NTM infection from KT was 24 months (range, 4 – 113 months), and the median time of NTM confirmation from symptoms-onset was 27 days (range, 22 – 32 days). All had heightened immunosuppression i,e., recent deceased donor KT (DDKT) and anti-rejection treatment. The median time to development of NTM from DDKT/allograft-rejection was 21.5 months (4 – 40 months). The relative risk (RR) for NTM infection with exposure to anti-thymocyte globulin, rituximab, and mycophenolic acid was 12.6 (p=0.08), 10.3 (p=0.13), and 9.2 (p=0.13) respectively. All NTM patients were successfully treated; four had stable allograft function, whereas two had allograft failure. Conclusion: NTM infection was only seen in KTRs with heightened immunosuppression. A high index of suspicion and low threshold for mycobacterial culture is mandatory for early NTM diagnosis and good treatment response.

We investigated the effect of two dosing regimens of oral iron on iron status and hematological parameters in patients with CKD. In this single center, open label, randomized, active controlled clinical trial, stable adult patients with CKD stage G3–4 with percentage transferrin saturation (%TSAT) ≤ 30% and serum ferritin ≤ 500 ng/ml were eligible. Participants were randomized to receive either 100 mg of ferrous ascorbate once daily (OD group) or 100 mg of ferrous ascorbate twice daily (BD group, total daily dose 200 mg). The primary outcome was change in %TSAT between groups over 12 weeks. The secondary outcomes were changes in other iron status and hematological parameters, serum interleukin-6 (IL-6) and hepcidin. 80 participants were enrolled out of which 76 completed the study. Change in %TSAT was not significantly different between groups (β = − 1.43, 95% CI − 3.99 to 1.12, BD group as reference). The rise in serum ferritin was less in the OD group as compared to BD group (β = − 0.36, 95% CI − 0.61 to − 0.10) whereas MCHC increased in the OD group as compared to decrease in the BD group (β = 0.37, 95% CI 0.067–0.67). These observations need exploration to ascertain the impact of different oral iron dosing strategies in CKD.

Abstract Background: Data on correlation between hypovitaminosis D and disease activity indices in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) are varied. In this context, this prospective, case–control study aimed to evaluate the contribution of hypovitaminosis D toward bone health in patients with RA and correlate it with clinical, functional, and radiological disease activity indices. The study objectives were to assess the occurrence of hypovitaminosis D, to determine baseline bone mineral density (BMD), and to evaluate factors likely to contribute to poor bone health in patients of RA. Results: Hypovitaminosis D was observed in 76% of patients of RA with all of them having poor bone health as evident by statistically significant correlation between low Vitamin D levels and poor BMD. Poor bone health was observed in 80% of patients with femoral measurements, exhibiting greater severity of reduced BMD than lumbar spine values. Bivariate analysis revealed significant correlation of low Vitamin D, parathyroid hormone, Modified Sharp Score (MSS), and steroid intake with poor BMD at both spine and femur neck. Furthermore, binary logistic regression analysis among these four variables showed that only MSS had statistically significant association with osteoporosis, and there was a trend towards significance with poor BMD. Conclusions: This study has observed that RA patients indeed have poor bone health. Consequent osteoporosis has multifactorial etiology, and hypovitaminosis D remains one of the prime contributors, yet underappreciated and consequently undertreated.

Percutaneous peritoneal dialysis catheter (PDC) insertion for continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis (CAPD) entails a higher risk of complications such as bowel injury, vascular injury, and catheter migration compared to the surgical insertions. We conducted a comparative analysis of two techniques of peritoneal entry for PDC insertion by Seldinger technique. We performed a retrospective review of 426 percutaneously inserted PDCs in nonobese naïve abdomens for CAPD at two tertiary care teaching hospitals in India over 6 years. Comparison of various mechanical complications, and short‐term catheter survival was done between use of introducer needle (Group “I”) and spring‐loaded pneumoperitoneum (Veress) needle (Group “V”). Group “I” to “V” patient ratio was 277:149. Group “I” had heavier patients (p = 0.03) whereas “V” group had a dominance of diabetes (p = 0.009) and prior hemodialysis patients (p = 0.03). At 3 months, the odds of mechanical complications (OR = 0.27, p = 0.004), PDC migration (OR = 0.18, p = 0.02), and omental wrapping (OR = 0.13, p = 0.04) were less in “V” group. No bowel injury occurred with Veress needle use. At 6 months, “V” group had higher odds of event‐free sustained PDC tip position (OR = 0.39, p = 0.003), and catheter survival (p = 0.03), and the cumulative events were lesser too (p = 0.002). Refractory peritonitis and deaths with functioning catheter were comparable between both the groups. In this first‐of‐its‐kind study, spring‐loaded Veress pneumoperitoneum needle use was safer, entrusted sustained PDC tip position in pelvis, and had a better catheter survival compared to use of introducer needle for peritoneal entry in percutaneously inserted PDCs. These findings should be confirmed by a randomized controlled study.

