Tuesday, May 9, 2017

Trypanosma mnemonic

This one will help you in having a fair idea about the linking of Trypanosoma species with the diseases caused and the vectors associated.

1. T. cruzi- American Chaga's disease.

Americans have big fat freeways on which they love to cruise in their cars. Also,if you are into automobiles, you can remember the car 'Cruze'
from Chevrolet, the American carmaker.

The vector is reduviid(kissing) bug. Do I need to say more?!

2. T.brucei-  This one is full of the phonetic 'sa' in it- T. brucei causes sleeping sickness with the vector being the tsetse fly!

That's all!

-Sushrut Dongargaonkar


Congenital adrenal hyperplasia mnemonic

Hey, do you know a way to remember the Congenital Adrenal Hyperplasia and it's enzyme deficiencies?

It's the same mnemonic that everyone uses:
The 1 looks like an up arrow for increase

First digit for blood pressure
Second digit for sex hormones

11 hydroxylase deficiency:
1 - BP - High (Hypertension) 
1 - Sex steroids - High (Virilization in females) 

21 hydroxylase deficiency:
2 - BP - Low (Hypotension)
1 - Sex steroids - High (Virilization in females)

17 hydroxylase deficiency:
1 - BP - High (Hypertension) 
7 - Sex steroids - No increase

There was a point in my life where I forgot which digit stood for what. I have a mnemonic for that as well... It's a vulgar mnemonic.
I think of erection, first the blood goes into the corpora cavernosa and then the penis is erect. I remember the sequence of digits by - "First comes the blood, then comes the boner."
First digit - BP
Second digit - sex steroids

An easier alternative submitted by Dev:
Just remember AT
A - Aldosterone
T - Testosterone

I modified it to cat.


Meow. 

-IkaN 

Monday, May 8, 2017

The basics: Lesions of Spinal Cord

Here is a basics video on Spinal cord with mnemonics for first year med students by Chaitanya Inge. Enjoy :)

Felix and Dreyer's tube mnemonic

The tubes used for serological diagnosis of typhoid are frequently asked and it takes many bungling to get the answer right. Here's a mnemonic which may come handy-

1. Felix tube- Short round bottomed which detects the 'O' antigen.
Remember the round bottom and round shape of the letter 'O'.

2. Dreyer's tube- Narrow, conical bottomed one which detects the 'H' antigen
Deserts are 'dry' and pyramids, which resemble cones are in the deserts of Egypt. Hence, conical bottomed Dreyer's tube. The letter 'H' is not round, so, it is this antigen which this tube detects.

Revise this mnemonic more than once so you get it clearly what's what.

-Sushrut Dongargaonkar


Episiotomy indications : Mnemonic

Hi everyone.
Posted in Ob-Gyn now. Let's just say it's not a lot of fun looking at diseased hoo-hoo's.
Just kidding.

Here's a Mnemonic for the absolute indications of Episiotomy.

Remember : PPPP

1. Perineum is rigid
2. Perineum has been operated on. (For Prolapse, stress urinary incontinence , etc)
3. Procedures are to be used. (Like Ventouse or Forceps)
4. Position / Presentation are abnormal. (Like Breech , face to pubis, shoulder dystocia , macrosomia)

The other indications which are non-absolute include :
- Maternal exhaustion
- Preterm/ post mature baby
- Trial of labour.

So I hope this didn't tear you up. (Pun intended).
Happy studying !
Stay awesome.
~ A.P.Burkholderia

Saturday, May 6, 2017

Fact of the day: Shoulder dislocation

An anterior shoulder dislocation is usually caused by a blow to the abducted, externally rotated, and extended arm (eg, blocking a basketball shot).

Violent muscle contractions following a seizure or electrocution represent the most common causes of posterior shoulder dislocation.

Acute Kidney Injury due to Anticancer drugs


Hey guys, there are multiple causes of acute kidney injury in a cancer patient, namely sepsis, metastasis, tumor lysis syndrome, etc. But there is another reason which we often overlook, which is drug-induced.

