In the past, mitral valve replacement was done only in young patients having rheumatic heart disease. Today, this major surgery can be done even in older patients. In this issue, KS Rathore et al, from Lokmanya Tilak Medical College, report their experience on page 539.

Today, neonatology has advanced so much that neonates are no more managed by the paediatrician, but by a neonatologist. In this context, on page 547, the comments by GF D’Costa et al, from Grant Medical College and JJ Hospital on ‘Trends in Neonatal Lung Pathology”, are worth reading.

Now that caesarean section has become an extremely common mode of delivery, the findings of V Singh et al, from PGIMS, Haryana, on page 561 ‘Effect of different inspired oxygen concentrations during caesarean section under spinal anaesthesia on maternal and foetal oxygenation and lipid peroxidation’ will be very useful, especially to the anaesthetists.

Similarly, P Nandoskar et al, from GS Medical College and KEM Hospital, make a meaningful contribution to the field of anaesthesia by giving their findings on ‘A comparative study of one lung anaesthesia versus two lung anaesthesia for thoracic spine surgeries done by anterior approach’, on page 572.

S Goel and M Sinha, from BEAMS Hospital, give a good piece of advice to laparoscopic surgeons by writing their findings on ‘Effect of oral clonidine premedication in patients undergoing laparoscopic surgery’, on page 587.

PV Yadav from Terna Medical College, on page 602, has written a review on homocysteine. It appears to me that we need to do multiple studies in different states of India, to find out our normal levels of homocysteine.

Common fevers are very difficult to diagnose. GN Nadkarni and VV Shanbhag, from Topiwala Medical College and BYL Nair Hospital, on page 605, discuss about a practical approach to a common fever patients, who presents with rash.

Vertigo is an extremely common complaint and quite often it is very difficult to pinpoint the exact cause of vertigo. S Rai et al from
MGM Medical College, on page 609, discuss the bedside diagnosis in case of vertigo.

Chikungunya fever has already raised its head in many places in Maharashtra. MH Solanki and AM Vora, from Asian Heart Institute, on page 619 discuss and review this disease, which, by now every practitioner in Mumbai must know about.

Meditation once upon a time was considered very difficult to practise in real life. HL Dhar from Bombay Hospital, on page 623, makes it simple by writing his comments on ‘Current Concept of Meditation’.

On page 649, Patankar et al, from Bharati Vidyapeeth Deemed University’s Bharati Medical College and Hospital, Pune, present a case report on two cases of ‘Prolapse of patent omphalomesenteric duct’.

N Bhat and S Vinayak from BARC Hospital, on page 655, present a case report on ‘Anaplastic Thyroid Carcinoma with Paraneoplastic Syndrome’.

SP Gupta and Vinnie from R.N.T. Medical College and MB Hospital, Udaipur, on page 674, present a very interesting case report of an ‘Isolated retroperitoneal hydatid cyst presenting as lump right iliac fossa. Normally, one would think of the diagnosis of hydatid cyst only in lung and liver.

N Goel et al, from Lilavati Hospital and Research Centre, on page 677, present a very interesting case report of ‘Nephron sparing surgery in renal cell carcinoma of a solitary kidney’ for which they must be complimented.

P Dahiya et al, from N. Wadia Maternity Hospital, on page 680, stress on ‘Conservative Medical Management of Placenta Increta’.

Finally, A Dudani et al, from Holy Family Hospital, on page 692, present a very interesting case report of Aicardi Syndrome and review the literature on this subject.