A clinical profile of 1,200 patients of bronchial asthma, attending Allergy clinic, Jaipur was conducted. The disease commenced at an early age – preponderance in males was found. (Male:Female = 1.6:1). A family history of allergic disorders was found in 44.9% cases. The more common antecedent factors in pre-asthmatic period were rhinitis, bronchitis and urticarla. Relative significance of allergy, infection and psychological factors in causation of asthma was encountered as the main factors in 48.5%, 13.3% and 0.41% cases respectively. Inhalants were found to be the commonest causative allergens (61.6%). Incidence of food as dominant allergen is low (9.5%).

Adenosine Deaminase (ADA) activity, alpha 1 – anti trypsin and protease inhibitors were estimated in a total of 20 cases of pleural effusion, of which 11 were tuberculous, seven mallgnant and two cases of pyothorax. Fitteeen age and sex matched normal adults formed the control group. The ADA activity (mean ± SD U/L) in control sera was 4.6 ± 1.4 U/L. ADA was significantly elevated in tuberculous effusion (37.8 ± 9.6) compared to malignant effustion (17.7 ± 6.2) or pyothorax (17.7 ± 5.4) (p < 0.001). The alpha 1 – anti trypsin (AAT) (mg %) in control sera was 237.2 ± 39.8. Alpha 1 – antitrypsin was found elevated in tuberculous effusion (327.4 ± 46.3) but not in malignant effusion (260.7 ± 94.5) or pyothorax (207.5 ± 11.5) (p < 0.001). Estimation of protease inhibitory activity is not useful in differentiating tuberculous effusion from malignant effusion or pyothorax.

One hundred and eighty-eight solderers with equal number of controls were studied. Prevalence of respiratory symptoms of breathlessness, cough and tightness in chest was seen in 51.06% of solderers. Roentgenologically there was no abnormality. VC, FEV1, FEV1/FVC and MMFR25-75 were lower in solderers as compared to controls and mean values decreased as the hours of exposure to fumes increased. 6.38% of solderers experienced restrictive type of ventilatory disorder while 4.25% had obstructive type. The high prevalence of respiratory morbidity and resulting pulmonary function impairment necessitate better environmental control of solder flux fumes.

We report two brothers with pulmonary sarcoldosis. One of them presented with hoarseness due to left vocal chord palsy. This is an extremely rare manifestation of sarcoldosis.

A rare case of bronchial carcinold in a six year old child with resulting Cushing’s syndrome from ectopic adreno corticotrophic hormone is described here with the review of literature.

Six patients with co-existing bronchogenic carcinoma and active pulmonary tuberculosis were analysed. All these male patients had squamous cells carcinomas and five of them had the smoking index of more than 400. Both bronchogenic carcinoma and tuberculosis found associated in the same location of the lung in two patients and in the remaining four patients their sites of origin were different.

Circulating Immune Complexes (CIC) were detected in serum and pleural fluid by polyethylene glycol (PEG) precipitation method in 40 freshly diagnosed cases of pleural effusion (20 tubercular pleural effusion and 20 non-tubercular pleural effusion). Serum levels of CIC were also detected in twenty healthy persons (control). The mean levels of CIC in tubercular and non-tubercular pleural effusion were found to be significantly higher as compared to healthy control in serum i.e. 229.35 ± 69.47 and 391.5 ± 94.77 in serum, 155.5 ± 65.21 and 191.75 ± 58.33 in pleural fluid of tubercular and non-tubercular group respectively as compared to serum CIC in control 97.85 ± 62.58. It may be concluded that CIC may play an important role and are involved in the pathogenesis of exudative pleural effusion i.e. in tubercular and malignant pleural effusion.