1. Thrombotic microangiopathy: Associated with agents targeting vascular endothelial growth factor(VEGF), eg., Ranibizumab, Bevacizumab. These drugs also block the angiogenesis in the glomerular vasculature, such that the injured endothelium isn't replaced, leading to multiple foci of platelet aggregations just like in TTP and HUS.

2. Focal segmental glomerulosclerosis: Associated with tyrosine kinase inhibitors are the most common and are frequently associated with acute kidney injury.

3. Acute Interstitial Nephritis:
The checkpoint inhibitors ipilimumab, nivolumab, and pembrolizumab activate host T cells to enhance tumor killing by preventing tumor ligand binding to cytotoxic T-lymphocyte antigen 4 and programmed death 1 receptors, which deactivate T cells. However, this effect causes loss of self-tolerance (and perhaps tolerance to other drugs), leading to various forms of autoimmune injury, including acute interstitial nephritis, which is associated with moderate-to-advanced-stage acute kidney injury.

That's all!

-VM

Submissions: Syndromes associated with pheochromocytoma

Submitted by Vivek on the study group =)

Gross motor milestones mnemonic

Hello!

In this video, I talk about gross motor milestones from the age one to five years of age.

Source: Nelsons textbook of pediatrics.

Friday, May 5, 2017

Mumps complications mnemonic

Here's a short post on complications of Mumps!



Here's Jaskunwar Singh's mnemonic on comps of mumps. It's more extensive, mine just covers the important stuff. 

M - Meningitis
U - Urogenital infection (Orchitis, Oophoritis)
M - Male infertility
P - Pancreatitis
S - Salivary glands affected 

Also more M's:
M - Miscarriage in pregnant women (12 - 16 weeks)
M - Myocarditis

That's all!
-IkaN 

Maternal factors for IUGR mnemonic

Hello

The maternal factors that increase the risk of Intrauterine Growth Restriction ( IUGR ) in unborn babies ( small - for - dates ) include : MATERNAL RISK

M - Malnutrition / Multiparity
A - Anaemia ( severe )
T - Toxaemias of pregnancy
E - Excess physical activity
R - Raised blood pressure
N - Narrow birth spacing
A - Alcohol intake ( excess ) / Age ( young )
L - Low socio - economic scale

R - Recreational drug use
I - Infections
S - Smoking / Short stature
K


Thats all
- Jaskunwar Singh

Kangaroo mother care mnemonic

Hello

Components of Kangaroo mother care mnemonic : Baby Kangaroo HOPS in its mother's pouch ;p

H - Healthy diet provision ( breast - feeding )
O - Outpatient care ( due to early discharge )
P - Positioning of baby close to mother's chest
S - Support to mother and family


Thats all
- Jaskunwar Singh

Uric acid and struvite stones mnemonic

Well, urine is largely water which *can* be considered as transparent. That's why, uric acid stones don't show up on X-rays.

Struvite or triple phosphate stones have Proteus has the causative factor. Remember p for p

That's all!

-Sushrut Dongargaonkar


Drugs causing gingival hyperplasia mnemonic

Hello!

It's important to know drugs causing hypertrophy of the gums for exam purposes.

Auditory Transduction simplified

Basics of auditory transduction simplified by Chaitanya Inge in his first awesome video! Check it out! :D

Pigment producing mycobacteria mnemonic

There are these two mycobacteria which produce pigments- M. gordonae and M. szulgai in the dark. How to remember them?

1. A garden contains flowers which
are colourful. So you can remember M. gordonae that way.

2. Szulgai matches 'Nilgai' which is an Indian local word for the Indian
bluebuck/Indian blue bull. So the  involvement of a color in the name can be correlated with pigment production.

That's all!

-Sushrut Dongargaonkar
   


Addisons disease mnemonic

Hey!
Do you have a mnemonic for adrenal insufficiency?

Cryptococcus neoformans notes and mnemonics

Hello!

This post is on cryptococcus neoformans.

Thursday, May 4, 2017

Easy way to memorise Organ of Corti

Hello Everyone!

               Here is a easy way to memorise the Organ of Corti structure.

We've also upload a video explaining the same. Check it out =) 



Thank you,
Chaitanya Inge

Beta blocker intoxication

Hello!
This is a short blog on beta blocker
intoxication.

