The present study, spread over past four decades of experience gathered after operating 8000 stable vitiligo patients, reaffirms the value of thin Thiersch's grafts in treating this disfiguring disease. Under experinced hands, the success rate can be over 95%. However, selection of the patient, quality of the graft and the state of the donor and recipient sites can affect the final outcome.

We compared the efficacy and safely of short-term itraconazole with that of placebo in 26 patients of pityrosporum folliculitis. Twenty-six patients of mycologically proven pityrosporum folliculitis entered a double-blind placebo-controlled trial. Patients were randomly assigned to 7 days of treatment with either itraconazole, 200 mg once daily, or placebo. A global clinical assessment and mycological examination (KOH and smear examination) were performed at baseline and at 4 weeks after treatment. In this study, itraconazole in a dose of 200 mg for 7 days produced a distinct and statistically significant improvement over placebo (p<0.01). 84.6% of itraconazole treated patients were considered to be healed or markedly improved at the study's end point compared with 8.3% of placebo treated group (p<0.01). Eighty-four percent of patients receiving active treatment showed negative mycological examination as compared to 8.3% of placebo-treated group (p<0.01). Short-term treatment with itraconazole is effective and well tolerated in the management of pityrosporum folliculitis.

After going through 1000 case files of patients registered in the skin department of K.M.C. Hospital, it was found that 166 (16.6%) of them had dermatoses restricted to their hands. Based on the clinical findings and clinical diagnosis recorded, the various dermatoses were tabulated and evaluated. Ninety-two males and 74 females had dermatoses of hands. Warts and eczemas formed the major chunk of cases. Females out numbered males among patients with warts and eczemas.

In a school survey of 1161 children from 2 different schools studying in 1st to 5th standard between the age of 6 and 12 years, 890 (76.65%) students were found to have disorders of skin and its appendage. Most of the dermatoses were asymptomatic and were diagnosed in the routine examination. Nevoid conditions were seen in 255 (21.96%) students. Communicable dermatoses were noted in 221 (19%) students and nutritional deficiencies were seen in 78 (6.71%) students. Rest of the students had miscellaneous condition. Health education and good personal hygiene will definitely help to improve the health status of the school children.

Out of 90 cases of non-specific urethritis investigated, aetiological factors could be found in 58 cases. However, in 45 cases i.e. 50%, the causative factors turned out to be common factors like pyogenic, fungal, and trichomonal infections only.

A total of 1027 male patients suffering from sexually transmitted diseases (STD) during 1990 to 1996 were screened for HIV infection. All cases were in the age group 17 years to 48 years. One hundred and sixty-seven STD cases (16.3%) were found to have HIV infection. A rising trend in incidence of HIV infection in STD patients from 1990 (2.8%) to 1996 (27.8%) was noticed countrary to declining trend of STDs from 213 cases in 1990 to 79 cases in 1996. The incidence of HIV infection was 30.3% in lymphogranuloma venereum, 19.5% in chancroid, 13.5% in syphilis, 17.6% in herpes genitatis, 6.7% in gonorrhoea and 11.2% in other STD cases.

The efficacy of combi laser therpay was evaluated in fifty cases of post neuralgia (PHN) of different age groups (31 to 81 years) and with varying duration of illness from 2 months to 4 and a half years in the present study. The affected areas were irradiated from a distance of 5 cms. using the probe of 12x70 watts at a frequency of 1000 Hz. each area being exposed for a time period of 5 minutes and 6 seconds. In each case the combi laser therapy was given for 15 consecutive days and therapeutic effect of the therapy was evaluated after 5th, 10th and 15th laser application during the treatment with the help of visual analouge scale (VAS). Patients started responding to the therapy after an average of 3.28 laser applications and VAS steadily decreased as the therapy progressed. After completion of therapy, 43 (86%) out of 50 cases showed excellent relief (76-100%) and remaining 7 (14%) cases showed partial relief, 4(8%) cases with good relief (51-75%), 2 (4%) cases with fair relief (26-50%) and 1(2%) case with poor relief (1-25%). Partial relief in our 7 cases could be due to multiple factors like prolonged duration of illness, involvement of ophthalmic division of trigeminal nerve and formation of scarring and keloids. No side effects were observed during the treatment as well as duing the follow up period of 8 weeks.

Twenty untreated patients of cutaneous tuberculosis varying from 2-12 years of age were included in the study. The incidence of cutaneous tuberculosis amongst the paediatric dermatological patients was 0.36%. Of these, 10 had lupus vulgaris, 8 had scrofuloderma, 3 had tuberculosis verrucosa cutis and 2 had lichen scrofulosorum. Three patients concomitantly had more than one type of skin tuberculosis. Systemic involvement in the form of pulmonary and osseous system was seen in 45% cases. The tuberculin test was uniformly positive. Affirmative clinico-histopathological correlation was observed in all the patients. However, acid fast bacilli could not be demonstrated in any of the sections. Only one patient (scrofuloderma) exhibited AFB on smear examination. In the same patient, M. tuberculosis could be cultured on L-J medium. However, Elisa for IgM antibodies in serum was positive in 12 (60%) cases. Need for newer techniques in the diagnosis is emphasised.

Three cases of cutaneous leishmaniasis with unusual presentation seen at Central Hospital Tripoli, Libya are described. Case No. 1 and 2 had 102 and 109 noduloulcerative lesions with generalized almost bilaterally symmetrical distribution, suggestive of dissemination. Case No. 3 had large verrucous carcinoma but histopathology suggested lupoid (chronic cutaneous) leishmaniasis. Patient No. 2 developed hypersensitivity reaction to sodium stibogluconate after 10 days but responded well to the treatment. Case No. 2 did not tolerate the above treatment and was treated successfully with combination of rifampicin and INH. Case No. 3 was treated successfully with liquid nitrogen cryotherapy by Cryosurg-Frigitonics, using special open probes.

We report two cases of Goldenhar syndrome in whom bilateral ocular and auricular changes were observed. One patient also had hypertelorism, macrophthalmia and bulbous nose.

A case of de Sanctis Cacchine syndrome in a female infant is presented.

Vulval varicosities reportedly occurs in pregnant women. We report a case of vulval varicosities with associated varicosities of the breast and saphenous veins, which regressed completely post partum with conservative management.

A 25-year-old electrician presented with gradually, asymptomatic swelling on left of the neck since 2 years. The swelling which was initially diagnosed as cervical lymphadenitis by the internist represented the enlarged left great auricular nerve. Cutaneous examination revealed an ill-defined, hypoaesthetic macule with minimal atrophy on the pinna of the left ear. The histopathology of the nerve showed a lepromatous neuritis with bacteriological index (BI) of 5+.