This was a topic discussed by Dr.Abhijit Misra at Siliguri December 2024 :43rd West Bengal State Pedicon Uttorcon 2.0
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TB in ENT and the Head Neck(World TB DAY2024):We Can #EndTB
Tuberculosis is a disease which can be defeated if we are all determined. I am an ENT and Head Neck surgeon and the ENT and Head Neck region , diseases where TB is a concern are:
Neck
Tubercular lymphadenitis involving the cervical lymph nodes also known as cervical lymphadenitis.May involve the front of the neck (anterior triangle) or the back(post triangle).This is the commonest tubercular presentation in ENT region. Discharging sinus from the neck node/swelling which is nonhealing.USG Neck and an Antigravity FNAC(Fine Needle Aspiration Cytology) from the swelling will help in diagnosis.
Ear
Tubercular otitis media: Pale ear discharge,blood stained ear discharge with or without multiple perforation in the ear drum gives a strong indication of tubercular otitis media.In chronic otitis media the tubercular origin is suspected during surgery on finding multiple perforation and pale granulation tissue.In that case the tissues are sent for AFB staining ,culture sensitivity,CBNAAT and then after confirming diagnosis Anti tubercular drugs started.The chronic ear discharge may also have excessive hearing loss with or without facial nerve paralysis of varying grades.
Is Tuberculosis in the ear contagious?
In case someone has tubercular otitis media ,it’s usually accompanied by lung Tuberculosis which if sputum positive is definitely contagious.Since Mycobacterium tuberculosis is spread through the air unless they are airborne and inhaled ,spreading through ear discharge is not documented.
Throat
Tubercular laryngitis:May present with or without fever,progressive hoarseness,pain throat(odynophagia),difficulty swallowing (dysphagia).The vocal cord may show pale granulation or polyp.This is often associated with Pulmonary Tuberculosis or TB of the lung and is contagious.
Nose
Nasal discharge blood stained with nasal obstruction because of nasal polyp or sinusitis.
Oral Cavity
Nonhealing oral ulcer: Tuberculosis needs to be ruled out along with Diabetes,malignancy or HIV.Rolled out margins with well-defined bases
Head
Tubercular meningitis is a serious condition and is beyond the scope of this current blog post.TB involving the Central Nervous System needs urgent intervention to avoid morbidity and mortality.
All presentations may be accompanied by fever ,weightloss,generalized weakness.All the condition requires proper diagnosis, and treatment with Anti Tubercular drugs and may also require surgery .The good news is Anti tubercular drugs are available for free at all Government designated centre’s under National Tuberculosis Elimination Programme (NTEP).
The goal of NTEP is to reduce the burden of tuberculosis and for that awareness and timely effective treatment is crucial.
Awareness is crucial in all cases for early diagnosis and treatment.
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Elimination of Tuberculosis by 2025 #WorldTB Day
This module is specially development by State TB Cell ,Swasthya Bhawan,Department of Health and Family welfare ,Government of West Bengal to help coordinate between private practitioners and state government resources for elimination of Tuberculosis.
It’s a social diseases which needs to be fought at all levels.
24th March is World TB day.Sharing this presentation for awareness.
New innovation in diagnosing TB
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HaystackAnalytics Unveils ‘TB One’ Solution to Strengthen India’s TB Control Efforts #PressRelease #WorldTBDay
The solution was launched at the India Innovation Summit: Pioneering Solutions to End TB today, as a next-generation solution (NGS) empowering labs and hospitals with genomic sequencing capabilities to enhance TB treatment outcomes
March 19th, 2025: In a move to bolster India’s fight against tuberculosis (TB), HaystackAnalytics has introduced ‘TB One,’ a Make-in-India solution designed to enhance TB diagnosis by enabling Next-Generation Sequencing (NGS) at any diagnostic lab or hospital. This all-in-one offering includes a pre-sequencing kit for Whole Genome Sequencing (WGS), access to ‘Omega TB’—HaystackAnalytics’ patented clinical reporting software—and on-demand access to 2GB of sequencing data. The Omega TB software delivers a comprehensive clinical report covering resistance to 18 anti-TB drugs, along with mixed infections, non-tuberculous mycobacteria (NTM), and heteroresistance—all within a single, standardized report. By equipping healthcare providers with precise, data-driven insights, ‘TB One’ aims to improve TB management and strengthen India’s fight against the disease.