Haematospermia, even though alarming, is usually benign and self-limiting, especially in a sexually active male. Nevertheless recurrent, refractory or painful haematospermia is troublesome and warrants thorough evaluation. In this context, we describe a rare case of recurrent haematospermia whereby evaluation revealed haemorrhage in seminal vesicle cysts and consequently established the aetiology of autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease.

Guidewire embolism during venous access for haemodialysis is not uncommon yet potentially avoidable iatrogenic complication. Unrecognised, long-standing in-situ guidewire may predispose to thrombosis and become a nidus for infection. This entity should always be borne in mind and considered as one of the differentials of unexplained pyrexia in patient on maintenance haemodialysis. In this context, we report a patient on maintenance dialysis who presented with fever of 6 weeks duration with no localising history and failed response to empirical antibiotics. On imaging, he was detected to have in-situ guidewire with fracture embolism into inferior vena cava and right external iliac vein and soon patient became afebrile following guidewire retrieval using gooseneck snare device, thereby retrospectively confirming causality.

ABSTRACT Background Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is an important cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide. There is a lack of information on epidemiology and progression of CKD in low–middle income countries. The Indian Chronic Kidney Disease (ICKD) study aims to identify factors that associate with CKD progression, and development of kidney failure and cardiovascular disease (CVD) in Indian patients with CKD. Methods ICKD study is prospective, multicentric cohort study enrolling patients with estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) 15–60 mL/min/1.73 m2, or >60 mL/min/1.73 m2 with proteinuria. Clinical details and biological samples are collected at annual visits. We analysed the baseline characteristics including socio-demographic details, risk factors, disease characteristics and laboratory measurements. In addition, we compared characteristics between urban and rural participants. Results A total of 4056 patients have been enrolled up to 31 March 2020. The mean ± SD age was 50.3 ± 11.8 years, 67.2% were males, two-thirds of patients lived in rural areas and the median eGFR was 40 mL/min/1.73 m2. About 87% were hypertensive, 37% had diabetes, 22% had CVD, 6.7% had past history of acute kidney injury and 23% reported prior use of alternative drugs. Diabetic kidney disease, chronic interstitial nephritis (CIN) and CKD-cause unknown (CKDu) were the leading causes. Rural participants had more occupational exposure and tobacco use but lower educational status and income. CIN and unknown categories were leading causes in rural participants. Conclusions The ICKD study is the only large cohort study of patients with mild-to-moderate CKD in a lower middle income country. Baseline characteristics of study population reveal differences as compared with other cohorts from high-income countries.

Plasma cell-rich rejection is a rare and poorly defined entity. Its treatment is not clearly defined and has universally poor prognosis. More data should be published from various transplant centers around the world to identify the treatment that has the best outcomes and to formulate treatment guidelines for these cases. It is a retrospective analysis of kidney biopsies form 2008 to 2018. Four hundred biopsied were screened and 55 were found to have features of rejection and among them, 13 had plasma cell-rich rejection. Data of treatment given and the graft survival outcomes in these cases were retrieved by medical records. One patient had complete recovery, three had graft loss and the remaining nine had permanent decline in glomerular filtration rate. Decrease in immunosuppression and presence of infection are risk factors for plasma cell-rich acute rejection (PCAR). It can be acute cell-mediated rejection (ACR)/antibody-mediated rejection (AMR)/ACR+AMR. Resistant rejection, ACR+AMR, C4d positivity, and severe interstitial inflammation are poor prognostic factors. Overzealous decrease in immunosuppression should not be done. Management of immunosuppression during infection is most critical for the development of PCAR. Bortezomib is emerging as a therapeutic modality for the treatment of PCAR.

