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Allopurinol, a widely prescribed urate lowering agent is responsible for various adverse drug reactions, including erythroderma. A 45-year-old male patient was admitted with the complaints of fever, redness and scaling all over the body after 3-4 weeks of allopurinol treatment for asymptomatic hyperuricemia. Elevated liver enzymes were detected in his blood analysis. Skin biopsy was consistent with drug induced erythroderma. Allopurinol was stopped and steroids were started. Patient improved over a period of 2 weeks.

Renal functional status was evaluated in 122 patients with lepromatous leprosy. Renal functions were found to be markedly impaired in patients with erythema nodosum leprosum (ENL) in the active or quiescent phases. Although uncomplicated lepromatous leprosy patients did show significant renal impairment as compared to healthy controls, the degree of impairment was less than that of the reactive cases. Diminished endogenous creatinine clearance and proteinuria were the common abnormalities detected. Serum creatinine was significantly increased only in reactive cases. Blood urea was found to be marginally increased in a few patients although not to a statistically significant degree. Renal involvement did not bear any relation to the duration of illness or to the Bacteriological Index.

Twenty one patients of lepromatous leprosy were investigated for evidence of renal diseases. Histological lesions were observed in 76 percent cases. Sixty two percent of the cases showed a proliferative type of glomerulonephritis. Amyloidosis was present in 14 percent. The remaining 24 percent had either non-specific changes confined to renal tubules or were normal.

Sub-populations of lymphocytes and serum immunoglobulins were studied in 50 patients with psoriasis. Absolute T lymphocyte count was found to be significantly decreased. Though the null cells showed an increase, absolute B Lymphocyte count was normal. The decrease in T cells was found to be directly proportional to the extent of cutaneous involvement. Quantititive estimations of serum IgA and IgM were as IgO was found,to bc raised. The possible mechanism of these changes in psoriasis has been discussed.

Sequential renal functions have been studied in eight patients of lepromatous leprosy during and after subsidence of erythema nodosum leprosum. The renal functions which were impaired during reaction were observed to improve during quiescent phase unless there were associated complications like amyloidosis. The possible mechanisms for altered renal functions during reactive phase of the disease have been discussed.

To find out the incidence of hypersensitivity to antimicrobial drugs patch tests with various commercially available antimicrobial agents were carried out in 112 patients suspected of contact sensitivity to these substances. Eighty eight patients showed positive reaction to one or more drugs. H incidence of contact sensitivity was observed with neomycin (48%), nitrofurazone (460/o) and bromsalicyl chloranilide (45%), while gentian violet gentamicin and povidone iodine were found to be the least sensitizers (5%, 6% and 70/o - respectively). Multiple hypersensitivity (four or more drugs) was observed in 25 patients and a large number of them had ulcers at the time of study or in the past.

The nails are commonly involved in cases of lichen planus of the skin and mucous membranes. However, in rare instances, the nails alone may be affected. A case of lichen planus limited to the nails in a 10-year-old boy is reported.