The Solution has been unvieled by Dr Anirvan Chatterjee, Co-founder & CEO, HaystackAnalytics & Dr Rajendra Prasad at Indian Council of Medical Research’s (ICMR) India Innovation Summit: Pioneering Solutions to End TB on March 19, 2025. With this solution genomics-based TB testing would become more accessible and scalable by enabling existing laboratories to upgrade to NGS testing for TB without significant infrastructure changes. This solution aligns seamlessly with HaystackAnalytics’ mission to make genomics accessible, applicable, and affordable, addressing a critical need to transform molecular diagnostic laboratories into advanced genomic facilities.
India has made significant strides in TB control, achieving a 17.7% decline in TB incidence from 2015 to 2023, surpassing the global average reduction of 8.3%. However, challenges persist, with an estimated 27.8 lakh TB cases and 3.2 lakh TB-related deaths reported in 2023. Notably, India contributes to 26% of the global TB burden, underscoring the urgency for innovative diagnostic solutions. Additionally, drug-resistant TB remains a major obstacle to eliminating the disease. ‘TB One’ solution is designed to address this challenge by providing a comprehensive solution for drug resistance profiling, making advanced genomic testing more accessible to healthcare providers.
Emphasizing on the transformative potential of ‘TB One’ solution, Dr. Anirvan Chatterjee, Co-founder and CEO of HaystackAnalytics, said, “We are empowering existing molecular labs to perform high-precision genomic testing without requiring expensive infrastructure modifications. This cost-effective and scalable approach ensures greater accessibility to advanced TB diagnostics across India. Each TB One kit contains reagents to process 16 samples and requires prior extraction of TB DNA. It seamlessly integrates into existing molecular workflows, facilitating efficient TB genomic sequencing.”
Dr. Rajendra Prasad, a nationally acclaimed pulmonologist with over 51 years of experience in TB care and research, said, “Drug-resistant TB remains one of our toughest challenges, and faster, more precise diagnostics are the need of the hour. ‘TB One’ Solution can be a game-changer, bringing advanced genomic testing to everyday labs without major upgrades. By enabling comprehensive drug resistance profiling in a single test, it has the potential to help in TB care and save countless lives. This is a crucial step toward the journey of TB Mukt Bharat.”
‘TB One’ Solution is a pre-sequencing kit that enables the preparation of a ready-to-sequence library from TB DNA. It simplifies the complex process of genomic testing, allowing laboratories and hospitals to integrate groundbreaking technology into their existing workflows. This advancement enables laboratories to conduct comprehensive drug resistance profiling with unprecedented precision and efficiency.
About HaystackAnalytics:
Based out of IIT Bombay, HaystackAnalytics is a HealthTech company creating clinical genomics products, which enable diagnostic labs and hospitals to offer accurate and personalized diagnostics. Supported by India’s most respected science agencies (Dept. of Science & Technology, BIRAC, Dept. of Bio-Tech), HaystackAnalytics has created and launched a portfolio of products to offer genomics in infectious and chronic diseases. The company has been honored with a few innovative healthcare startup awards, including CAHO Tech- PitchFest for healthcare startups, HealthTech startup of the year by The Entrepreneur magazine, Aegis Graham Bell Award, and recently HaystackAnalytics’s platform for rapid identification of drug resistance in TB patients was launched by our Honorable Prime Minister Narendra Modi at BIRAC’s Biotech Startup Expo 2022 in New Delhi. For more information, visit https://haystackanalytics.in/
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Make Sleep Health a Priority #WorldSleepDay
Its a moral high ground to claim you are studying day and night .But for me staying awake at night never quite hit the mark.I ended up drowsy ,irritable with low energy and upset stomach.Its not easy to continue studying with low energy .
The theme for World Sleep Day 2025 is “Make Sleep Health a Priority”.