Peritoneal dialysis related peritonitis is a major risk factor for drop-out of patients on continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis. Data on factors affecting outcome of chronic peritoneal dialysis related peritonitis and microbiology is limited. In this regard, a retrospective, observational study was conducted at Post Graduate Institute of Medical Education and Research, Chandigarh, India, wherein we reviewed medical records of chronic peritoneal dialysis patients for 3 years between 01 July 2015 and 30 June 2018. We abstracted data pertaining to social, demographic and clinical characteristics of patients, occurrence of peritonitis including microbiological spectrum and outcomes. Conventional culture method involving manual inoculation was used in initial 11⁄2 years, after which automated culture (BACTEC) was used. A total of 334 chronic peritoneal dialysis patients were screened retrospectively for infective peritonitis. Out of these, 74 patients had 97 episodes of peritonitis; 54 patients had single episode and 19 had two episodes (repeat-16 and relapsing-3) and none had preceding or ongoing exit site or tunnel infection. Occurrence of peritonitis was highest during monsoon (36%) and least during autumn (12%). Cumulative culture positivity was 39.2% with gram-positivity in 60.5% patients. Predominant microorganism was Staphylococcus epidermidis (23.7%) followed by Escherichia coli (13.2%). 51 patients (74 episodes) recovered with antibiotic therapy alone, while 23 patients required peritoneal catheter removal in view of refractory (n-20)/ fungal (n-3) peritonitis. 6.8% patients had peritonitis related mortality. Outcome with respect to recovery was comparable (76.3%) in culture positive and culture negative episodes.

Atypical hemolytic uremic syndrome is a rare form of thrombotic microangiopathy caused by complement pathogenic variants. We describe a case of a 33-year-old woman who presented as rapidly progressing renal failure requiring dialysis and had anemia, microhematuria, low C3, normal C4 levels, and normal platelet count. Renal biopsy revealed arteriolar thrombotic microangiopathy and acute tubular injury. Patient was treated with plasma exchange and hemodialysis as required. This resulted in partial recovery at 1 month. Genetic workup by multiplex ligation-dependent probe amplification revealed a 1.5 times higher signal intensity on downstream region of CFH gene and 50% reduced intensity of exon 6 of CFHR1 gene, suggesting a gene conversion event, similar to those previously reported from Spain and Portugal.

Significance of antiphospholipid antibodies in immune thrombocytopenic purpura is debatable and pose a diagnostic and therapeutic dilemma. Catastrophic antiphospholipid syndrome is a rare life-threatening entity, occurring in patients with antiphospholipid syndrome, usually after a triggering event. We describe an adult lady of chronic immune thrombocytopenic purpura (in remission) with antiphospholipid antibodies, who presented with rapidly progressive renal failure and had primary antiphospholipid syndrome nephropathy. The index manuscript titled exemplifies the fact that although the presence of APLA in ITP is known, however, management in the absence of clinical event remains debatable and may carry a future risk of thrombotic event/s mandating close monitoring with a high index of suspicion.

Cryptococcal infection constitutes 2.8% of opportunistic infections in solid-organ transplant recipients. The most common organ affected in renal transplant recipients (RTRs) is central nervous system and usually presents with chronic meningoencephalitis. Rapid neurological deterioration in RTR with chronic meningitis despite antimicrobial therapy should alert towards the possibility of either alternative/polymicrobial etiology or complications including hydrocephalus. In this context, we report a RTR with chronic meningitis initiated on empirical antitubercular therapy in the absence of conclusive microbiological diagnosis despite serial cerebrospinal fluid analysis and later admitted with complication in form of obstructive hydrocephalus requiring external ventricular drainage which proved to be therapeutic (decreasing raised intracranial hypertension) as well as diagnostic (yielding Cryptococcus), thereby confirming alternative etiology of chronic meningitis.