Objective: To know the follow up status of tuberculosis patients after 1 year of completion of treatment in RNTCP. Material & Methods: Those patients of tuberculosis, who were registered from June 2003 to June 2004 at DOTS centre of our institution, were followed up at their homes after one year of completion of treatment between August 2005 and August 2006, with the help of health visitor. Patients were followed up clinically and symptomatic patients were also followed radiologically as we1l as bacteriologicalty. Results of the study were recorded in terms of number of patients remained asymptomatic, number of patients relapsed and number of patients died. Results: Out of 237 patients registered, 8 patients died during treatment period, 12 patients defaulted the treatment, the number of failures was 5 and 212 patients were declared cured/treatment completed. Out of these 212 patients 60 were unavailable for interview due to various reasons. The study observed that out of a total of 152 patients interviewed, 137 patients (90.1%) of remained asymptomatic, 11 patients (7.2%) had relapsed and 4 patients (2.6%) died during follow up. Conclusion: The study observed that majority of patients (90.1%) re­mained asymptomatic after the completion of one year of treatment under DOTS.

Background: Early diagnosis and therapy of Pulmonary hypertension in COPD patients may help in retardation of progression and amelioration of symptoms. This is an attempt to diagnose the disease from X-ray chest of COPD patients, so that invasive in­vestigations can be avoided. Objectives: (1) Measurement of transhilar diameter in Chest X-ray PA view of COPD patients and its importance in detection of pulmonary hyper­tension. (2) To study correlation between P pulmonale and transhilar diameter / hilar thoracic ratio. Design: Prospective Clinical study. Setting: Institute of Chest Diseases, Medical College, Calicut. Period of study: One year from September 2002 to August 2003. Materials and Methods: 100 patients admitted to Institute of Chest Diseases with COPD and ECG evidence of P pulmonale and/or RVH were included. Chest X-rays was taken and the following diameters were measured. Transhilar diameter, hilar thoracic ratio, width of descending branch of (Rt) pulmonary artery and cardiothoracic ratio. Conclu­sions: Chest X-ray can be used for identification of pulmonary hypertension in COPD patients. Positive correlation was seen between P pulmonale and hilar thoracic ratio. Posi­tive correlation was also seen between P pulmonale and other parameters like smoking status, symptom duration, ECG evidence of RVH and negative correlation was seen with % predicted FEV₁.

Objective: Non-small cell lung carcinoma is an aggressive phenomenon and the epigenetical alterations of some tumor supressor genes have been reported for the different tumor types. Case Presentation: It is presented a case report concerning a 43 years old male with NSCLC on the lower segment of the right lung. The patient underwent a diag­nostic excisional thin-needle biopsy and after the histological confirmation. We examined the promoter methylation status of some distinct tumor supressor genes in tumoral and blood tissues of the case after sodium bisulfite conversion and DNA amplification with methylation specific multiplex PCR technique. Both tissues were also searched for G to A transitions in codons 12 and 13 of the K-ras proto-oncogene. Results: Tumor specimen showed fully methyl pattern profiles for the SFRP2, p16, DAPK1 and partially hyper­methylated profile for the p53 and MGMT genes in this case with non-small lung carci­noma. Blood speicemen showed normal hypomethylated profiles for all studied TS genes. The K-ras proto-oncogene was in normal structure both in blood and tumoral spiecemens that examined. Conclusion: Results indicate that genes exhibit tumor suppressor activi­ties in blood, but exhibit epigenetic inactivation in carcinoma cell. These findings strongly support the hypothesis that epigenetic mechanisms may play an important role in the non-small cell lung carcinogenesis in human.

A 47 year old female who had past history of incomplete treatment for pulmonary tuberculosis presented with increased breathlessness, generalized swelling and loss of ap­petite for last one month. X-ray chest PA view showed bilateral fibrocalcific opacities with blunting of costophrenic angle on both sides. She underwent bronchoscopy to collect bronchial wash to rule out relapse of tuberculosis. On bronchoscopy a loose broncholith with sharp and speculated margins were detected in right middle lobe bronchus. This broncholith was successfully removed through flexible bronchoscope without any compli­cations.

Pulmonary cryptococcosis usually occurs as an opportunistic infection in immuno­compromised patients. Endogenous Cushing's syndrome is associated with cortisol excess and can predispose to development of cryptococcal infections. We report a case of diabetic patient with ACTH secreting pituitary tumour who developed a cavitating lung mass. Computed tomography-guided biopsy of the lesion revealed mucicarminophilic budding forms of cryptococcus. Broncheoalveolar lavage culture grew Cryptococcus neoformans. There was radiological response to treatment with liposomal Amphotericin, but patient ultimately succumbed to septicemia and multiorgan failure. Opportunistic infections with organisms like Cryptococcus neoformans, should be considered in patients with en­dogenous Cushing's syndrome and a pulmonary infiltrate.

A case of Broncho Pulmonary Aspergillosis with Aspergillus Sinusitis was diagnosed in a nine year old boy after clinical and immunological investigations. He responded well after treatment with steroid and itraconazol.

We present a case report of a 20 years old male who had low grade fever, weight loss of about 10 kg and left-sided chest pain increasing in intensity over a year. Clinically, it mimicked left sided pleural effusion with a tender, soft, parietal swelling in left in­fraaxillary area. Chest x-ray and Computerized Tomography-scan of thorax showed pleura based mass in left hemi thorax. Computerized Tomography guided Fine Needle Aspiration Cytology confirmed the diagnosis of non Hodgkin Lymphoma, diffuse large B cell type, high-grade.

The occurrence of tuberculosis of the upper respiratory tract including oral cavity has become uncommon. Isolated tuberculosis of tonsil in the absence of active pulmonary tuberculosis is very rare clinical entity. Here is a report of tonsil tuberculosis, presented with complaints of sore throat.

Candida is a saprophytic yeast that is frequently recovered from the respiratory tract. Most mycetoma lesions are due to Aspergillus species growing inside an existing cavity. The saprophytic nature of the Candida species in the human respiratory tract obscures diagnosis of Candida pulmonary infections. Only a few cases of mycetoma due to Can­dida have been reported. We report a case of mycetoma caused by Candida albicans in a diabetic immunocompromised tuberculous patient. Diagnosis was confirmed by biopsy and certain points strongly favoured the diagnosis. The patient was immunocompromised due to uncontrolled diabetes mellitus. Candida albicans was grown from bronchial and repeatedly from sputum samples and Candida antigen was positive from blood in high titre. There was a good clinical as well as radiological response to antifungal therapy and Candida antigen became negative. We emphasize that in the immunosuppressed host, a mycetoma-like lesion may be caused by Candida pulmonary infection.

A 19 year old female college student presented with fever, dry cough, chest pain, blood tinged sputum with subsequent development of polyarthralgia with radiological evidence of bilateral multiple unevenly distributed pulmonary nodular opacities with cavitation. There was no other systemic involvement and the patient was cytoplasmic antineutrophil antibody (c-ANCA) positive with more than four times the normal upper limit of anti PR3 antibody. Excellent response to oral steroid with antimicrobial agent "trimethoprim - sulphamethoxazole" was noted.