During my school days I never stayed up late at night .It was only during my medical college training that the study load made a dent on my sleep schedule.I could wake up at 6 am or go to sleep at 3am .But somehow I was at my best after 8hours of night sleep .So I aimed for the six am morning wakeup rather than be a night owl.
That was a choice I had as a student and I chose my morning .
But when I became an intern, the rotating duty roster and fragmented sleep hit my life ,I fell like the proverbial ton of brick.I had digestive issues,lost hair,pimples,anxiety… the works.I would exchange my night oncalls with my then boyfriend ,now husband which I never did repay .
It was bad ,very bad .But with that, we were also preparing for our post graduation entrance exams.That was worse.Because the stress of forty eight hour oncalls with studying simply doesn’t mix.But a disciplined approach and my bset friend forever (read now husband) we both managed to clear the entrances and we were off to New Delhi to learn to fly.
But here too the night duties struck .This time my hubby was studying to be a Pediatrician and I was training as a ENT surgeon ,different colleges meant I had to do those night on calls.My tummy revolted on multiple occasions throught the three years of PG training whenever I had night duties but I survived dreaming of a future where there would be no night duties.I thought it was the hostel food and classic Delhi belly.
I was going to work at a big Medical College in West Bengal with interns,house staff,PGts ,SRs and a proper tier of work and help …just like it should be.That was how it was in New Delhi where I trained.
Reality struck hard ,fast and cruel.I was going to do atleast 48 to 72 hours oncalls every week and if I took leave it was going to be back to back .The department was short staffed .It was going to get worse and my year six of this struggle ,I had simply had enough.It was time for a new adventure and I wanted to stop chasing the wrong unicorns.
I started my private practice and it has its problem which would be impossible to manage without my husband and all my teachers and well wishers.But I am happy to report I look better ,am happier and healthier and the strongest I have ever felt in my entire life.
Life gives you choices .Many health issues get better simply with rest and a reset of your night time sleep routine.A wind down self care ritual at night will keep you healthy and happy in the long run.So this year gift yourself one ,if you haven’t.
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Women’sDay celebration with Oishani at IMA Malda 2025 #AccelerateAction
The IMA Women’s Day Celebration is special and is cause for much planning every year.
This year we decided to felicitate Oishani as part of Women’s Day celebration at IMA Malda. Felicitation of Oishani a women centred ,women led social enterprise taking social causes forward.
Oishani established in 2009 has come a long way ensuring ,social work,upliftment of the needy,healthcamps,blood donation camp,blanket distribution,sports ,recreation work go hand in hand with Durga Puja.
Their protest ,candle light march against the heinous crime at RG Kar was mentioned by Dr.Mukti Basak and was deeply appreciated by the audience .
Mrs.Banani Laskar Treasurer Oishani and Mrs Anima Acharya Secretay Oishani were specially felicitated by Women’s Wing IMA Malda for their contribution to society.
Thank you IMA President @Dr.Prabhat Majee sir @Dr Chitra di , @Dr.Abhijit Misra @Dr Susmita Sarkar ,Dr.Sampa Raychaudhuri,@Dr. Mukti Basak di @Dr. Ekta Balodia di ,@Dr. Srijita Gupta di and all members of Women doctors wing of Malda IMA for making this a grand success.We were joined by Women victims from Indian Dental Association Malda, Dr.Amrita Pal,Dr.Nikita,Dr.Pinky,Dr.Nazuk and many others.The women medical representatives were special invitees for the event and helped make this event successful.
Wonderful presentation by Dr. Mukti Basak .She talked about the work they have done since 2009 for social upliftment of those who need help.
Dr.Susmita Sarkar was the inspiration behind the function. Dr.Anuradha, Dr.Sanchaita and Dr. Srija who all joined us this year helped make this event a grand success.
Dr.Sampa Roychowdhury gave the closing address for the event and ensured that the message of “Accelerate Action” was truly understood.
Oishani plans to start a wing for legal aid for women and also provide nutritional support for the needy girl child as part of their 2025 program.
Hope Oishani shines even brighter in the years ahead.
