A 25-year old girl having androgenetic alopecia developed itching and erythema on the scalp one month after she started applying a commercial preparation containing 2% minoxidil. The dermatitis disappeared on discontinuing minoxidil but recurred when she applied minoxidil again after a gap of 1 month. Patch tests revealed a papulo-vesicular reaction with the commercial minoxidil lotion and also with a minoxidil tablet powdered and made into a paste with distilled water. Patch tests with ethyl alcohol were negative.

Three male patients with nevus comedonicus lesions confined to the penis are reported. The diagnosis was confirmed by clinical features and histopathology in all three cases. Topical retinoic acid cream was of no use in two cases.

Histology of a 26 year old woman with pretibial epidermolysis bullosa (PEB) revealed intraepidermal split. Her son had dystroplaic epidermolysis bullosa.

A premature baby with extensive and bilaterally symmetrical absence of skin since birth is reported.

A case of Favre-Racouchot Syndrome with nodular elastoidosis, cysts and comedones is reported.

UVA transmission properties of 7 sunglasses commonly available in India were determined by a double beam spectrophotometer. Only the B2 Torid and Green 80 sunglasses met our criteria for acceptance.

Skin grafting is one of modes of treatment in Vitiligo. It is now possible to have skin organ culture. Such cultured skin loses its expression of HLA-DR antigen. Therefore the cultured skin can be used as allograft in place of autograft.

Three hundred patients of chronic urticaria were screened for dental affections. Sixty two (20.66%) patients were detected to have dental caries. Among the control group which comprised of 100 patients, 20% had dental caries. There was thus no increased incidence of dental caries among patients with urticaria. Only 2 patients had remission of urticaria following treatment of caries. Dental caries therefore is probably not a cause of chronic urticaria.

Three hundred patients of different ages were sequentially assigned three therapy groups (100 in each group) viz. phenytoin, steroid (prednisolone) and carbamazepine. Effect of these drugs on herpes zoster neuralgia and in prevention of post herpetic neuralgia was studied. Phenytoin was found to be superior to both steroid and carbamazepine in relieving the pain of herpes zoster and in reducing the incidence of post herpetic neuralgia lasting for 2-4 weeks while 22.7% and 29.6% of the steroid and carbamazepine treated patients respectively developed post herpetic neuralgia and that too lasting for longer duration. No patient under 40 years developed post herpetic neuralgia.

A comparative evaluation of the relative efficacy of topical DNCB and topical PUVASOL was carried out in 50 patients with Alopecia areata (AA). Aim was to establish the better and more suitable regime for treatment of AA. 16/25 (64%) and 19/25 patients (76%) responded to topical DNCB and topical PUVASOL respectively. Long standing AA patients responded less favourably to treatment. The initial response rate and total efficacy rate of PUVASOL treated patients was better as compared to DNCB treated patients.

A 45 year-old-female presented with flaccid haemorrhagic bulae all over the body of one month duration which healed with milia formation. The oral mucosa was spared. The bulla spreading sign was positive but Tzank test was negative. Indirect immunofluorescence on human split skin and immunoblotting confirmed the diagnosis of epidermolysis bullosa acquisita.

A case of multiple foreign body granulomas occurring after mine-blast injury in a soldier is reported. Systemic steroids with antibiotic given essentially for eczematoid dermatitis produced good clinical improvement with marked resolution of granulomas.

A middle aged male patient with diabetic nephropathy and chronic renal failure developed hyperkeratotic, hyperpigmented papular lesions with central cone-shaped core. They were distributed bilaterally over extensor surfaces of the knees and legs. Histopathological examination revealed perforation of the epidermis at the base of follicular invagination with a granulomatous infiltrate around the perforation.

A case of Epidermal naevus syndrome with buphathalmos is reported.