Beta blockers acting on beta receptors have wide range of actions and uses.

Most common complication of beta blocker overuse is Cardiovascular depression like hypotension and bradycardia, impaired atrioventricular functions.
Can we give adrenergic drugs to reverse this action?
No, we can't .
Prolong use of beta blockers leads to upregulation of the beta receptors. Beta Agonists will further aggravate the adrenergic actions.
Which may cause tachycardia even arrhythmias.
Even Atropine is inconsistent in reversing the side effects

So the alternative used is Glucagon -
It stimulates cAMP synthesis independently of beta adrenergic receptors.
It has positive ionotropic and chronotropic action, thus it reverses the cardiovascular depression without causing tachycardia or other adrenergic effects.

It can also be used in calcium channels blocker overuse.
Glucagon therapy still dont have enough evidence to prove its efficiency.

Hence Judicious use of drugs is must.
Stay awesome!

~Khush

Effects of cholinergics and anticholinergics on the bladder mnemonic

In this video I talk about:

Cholinergics, bethanechol, diabetes mellitus, denervation and overflow incontinence.

Anticholinergics, oxybutynin, urge incontinence.

And mnemonics. Enjoy!

Risperidone mechanism of action mnemonic

Hello! This post is about the atypical antipsychotic - Risperidone!

Risperidone is a second-generation antipsychotic that has affinity for D2, 5-HT2A, alpha 1, alpha 2 and H1 receptors.

The mechanism of action of risperidone is not fully understood, current theories focus mainly on its ability to block D2 and 5-HT2A receptors.

Hard time remembering this? I've got a solution!

Wednesday, May 3, 2017

IPC 176 177 178 179 mnemonic

Shilika strikes back with a video! :D

Initiation factors in eukaryotic translation mnemonic

Hello Everyone,

Lets discuss Initiation factors today. Here's the the mnemonic:

1. elF-1: 1 looks like i . So it causes Dissociation of 80 S

2. eLF-2: Two- Formation of Ternary complex. Also GTP needed

3. eLF-3: 3 looks like B. hence it causes Breakdown(dissociation of 80 S)

4. elF-4:   
cap binding protein complex elF-4F=  elF-4E + elF-4G+ elF-4A . Binds to 5’End of mRNA through elF-4E  
elF-4A and elF-4B: A has helicAse activity.Makes use of ATP 
                                B makes things Better. :)
                                Both help  reduce complex secondary structure of 5’end of m-RNA.                                                                                                           (A+B=reduce Complexity)

5. eLF-5: 5 looks like S. So it causes: 
      1. releaSe of initiation factors
      2. aSSociation of 40S and 80S Subunits

Here are some diagrams that will help you:




That’s all,
Thank you,
Chaitanya Inge

Rubeola vs Rubella mnemonic

Hello!

RubeOla - Ordinary measles ( kOplik spots on buccal mucosa are pathognomic )

RuBella ( German measles ) - Well, I remember Bella B. Felsenheimer, a German musician and drummer ( Foschheimer spots on the soft palate are characteristic ).


Thats all
- Jaskunwar Singh

Torres bodies mnemonic

Okay, to be honest this one is not quite a very good mnemonic but I like to remember Torres bodies in yellow fever by the footballer Fernando Torres wearing his club jersey in yellow color, even if he doesn't. Well, yeah, that's about it! :-p

-Sushrut Dongargaonkar


Tuesday, May 2, 2017

Diagnostic Enzymes in Myocardial Infarction

   
Hello Everyone,

Here’s a quick mnemonic on Sequence of elevated enzymes in myocardial infarction. I got it from https://imgusmlestep1.blogspot.in. Originally it was  like this Time to CALL 911. I have modified it. It goes like this
                             Time to CALL 12 24 30 48.
The numbers represent time of peak elevation of the enzymes.
Sequence of elevated enzymes are:
        Troponin: Cardiac Troponin I and Cardiac Troponin C (12 hours)
        Creatine Phosphokinase (MB) (24 hrs)
        Aspartate Transaminase (30 hrs)
        Lactate Dehydrogenase 1 (48 hrs) 

Important Facts:

Cardiac troponin I (cTnI) is highly sensitive and specific for damage to cardiac tissue. cTnI appears in plasma within 4–6 hours after an MI, peaks in 8–28 hours, and remains elevated for 3–10 days.Elevated cTns, in combination with the clinical presentation and characteristic changes in the electrocardiogram, are currently considered the “gold standard” in the diagnosis of a MI.

