Testicular functions in the form of testosterone, FSH and LH levels in serum by radio-immuno-assays, complete semen examination and a few testicular biopsies were studied in 30 men with leprosy (LL-7, BL-6, BB-1, BT-12 and 'fT-4). Serum testosterone levels were lowered in all the groups. Serum FSH and LH levels were elevated in lepromatous and borderline .1epromatous leprosy. Semen analysis showed oligospermia in LL and BL groups. Lepra bacilli in smars of semen were present in 2 LL case. Leprous changes were seen in the testicular biopsies.

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A 21 year old worker developed itching, fissuring and exudative lesions on her hands and fingers, 3 year after working as a cutter in the cashew nut factory. The lesions would in, prove during holidays or after she left her job. Patch tests were postive with the 0.1% cashew nut shell oil in polyethylene glycol and also with the red pericarp covering and the kernel of cashew nuts used as such.

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Seventy five female workers employed in the cashew nut industry in Karnataka to slice off the outer hard shells from the nuts and thus exposed to the chashew nut shell oil had a characteristic cauterization type of reaction manifesting as brownish-black, thickened sheets of dead skin covering the dorsal as well as the palmar aspects of hands including the fingers and feet. Smaller but similer lesions were also seen on these parts of the forearms, abdomen, neck and face which were not covered with clothes. The fingers were thinned and tapering and several nails of the hands and feet were thickened, discolored and eaten away. The other changes included loss of the dermatoglyphic patterns, maceration of the hands, small pits on the finger tips and pitted keratolysis seen in some cases only. Similar changes were also seen on the feet of both the male workers exposed to the same oil, in the section which extracts the oil from the sliced shells. In contrast 29, feamle wokers engaged to peel off the thin reddish covering on the cashew nut had normal hands and feet, except for the two callosities on the flexural aspect of the proximal phalanx of the right middle finger and proximal interphalangeal joint of the right index finger respectively, caused by the friction of the peeling knife. An open patch test with the cashew nut shell oil used as such in 17 workers produced a cauterization type of reaction in 32 workers irrespective of the nature of their duties, while the standard occluded patch test with 10% cashew nut shell oil in polyethylene glycol showed a mild cauterization type of reaction in only 6 workers. Patch tests with 1% and 0.1% concentrations of the shell oil were negative in all the workers. Two barrier creams tested to protect the workers from the cashew nut shell oil produced reasonably effective results within a week.

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An open trial of astemizole a new anthistamine on 30 patients, having urticaria revealed complete relief in 28 patients. The controlling daily dose was 10 mg in 17 patients, 20 mg in 7 and 30 mg in 4. Two patients did not improve even with 40 mg a day given for 7 days. The side effects included mild sedation in 7, dryness of mouth in 3 and constipation in 2 on a dose of 20 or 30 mg a day. Laboratory parameters remained almost normal.

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Five members of a family got TAB vaccination and one of them develoled erythema multiforme which progressed to Stevens Johnson syndrome. On recovery she was left with residual bilateral corneal opacities.

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The faecal X normal healthy India have been determined by urea-triton solvent extraction method and its importance in the laboratory diagnosis of variegate porphyria has been discussed. The values ranged from:0.058 to 5.424 with a mean value of 1.64 + 1.32 microgram per gram dry weight of faeces. X porphyrin excretion was higher in males having non vegetarian diet. It increased with age and body weight. A statistically significant coefficient of correlation existed between all the three types of faecal porphyrins.

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Lepromin test (LT) was done on 100 cases of indeterminate leprosy (IL) and in 100, age and sex matched controls. LT was negative in 98% of IL, but positive in 80% of the controls. Lepromin positive cases showed a tuberculoid picture histopathologically, though the clinical picture was that of IL. There was no co-relation between Fernandez reaction and Mitsuda reaction.

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Fifty untreated vitiligo patients were subjected to histo-chemical examination using dopa reaction technique. Dopa positive melanocytes were absent in a large majority (82%) of cases. Increase in the number of supra-basal clear cells was observed in 70 percent. Presence of inflammatory infiltrate at dermo- epidermal junction along with basal cell layer-dissolution was seen in 7 cases. Grayish-black, void cells considered to be inactive melanocytes, were seen in the basal layer.

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A 20 years old male had cutis laxa manifesting as loose pendulous .skin over the face and neck giving a prematurely aged appearance.

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A 30 years old maly complaining of loss of 1-2 cm long fragments of hair from his scalp, was discovered to have trichorrhexis nodosa involving approximately 40% of his scalp hairs. The defect was located 1-4 mm proximal to the distal ends of the hairs and was attributable to the topical application of calcium hydronide in an ayurvedic preparation.

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