In this study, 484 leprosy contact children were tested with Dharmendra lepromin and the early and late responses were recorded. These were followed-up for a period of 10 years. They were compared with lepromin reaction in 135 children who wereliving in the households where there were no leprosy cases. All the contacts and non-contacts belonged to villages in the Chingleput Taluk. Amongst contacts, the early lepromin was positive in 283 and negative in 201. Forty-six contacts developed leprosy from mostly amongst leproniin positive (Fernandez) reactors' only two-lepromin negative contacts developed leprosy. Out of the 46 children who developed leprosy, there were only two who had a 3 + late lepromin reaction (Mitsuda). Four contacts who developed borderline leprosy were negative for late lepromin reaction (Mitsuda). Amongst 135 non-contacts, only 15 children had a positive early lepromin respone whereas 90. had a positive late reaction. There was a significant disagreement between the positive earlylepromin response and the late reaction. Late lepromin reaction may be an index of protective immunity whereas the early reaction, which indicates, delayed hypersensitivity is not.

A total of 3835 children attending schools in the Gorimedu region of Pondicherry were examined. Prevalence rate of skin diseases was 49.1%. The most common

Thirty-patients, all above 50 years of age with herpes zoster were treated with diphenylhydantoin, 100 mg twice daily for 10 days. The incidence of post - herpetic neuralgia was compared with that of post - herpetic neuralgia in another group of 30 patients treated with conventional analgesics, antacids, antihistamines and antibiotics. In the study group, only'20% of the patients developed neuralgia as against 80% in the control group.

A 60 year old male patient admitted for chronic renal failure for the last 10 years was fo und to have multiple papular lesion 's over his palms and fingers since the age of 10. Histopathology showed presence of cornoid lamella, the characteristic feature of porokeratosis.

An elderly male with pemphigus vegetans had in addition to erosions anduulcers, extensive exuberant vegetating granulations arising from the mucosa of the cheeks and palate. .Thelargest of these excrescences measuring 4 * 3 cm was excised. Histopathology revealed granulation tissue and a few acantholytic cells attached to it. Local heat, moisture of saliva and poor oral hygiene are co factors that facilitated the growth of these vegetations. He had associated lesions of pomphigus vegtans on die intertriginous areas of axillae, groin and neck

A 25 year old male developed hard, lamellar, oyster's shell-like scaly lesions accompaniedwith psoriatic arthropathy. Occurrence of parakeratosis ostracca is rare still rare and therto unreported.

A robust, intelligent male aged 32 years had atrichia with cystic lesions. Scanty hairs were present at birth on the scalp and were shed in the course of a few weeks. Multiple papular and cystic swelling started appearing 10 years back and 'were seen over the shoulders, axihae and the elbows. Nails although normal were racquet shaped while the teeth were normal. The mode of inheritance of this rare condition has not yet been established.

A 47 year old male patient had extensive verrucous lesions on the right upper limb for 33 years. One of the lesions-4eveloped ulceration which had not healed for6 years. A clinical diagnosis of chromoblastomycosis was confirmed histopathologically and mycologically, Cladosporium cladosporioides being the organism cultured. Combined treatment with amphotericin B and 5fluorouracil gave good response with most lesions resolving. A few verrucous plaques and the ulcer persisted. Biopsy from the ulcer revealed a low - grade squamous cell carcinoma which was treated with excision and grafting. A year later, the patient developed metastasis in the axillary lymph nodes which also showed fungal granuloma at the time of biopsy. The axilla was irradiated with 4500 rads and three courses of bleomycin injections were given. However, he died 10 months later following a massive bleed from an axillary vessel.