Creatine Phosphokinase (MB):Appearance of this hybrid isoenzyme in plasma is virtually specific for infarction of the myocardium .Following an acute MI, CK2 appears approximately 4–8 hours following onset of chest pain, reaches a peak of activity at approximately 24 hours, and returns to baseline after 48–72 hours.

A quick comparison between Cardiac troponin and Creatine Phosphokinase:

Troponin is more sensitive than CK-MB because more troponin is found in the heart per gram of myocardium and that a greater percentage depleted from the heart by cardiac injury arrives in the blood 

With regard to specificity, troponin elevations are almost always specific for cardiac injury, except for the infrequent analytical false positives caused by fibrin interference and/or cross-reacting antibodies. CK-MB is not specific for cardiac injury, as a small amount is found in skeletal muscle.

I am very thankful to IkaN for helping me with Troponin and CK-MB.  :)


Thats all,
Thank you
Chaitanya Inge  

Drugs that prolong QT interval mnemonic

Hello!

Here are drugs that can prolong QT interval and cause Torsades de Pointes! The mnemonic is TOOOOORSADES!

Cerebral ring enhancing lesions Mnemonic


Cerebral Ring enhancing lesions are a common finding in MRI based questions asked in the boards. ;)

The mnemonic to help you remember it is: Suppose there is a Dr Grams who is missing his wedding ring and is searching for it fervently. So if you're doing an MRI and you see a ring what should you do?

CAL DR GRAMS

C- Contusion
A- Abscess
L- Lymphoma

D- Demyelinating disease
R- Radiation necrosis

G- Glioblastoma
R- Resolving Haematoma
A- Abscess
M- Metastatic lesion
S- Subacute infarct

Here's a mnemonic submitted by Jaskunwar Singh. It includes Tuberculosis and toxoplasmosis!

CAL DR SMART

C - Contusions
A - Abscess
L - Lymphoma

D - Demyelinating diseases
R - Radiation necrosis

S - Subacute infarct
M - Malignancy / Metastatic lesions
A - AIDS
R - Resolving haematoma
T - Toxoplasmosis / TB

I assume that everybody knows about toxoplasmosis and tuberculosis so I didn't include them in my mnemonic. Use the mnemonic that suits you =)

That's all :)

-VM

Study group discussion: A mnemonic for yawning? (pandiculation)

Hello!

Pandiculation definition: A stretching and stiffening of the trunk and extremities, as when fatigued and drowsy or on waking, often accompanied by yawning. 

Here's a study group discussion xD

Medicowesome secret project: Segregation of waste and recycling

Monday, May 1, 2017

Vitamin B3 and pellagra mnemonics

Hello!

This post is all about niacin aka vitamin B3 and it's deficiency with loads of mnemonics. Who is excited?

1. How to remember Niacin is vitamin B3:

- You can remember the three vowels in nIAcIn, so it's vitamin B three.
- N has 3 strokes, so Niacin is B3
- NIA - B3

2. Vitamin B3 deficiency, Pellagra, is clinically manifested by photosensitive dermatitis, diarrhea, dementia.

Pellagra mnemonic:
"B3 causes D3"
Diarrhea, Dermatitis, Dementia.

3. Pellagra tends to occur in areas where people eat maize (or corn, the only grain low in digestible niacin) as a staple food.

Mnemonic: Corny people can't be nice. (Corn can't have niacin)

People - Pellagra. PP!

Corny people can't be nice and amazing! Get it? A-maize-ing! Hahahahha! I'm so pun-ny and funny!

4. The amino acid tryptophan is needed to make niacin, serotonin and melatonin.
Mnemonic: Have a nice trip to serotonin land (Serotonin rhymes with Melatonin).

Why is this fact clinically significant?
Carcinoid syndrome leads to excess production of serotonin, which depletes  tryptophan. There's not enough tryptophan to produce niacin, resulting in pellagra.

