Respiratory symptoms were elicited and peak expiratory flow rate (PEFR) was measured in 105 Oriya housewives. Chronic bronchitis and bronchial asthma were observed in 2.9% and 1.9% of cases respectively. The mean age, height and PEFR of the remaining 99 asymptomatic healthy females were 40.2 ± 10.6 years, 150.1 ± 5.9 cms and 270.9 ± 69.4 L/min respectively. PEFR values in the Oriya females were less than that reported in other Indian females.

Forty four cases (34 males and 10 females) of established COPD of 60 years of age and above, admitted in one of the medical units of Medical College Hospital, Shimla during 1981-85 (followed upto June 1987) were studied. All the subjects had advanced airway obstruction and 68.2% of them had cardiac failure at the time of entry into the study. Five year survival was 5.2% and the common causes of death were respiratory and cardiac failure. Smoking was a common factor in males but six out of 10 females were non-smokers. The study showed high mortality and poor five year survival in the group studied. Ambient hypoxia of the hilly region could have contributed to the poor prognosis of COPD patients in Shimla.

Tropical pulmonary eosinophilia simulates many disorders. A clinical presentation resembling pulmonary tuberculosis is reported with a brief literature review.

Sputum negative patients of pulmonary tuberculosis were randomly given salbutamol + bromhexine (Group I), salbutamol (Group II), bromhexine (Group Ill) or B. Complex (Group IV) for two days. Sputum, collected on second day, was analysed macroscopically, microscopically and by culture. Higher number of Group I patients produced true sputum samples after therapy as compared to the rest. 11 of the 12 culture positive cases of this group were positive by smears also.

Thirty patients with various indications, underwent rigid bronchoscopy (R.B.) under local anaesthesia. Alternative patients were administered Pentazocin-Promethazine (P-P) and Diazepam - Atropine (D-A) combination as premedication. It was seen that P-P group tolerated the procedure better than D-A group.

The average serum mucoprotein levels in controls were 10.13 ± 1.97 mg%, in pulmonary tuberculosis - 24.56 ± 4.45 mg% and in carcinoma lung 25.80 ± 4.47 mg%. Comparatively low values were obtained in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, 16.07 ± 2.74 mg%. The raised level of serum mucoprotein was more marked in patients having sputum smear positive for mycobacterium with cavitation. Serum mucoprotein had a direct relationship with the radiological extent of disease. The serum mucoprotein level returns towards normal in both tubercular and non-tubercular groups after treatment, while an increasing trend in the serum mucoprotein was observed in cases of carcinoma lung. Thus, serum mucoprotein estimation may be used as a prognostic parameter in tubercular and non-tubercular lung diseases.

Brush biopsy, bronchial lavage and biopsy were applied in 51 patients with endoscopically visible growth. All the three techniques in combination achieved positive histological proof in 45 patients (88.2%) The remaining six required supraclavicular node biopsy or repeat bronchoscopy. Diagnostic yield of endoscopy procedure is enhanced by combining the three techniques.

A patient with inflammatory pseudotumor lung, presenting as acute lung abscess is reported. Diagnosis was confirmed by transthoracic needle biopsy and a conservative approach was adopted. Lesion cleared fully.

An adult male with a pulmonary hydatid cyst exhibiting a crescent sign in the skiagram is reported.

Association of Kartagener's syndrome with lchthyosis vulgaris is not yet reported one such case is reported.