Introduction. Pulmonary tuberculosis (PTB) affects a significant proportion of the population. There are many contributory aetiological factors common to tuberculosis (TB) and dermatological conditions. Aim. To study the spectrum of concurrent skin conditions in patients with PTB and to compare with patients having other diseases. Methods. All patients with PTB admitted to our Institute during the period of the study were included in the study. A comparable number of patients admitted in other departments constituted the control group. All patients were screened for skin diseases. Results. There were 498 patients in each group, matched for age and gender. There were 126 patients with skin conditions in the study group as against 60 patients in the control group. Pityriasis versicolor was the commonest skin condition in both the groups. Whereas acniform eruptions and pruritis were more common in the control group. Pityriasis versicolor, herpes zoster, erythema nodosum and leprosy were significantly more frequent among patients. Conclusion. There is a high frequency of concurrent skin diseases in patient with PTB that should be managed along with it.

Chronic thrombo-embolic pulmonary hypertension (CTEPH) remains a severe disabling disease causing a significant amount of mortality and morbidity worldwide. The incidence and severity of this condition is quite obscure. The initial inciting event, the reason of progression, the natural history of the disease and the predictors of adverse outcomes are not yet adequately clarified. From the Indian subcontinent, data regarding this disease is limited. But with the advent of the multi-detector computed tomography, the understanding of this disease is gradually improving. As most of the available data suggests, acute pulmonary embolism (PE) as the main initial trigger leading to CTEPH, we prospectively analysed all patients being admitted in our hospital with acute PE and followed them over a period of one-and-a-half years to determine the incidence of CTEPH in this group. This is just an attempt to increase the awareness about the disease pattern and determine the rate of progression, risk factors of poor outcome, so that early detection and prompt treatment can benefit the patient care.

Background. Pleural effusions of diverse aetiologies are encountered in patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD). The objectives of the present study were to examine the frequency of occurrence, causes, clinical features and management strategies of pleural effusion in patients with CKD including renal transplant recipients Methods. A prospective cross-sectional observational analysis of pleural effusion in adult patients with CKD (stages 3 to 5) attending the Departments of Nephrology and Respiratory Medicine of a tertiary care institution in Eastern India was performed over a period of one year (February 2010 to January 2011). Results. Pleural effusion was found in 29 out of 430 patients with CKD (6.7%) and in two out of 34 post-renal transplant recipients (5.9%) evaluated during the study period. The mean age was 37.35±1.8 (mean±SEM [standard error of mean]) with a male to female ratio of 2:1. Exudates and transudates were found in equal frequencies. Heart failure was the single most common cause (41.9%, 13 of 31). Tuberculosis (TB) (n=8, 25.8%) and uraemic effusions (n=6, 19.4%) were responsible for the majority of exudates. Unilateral effusion with a normal heart size had a positive predictive value of 83.3% for nonheart failure aetiology. Conclusions. Symptomatic pleural effusion was present in a small proportion of 6.7%; (n=29) patients with CKD including post-renal transplant recipients. Heart failure, TB and uraemic effusions accounted for most of the cases. Differentiating TB from uraemic effusion requires a combined clinico-pathological approach and this differentiation is absolutely necessary for proper management.

Differentiation between tuberculosis (TB) and sarcoidoisis is sometimes extremely difficult. Sequential occurrence of sarcoidosis and TB in the same patient is uncommon. We present the case of a young man, with a proven diagnosis of sarcoidosis who later developed TB after completion of treatment for sarcoidosis. A 32-year-old male patient presented with low-grade fever since two months. Physical examination revealed cervical lymphadenopathy. Initial fine needle aspiration cytology (FNAC) of the cervical lymph node was suggestive of granulomatous inflammation; the chest radiograph was normal. Repeat FNAC from the same lymph node was suggestive of reactive lymphoid hyperplasia. The patient was treated with antibiotics and followed-up. He again presented with persistence of fever and lymphadenopathy and blurring of vision. Ophthalmological examination revealed uveitis, possibly due to a granulomatous cause. His repeat Mantoux test again was non-reactive; serum angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE) levels were raised. This time an excision biopsy of the lymph node was done which revealed discrete, non-caseating, reticulin rich granulomatous inflammation suggestive of sarcoidosis. The patient was treated with oral prednisolone and imporved symptomatically. Subsequently, nearly nine months after completion of corticosteroid treatment, he presented with low-grade, intermittent fever and a lymph node enlargement in the right parotid region. FNAC from this lymph node showed caseating granulomatous inflammation and the stain for acid-fast bacilli was positive. He was treated with Category I DOTS under the Revised National Tuberculosis Control Programme and improved significantly. The present case highlights the need for further research into the aetiology of TB and sarcoidosis.

We present the case of a 54-year-old male, who presented with respiratory complaints four months after he underwent renal transplantation. Bronchoscopy showed ulcerated mucosa of the left main bronchus and computed tomography (CT) of the thorax showed foci of air within the bronchial wall. A biopsy from the lesion showed septate fungal hyphae, dichotomously branching at acute angles. A locally invasive Aspergillus ulcerative tracheobronchitis with no parenchymal involvement is an important cause of tracheobronchitis in post-renal transplant patients. An early diagnosis and institution of appropriate treatment can improve the outcome. A combination treatment of caspofungin and voriconazole can be considered if patient is not responding to voriconazole alone.

A 3-year-old girl presented with a history of intermittent fever of six months duration associated with respiratory symptoms consisting of recurrent cough, fever, wheeze and a suspected history of contact with tuberculosis (TB). Chest radiograph revealed pulmonary infiltrates mimicking miliary TB. She was started on anti-tuberculous treatment, but in view of clinical deterioration, a further work-up including a lung biopsy revealed non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL). This case documents the extremely rare occurrence of pulmonary involvement and miliary infiltrates on the chest radiograph in NHL.

Primary chest wall tumours are very rare. Chondrosarcoma is the most common tumour arising from the chest wall. We describe the occurrence of a slow-growing chondrosarcoma arising from the anterior chest wall in a 35-year-old male patient. The tumour was resected successfully and chest wall was reconstucted with prolene mesh and muscle flap. The patient was discharged uneventfully without any respiratory compromise. There was no recurrence after a three-year follow-up. Wide surgical resection with chest wall reconstruction appears to be the preferred treatment option for this rare tumour of the chest wall.

Askin tumour, a primitive neuroectodermal tumour of the thoracopulmonary region, is a rare tumour presenting in childhood. Its presentation in adults is rare. We report a case of an Askin tumour in an adult patient who presented to us with worsening breathlessness and vague chest pain. Investigations including immunohistochemistry confirmed the diagnosis of Askin tumour.