5. Isoniazid (INH) use can cause vitamin B3.

Mnemonic: INH has 3 letters. B3 deficiency!
Also, isoNIAzid. For NIAcin deficiency.

6. Lastly, you should know about Hartnups disease which is due to defective neutral amino acid transporter on renal and intestinal epithelial cells 

Here's a mnemonic by usmle1mikmonics:
HARTNUP Disease
Hartnup
Aminoaciduria
Renal (also intestinal) / Recessive
Transporter defect / Tryptophan deficiency
Neutral amino acids / Niacin deficiency / Nicotinamide supplements (Treatment)
Urine (Tryptophan lost in urine)
Pellagra / high Protein diet (Treatment)
D’s - Dermatitis, Dementia, Diarrhea

That's all!
-IkaN

Anterior Abdominal Wall : Mnemonics

Hi everyone. So I've just started Surgery and it makes me go back to Anatomy. A lot.
Here are some helpful Mnemonics on the Anterior abdominal wall

The External Oblique muscle is the SIR of  all muscles.
It's the SIR of all muscles.
Hence , This SIR forms the Superficial Inguinal Ring.
Because it's the SIR , it forms the Sir of all ligaments too - the Inguinal Ligament.

The Fascia Transversalis is a scary thing. Whenever I see it , I get DAR. ( Dar is the Hindi word for Fear)
So I get DIR when I look at it. :P
And hence the Deep Inguinal Ring is in the Fascia Transversalis.
Since this is such a scary muscle , the important artery Inferior Epigastric Pierces this muscle. Making it more DIR-avna.

Finally,
How should one remember the direction of the External and Internal oblique muscles ?
Hands in your pocket is External Oblique.
So medially and downwards.

Hands on the Tits is Internal Oblique.
So medially and upwards.

Hope these help you !
Happy Studying !
Stay aweosme.

~ A.P.Burkholderia

How is Visual Contrast achieved?

Hello everyone,
Let us discuss Visual contrast today. This question has haunted me for a long time.

Let's start with the basics, the cells in various layers of retina and their function.

Here's a quick review of things you have already read:

1. What is photoreceptor?
It is a rod or cone. It detects light.




2. What is horizontal cell?
It is present between rods and cones. It is inhibitory in function. (It is involved in lateral inhibition which we will discuss later!)

3. What is bipolar cell?
It transmits information from photoreceptor to ganglion cells.



Now, lets come to the details.







4. What are metabotropic receptors?

First of all what you must understand is Metabotropic receptors and Inotropic receptors are receptors present on bipolar cells.

They recieve stimulas from photoreceptors (mostly decreased glutamate is the stimulas).

Metabotropic receptors cause depolarisation that is excitation of centre of receptive field of bipolar cells

5.What are inotropic receptors?
They cause inhibition of centre of receptive field i.e. hyperpolarization. (remember, I for Inhibition)


6. Receptive field - What is it?
It is a region of retina where if the light falls it is going to alter the firing of neurons. (By firing I don’t mean guns :P) It means the action potentials generated and transmitted by the photoreceptors. So each cell has a characteristic receptive field. It can be as small as a dot or as large as this page itself. But don't limit this concept to a photoreceptor only. Almost all sensory cells example in somatosensory system or in auditory system possess a receptive field.

Receptive field of a bipolar cell is arranged into a central disk,
the “center” and a concentric ring, the “surround”, each region responding oppositely to light.

Coming to the crux of the topic i.e. Visual Contrast.

How do the things we have discussed so far help us achieve that?

Visual Contrast is achieved by two mechanisms:
1. Lateral Inhibition
2. Excitation of Some Bipolar Cells and Inhibition of Others — The Depolarizing and Hyperpolarizing Bipolar Cells.

