A double blind clinical drug trial was conducted to see the efficacy of an indigenous drug made up of aqueous extract of Neem leaves in 50 cases of uncomplicated psoriasis taking conventional coal tar regime. Patients taking drug in addition to coal tar had shown a quicker and better response in comparison to placebo group. No any untoward effect was noticed during the period of trial. Probable mode of action is discussed.

Clinical diagnosis of tinea pedis was made in 51(0.45%) of 11,386 consecutive patients, attending the skin OPD of Rajendra Medical College and Hospital, Ranchi. Direct microscopy revealed fungus in 66.6% of cases, while, 37(72.5%) were positive by culture, which included 8(15.5%) KOH negative cases also. This disparity as well as the factors responsible for low prevalence of tinea pedis have been discussed. Trichophyton rubrum was recovered predominantly from the dry, scaly lesions, and also constituted the bulk (48.6%) of isolates as a whole. Trichophyton mentagrophytes lay next to it, and was isolated mostly from the vesicular or macerated lesions. Candida sp. and Epidermophyton floccosum happened to be the other causatives identified.

Patches of common cosmetics like lipstick, sindhoor, cold cream, eyebrow pencil, rouge, bindi and their ingredients including methyl paraben, colophony, para phenylene diamine, balsam peru, cetostearyl alcohol, formaldehyde, lanolin, beeswax and liquid paraffin were applied in 200 females. Ingredients of cosmetics showed more frequent sensitivity as compared to the cosmetics applied as such. Para phenylene diamine (35%) being the most common allergen followed by balsam peru (22.5%) and parabens (19.25%). The least common allergen was liquid paraffin (0.5%). Among cosmetics, the most common agent was sindhoor (5.5%) followed by lipstick (5.1%) cold cream (3.75%) rouge (2%), bindi (1.75%) and eyebrow pencil (1.5%)

This subject was undertaken to confirm the efficacy of norfloxacin in acute gonorrhoea and to note the relapse if any during the follow up period of 3 months. 27 male patients suffering from acute gonorrhoea were treated with 800 mgs of norfloxacin as single oral dose. In all cases, gonococci disappeared from urethral smears by 8 hours, urethral discharge subsided by 72 hrs, urine on naked eye examination cleared in 4 days except in 1 case and burning micturition subsided by 7 days. Cure rate was 100% in the study. No relapse was found at the end of follow up of 3 months. No adverse reactions were observed to norfloxacin except headache in 2 cases. Norfloxacin was safe and effective in the treatment of acute gonorrhoea.

This study compares the higher risk taking behaviour, mean number of sexual contacts in last 1 year and psychiatric morbidity in 117 consecutive patients attending SVD clinic with 2 groups of matched control and discusses it's importance on behavioural interventions strategy for the control of STD's including AIDS.

Permphigus vulgaris during pregnancy is extremely rare; 2 such immunopathologically confirmed cases were treated by us. Case 1 delivered normal child; in case 2 a macerated foetus was born with extensive features of Neonatal pemphigus vulgaris survived for 10 days.

Two cases of chilblain lupus erythematosus (CLE) were seen in females aged 33 years and 18 years. Photosensitivity, chronicity and aggravation in winters were present in both cases. Histopathology revealed follicular keratosis, atrophy and extensive liquefaction of basal cells. Oral pradinisolone with chloroquine resulted in marked improvement in the skin lesions.

Six patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and vasculitis presented to us with chronic ulcers (6 months duration). 50% had RA for 10 years or more and majority had solitary ulcer on the lower limbs. All had significant elevations in the ESR and most had a strongly positive rheumatoid factor. They needed streoid ± immunosuppressants for the ulcer and preliminary attempts at skin grafting prior to the control of the disease failed in 3 patients.

Clinical presence of dermatophytosis of the penis and scrotum has been studied in 256 patients with dermatophytosis elsewhere in the body. 54 patients showed the dermatophytosis of the penis and / or scrotum in total. Of these 9 patients had only tinea penis. 10 had only scrotal involvement while 24 had both. All the 54 patients had tinea cruris. Maximum (70.37%) patients belonged to 21-40 years age group among those who had dermatophytosis of the penis and / or scrotum. Trichophyton spp. was the commonest dermatophyte found on culture. Wives of the patients were free from any clinical sign or symptoms of the involvement of the genitalia.

Tuberculin response, peripheral T-lymphocytes counts and serum immunoglobulin levels were studied in 28 cases of vitiligo and 27 cases of contact depigmentation (CD). There were 50% reactors in vitiligo versus 92.6% in CD. Peripheral T-lymphocyte counts were low in vitiligo (38.1%) versus normal (55.8%) and in CD (53.4%) and the difference was statistically highly significant (p<0.001). Immunoglobulin were abnormal except in 3 cases in vitiligo and 2 cases of CD and difference in immunoglobulin levels in both conditions was statistically non-significant. IgA alone was decreased in 3 cases of vitiligo. It is concluded that there is suppression of cell mediated immune response in vitiligo versus normal in CD.

Chromoblastomycosis or chromo mycosis is a rare deep fungal infection affecting the legs and feet. A typical, culture proved case of chromoblastomycosis caused by Phialophora verrucosa is being reported.

Herpes zoster causing axillary nerve palsy is quite rare. We are reporting a case of paresis of Deltoid muscle on the left side following Herpes zoster.

Usually the colour of the grains seen in cases of mycetoma are either black or yellow. Recently there were reports that unusual red grains had been noticed in cases of mycetoma. A case of red grain mycetoma is reported.

Irrespective of the cause, treatment of plica neuropathica remains cutting of tangled hairs at the outset, and avoiding the cause in future so as to stop recurrences. Successful management of plica in a psychologically disturbed widow with 2 mg. daily Pimozide - a drug for acute and chronic schizophrenias and manic excitement patients, is reported.

A rare case of aggresive pilomatricoma (Malignant pilomatricoma) in a 20 years old male is presented. Despite its propensity for recurrence it has a good prognosis since it is amenable for treatment with wide excision followed by radio therapy.

A rare case of Hartnup disease is presented - the patient being an 11 year old school girl suffering from a typically pellagroid rash in the absence of any other signs of malnutrition. No accompanying neurological or psychiatric features are seen, but electro-encephalography revealed abnormal baseline activity. Investigations and management are detailed and the literature on Hartnup disease reviewed.

A 20 year female with botryomycosis is reported. Good response to antibiotics and surgical resection is observed.

A case of eccrine gland adenocarcinoma is reported in adult male albinism patient.

Extracutaneous involvement in mycosis fungoides is not uncommon as evidenced by recent studies. Involvement of various parts of the eye by mycosis fungoides has been reported previously, though that of the extraocular muscles has not been described. We report here an unusual case of involvement of the lateral rectus muscle by mycosis fungoides.

A 65 year old lady presented with generalised pruritus and discolouration of skin and mucous membranes of 5 years duration. The histopathology from the cutaneous lesions revealed features suggestive of poikiloderma vasculare atrophicans (PVA). Investigations did not reveal any underlying connective tissue disease,lymphoma or systemic disease. A diagnosis of idiopathic poikiloderma vasculare atrophicans was made.

A case of squamous cell carcinoma arising from morphoea in a 45 year old male is presented. The diagnosis of morphoea and squamous cell carcinoma was confirmed by histopathological examination. To our knowledge this is the first such case to be reported in literature.