1. How does lateral inhibition help?
First: It does not allow the signal to spread through the dendritic and axonic trees. Hence point to point transmission occurs.
Second: The direct and indirect pathways accentuate each other. This can be easily understood. Photoreceptor sends excitatory signals to bipolar cell. But the adjacent photoreceptor sends a inhibitory signal through the horizontal cell. Mostly these two neutralize each other so no net stimulus is transmitted to bipolar cell.
      But If the adjacent cell is  unstimulated by light, It will not inhibit the excitatory signals transmitted by the photoreceptor which is stimulated by light. Hence it will allow excitation of bipolar cell.
This allows extra excitation of bipolar cell. We get a better contrast. The area which is dark remains dark. But the area which is bright becomes even brighter. This is what visual contrast is all about.
The fun part of all this is, a lot of visual illusion make use of this principle. Do google "Simultaneous Contrast"  :) .


2. How do different Bipolar cells help?
Because depolarizing and hyperpolarizing bipolar cells lie immediately against each other, this provides a mechanism for separating contrast borders in the visual image, even when the border lies exactly between two adjacent photoreceptors.
We will take a simple example. Suppose light is striking at periphery of two receptive fields. Remember it is shaped like a disk, with a centre and periphery both opposite in nature.Suppose One is On centre bipolar cell and other is Off centre bipolar cell(On centre: Activated when light hits centre but periphery is inactivated and vice versa for Off centre). So only the Off centre bipolar cell will detect it. Hence mixing up of signals is avoided. Again what I get is a sharper border. That is what contrast is all about.

That is how it is all done.

Interesting fact: The cells in the retina don't follow the "all or none" law. Transmission is by Electrotonic conduction. From ganglionic cell onwards cells  follow all or none law.

Thats all,
Thank you,
Chaitanya Inge

Lewy body dementia mnemonic

Hey there.

Dementia with Lewy Bodies (DLB) is characterized clinically by deficits in attention and visuospatial function; fluctuating cognition; recurrent visual hallucinations; and spontaneous motor features of parkinsonism. Other associated symptoms include repeated falls, syncope, autonomic dysfunction, neuroleptic sensitivity, delusions, hallucinations in other modalities, sleep disorders, and depression.

Here are mnemonics and how I remember these points!

Lewy has halLEWYcinations.
Visual hallucinations are common.

Lewy is slowy.
Slow movements for Parkinson's disease .

Lewy is sleepy.
REM sleep abnormalities like drowsiness.

Lewy is slippy.
DLB is associated with frequent falls.

Lewy is slow-y, sleepy, slippy and sees things (halLEWYcinations)

lEwy also has an E for eosinophilic intracytoplasmic alpha synuclein aggregates.

That's all!
-IkaN

Authors' diary: Jas a year

Hello!

Our admin and author, Jaskunwar Singh, completed 1 year of writing with Medicowesome today :D

Sunday, April 30, 2017

Causes of coma : mnemonic

Hello

Coma ( unresponsive and unarousable state ) causes mnemonic

Medicowesome secret project: Earth day poem

Collier's Sign

Hey guys!

Collier’s sign (“posterior fossa stare,” “tucked lid” sign) is elevation and retraction of the upper eyelids, baring the sclera above the cornea, with the eyes in the primary position or looking upward.

This may be seen with upper dorsal midbrain supranuclear lesions (e.g., Parinaud’s syndrome). There may be accompanying paralysis of vertical gaze (especially upgaze) and light-near pupil-
lary dissociation.

The sign is thought to reflect damage to the posterior commissure levator palpebrae superioris inhibitory fibers; causing overactivity of this muscle.

-VM

Hydatid cyst mnemonic

Here's a mini mnemonic on hydatid cyst. Caused by E. Granulosus.

H - Hepatic cysts common
Y -
D - Dogs are definitive host
A - Albendazole treatment (Remember, anaphylaxis risk if aspirated)
T -
I -
D -

C - Calcification (eggshell calcification)
Y -
S -
T -

That's all!
-IkaN

Phencyclidine intoxication mnemonic

A combative, agitated, psychotic patient with multi directional nystagmus, tachycardia and hypertension. 

Yup. You guessed it right. It's PCP intoxication. 

Here's a mnemonic 

Melanoma marker mnemonic

The immunohistological marker for melanoma is HMB 45.

You can remember it by remembering the gorilla named 'Harambe' (HaraMBe) of Cincinnati zoo who was in the news as he unfortunately had to be put down because a child entered his enclosure.

You can correlate melanoma's black pigment with that of Harambe's black fur.

That's​ all!

- Sushrut Dongargaonkar


Chronic granulomatous disease mnemonic

Chronic granulomatous disease mnemonic

CGD - GRANULES!
G - chronic Granulomatous disease
R - Rhodamine (Dihydrorhodamine abnormal flow cytometry)
R - ROS, Respiratory burst decreased
A - Abscess / Granulomas
N - Nitroblue tetrazolium dye test
N - NADPH oxidase defective

Catalase positive organisms mnemonic: CATALASE!
Candida
Aspergillus
Tuberculosis
Listeria
Staphylococcus aureus
Serratia
pSeudomonas
E coli

That's all!

-IkaN

Deglutition

Hello Everyone!
 Today lets discuss deglutition. Human's love this process :) .

1.What is Deglutition?
Process by which food  moves from mouth into stomach.

2.What are the different stages?
Oral
Pharyngeal
Oesophageal

3.Is it voluntary?

No, Only the Oral stage is voluntary.

4.What is the oral stage?

Bolus is pushed by the tongue into the Oropharynx.

What is the pharyngeal stage?
It is a involuntary stage. Here bolus moves from pharynx to oesophagus. Bolus has got 4 paths in pharynx
Back in mouth: This is prevented by position of tongue against soft palate.
Upward into nasopharynx: Prevented by elevation of soft palate.
Forward into larynx: Prevented as follows(Only if you don’t talk while swallowing food :P

  • Approximation of vocal cords
  • Forward and upward movement of vocal cords
  • Backward movements of epiglottis to seal opening of larynx
  • This causes Deglutition Apnea
Enters the Oesophagus:

  • Pharyngoesophageal sphincter relaxes.
  • Also upward movement of larynx stretches opening of oesophagus.




What is Oesophageal Stage?

Food from oesophagus enters the stomach.Peristaltic waves aid in this process.Two types of Waves are seen:
Primary peristaltic contractions
Secondary peristaltic contractions


What is the role of lower oesophageal sphincter(LES)?

It undergoes Receptive Relaxation. i.e. it relaxes only upon entry of bolus. Otherwise it is constricted.We have 2 clinical conditions associated with it:

1.Achlasia cardia : Failure of sphincter to relax during swallowing. Causes accumulation of food in oesophagus.

2.Gastroesophageal Reflex disease(GERD): Due to incompetence of LES. Acidic content from stomach regurgitates back into pharynx.


That's all,
Thank you,
Chaitanya Inge



Friday, April 28, 2017

Mnemonic for Sulci And Gyri of the cerebrum

Hello everyone,
  Memorising sulci and gyri of the cerebrum consists of two parts:

  1. Memorising the names of the sulci and gyri
  2. Memorising the locations
Today I will help you with the first part. Please bear with me, it will be a lengthy one.
Lets start with Superolateral surface
We have 4 regions on superolateral surface. They are

  1. Frontal 
  2. Parietal
  3. Temporal
  4. Occipital
Trick for superolateral surface revolves around 3 letters, they are: PSI

Frontal
Sulci- PSI      Gyri- PSIM
Sulci:
  1. Precentral 
  2. Superior frontal
  3. Inferior frontal
Gyri

  1. Precentral
  2. Superior Frontal
  3. Inferior frontal
  4. Middle frontal 
Temporal
Sulci:SI  Gyri: SMI
  Names of Sulci are:
  1. Superior Temporal
  2. Inferior Temoral
Gyri

  1. Superior Temporal
  2. Middle Temporal
  3. Inferior Temporal



Parietal
Sulci: PI Gyri: PSI
Sulci
  1. Postcentral
  2. Intraparietal
Gyri

  1. Post central 
  2. Superior Parietal
  3. Inferior Parietal
For occipital. Remember a simple mnemonic : Sulci- SaLLTy C    Gyri- Gisa.
Sulci
SaLLTy C
  1. Superior and Inferior Polar
  2. Lunate
  3. Lateral Occipital
  4. Transverse Occipital
  5. Calcarine
And the gyri
GISA
  1. Gyrus descendens
  2. Inferior Occipital
  3. Superior Occipital
  4. Arcus parieto-occipitalis.
So that completes the superolateral surface.
Now moving on to Medial Surface
  Here's the mnemonic CAPS. Men wear CAPs.  
Now  it goes like this Sulci- CCCAPPS. Gyri- Men wear CCaPPPPs
Sulci 
  1. Calcarine
  2. Callosal 
  3. Cingulate
  4. Anterior parolfactory
  5. Posterior Parolfactory
  6. Parieto-Occipital
  7. Suprasplenial or subparietal
Gyri
  1. Median frontal
  2. Cuneus
  3. Cingulate
  4. Paraterminal
  5. Paraolfactory
  6. Paracentral
  7. Precuneus
Finally moving to the Inferior Surface
 Here's the mnemonic
     when Cars HOORns  PeoPle LAugh LoudLy on boys playing GaMMes on streets!

Sulci (red coloured in mnemonic)



  1. Collateral
  2. H shaped orbital sulci
  3. Olfactory
  4. Occipitotemporal
  5. Rhinal

Gyri(purpled coloured in mnemonic

  1. Parahippocampal
  2. Posterior Orbital
  3. Lateral orbital
  4. Anterior Orbital
  5. Lingual
  6. Lateral Occipitotemporal
  7. Gyrus rectus
  8. Median Occipitotemporal
  9. Medial Orbital
Lets hope it will make memorising these things a bit easier.

That's all,
Thankyou,
Chaitanya Inge

Blood Supply And Nerve Supply of the Scalp



 Hello Everyone!
                Today we will discuss blood supply and nerve supply of the scalp. Just too many nerves and arteries out there. But there is a way out.
     First let us talk about nerves.

Nerve Supply:
  1.  Sensory
  2. Motor
Sensory:
Here's the trick
 In front of the auricle we have 4 nerves, and all are branches of trigeminal nerve.They are:
  1. Supratrochlear (Opthalmic division)
  2. Supraorbital  (Opthalmic division)
  3. Zygomaticotemporal (Maxillary division)
  4. Auriculotemporal (Mandibular division)
The remaining 4 are located behind the auricle. They are very simple to remember:
GaLeO Go To
  1. Great Auricular(C2,C3)
  2. Lesser Occipital(C2)
  3. Greater Occipital(C2)
  4. Third Occipital(C3)
Motor Supply:
In front of auricle: Temporal branch of facial nerve
Behind the auricle: Posterior auricular branch of facial nerve







Nerve supply of the Scalp 

Coming to the  Blood Supply:
  1. Arterial supply:
    1. Supratrochlear
    2. Supraorbital
    3. Superficial Temporal
    4. Posterior Auricular
    5. Occipital

  1. Venous Drainage: Common, thats simple. Names corresponds to arteries.
    • But there's a twist. The superficial temporal along with maxillary vein wants to drain in external as well as internal jugular. So they form retro mandibular vein whose course is pretty clear in diagram.



Blood Supply of the Scalp

That's all,
-Chaitanya Inge 



Thursday, April 27, 2017

How to draw midbrain sections and lesions (Fun mnemonic diagrams)

Hello everyone!

Brain sections are super hard to remember, I imagine them as monsters and this is how I draw them:

Paraneoplastic Dermatoses - Bazex Syndrome.

Hello everybody,

So to continue our series on cutaneous manifestations of internal malignancies
Let's quickly learn about Bazex Syndrome.

Bazex syndrome — acrokeratosis
paraneoplastica is a paraneoplastic phenomenon associated with squamous cell carcinoma of the upper digestive tract.

Presents more commonly in Males and over the age of 40.

Presentation: Erythematous to violaceous psoriasiform plaques predominantly located in acral areas (especially the fingers, toes, nose, and helices).

Nail dystrophy, palmoplantar keratoderma, and alopecia are common.

In most patients, manifestations of Bazex syndrome precede the diagnosis of malignancy or the malignancy is diagnosed concurrently.

The lesions of Bazex syndrome are usually resistant to targeted therapies, but treatment of the neoplasm usually leads to resolution of the cutaneous findings, although not always.

Let's learn together!
-Medha!