Prevalence, time trends and treatment practices of asthma in India: the Global Asthma Network study.

Objective: The objective of this subanalysis of data from centres across urban areas in India of the Global Asthma Network (GAN) was to study 1) the prevalence of symptoms of asthma in children and adults, 2) the change in prevalence of asthma and its trigger factors since the International Study of Asthma and Allergies in Childhood (ISAAC), and 3) current asthma treatment practice.

Methods: In this cross-sectional, multicentre, school-based and self-administered questionnaire, responses from children aged 6-7 years and 13-14 years, and their respective parents, were analysed.

Results: The GAN Phase I study included 20 084 children in the 6-7-year age group, 25 887 children in the 13-14-year age group and 81 296 parents.

Global Asthma Network Phase I, India: Results for allergic rhinitis and eczema in 127,309 children and adults.

Background: The Global Asthma Network phase I study in India aimed to study the prevalence, time trends, and associated risk factors of allergic rhinitis and eczema among 6-7-year-old, and 13-14-year-old school children and their parents.  The objective of the study was to understand the current prevalence and associated risk factors of Allergic Rhinitis and Eczema in India among 6-7-year-olds, 13-14-year-olds and in their parents/guardians for newer directions to health care providers, policy makers and academicians.

Methods: Cross-sectional, multicenter study using self- and parent-administered questionnaire among randomly selected school children aged 6 to 7 years from 8 centers and 13 to 14 years from 9 centers and their respective parents/guardians across India.

Chest roentgenography in tuberculous cervical lymphadenopathy.

The primary site of infection in tuberculous cervical lymphadenitis is lungs, from where bacilli reach gland through circulation. This study was done in the department of chest medicine, NRS Medical College, Kolkata, and was designed to find out chest x-ray abnormalities in apparently chest asymptomatic confirmed tuberculous cervical lymphadenitis without associate disease. The diagnosis of tuberculous cervical lymphadenitis was confirmed by fine needle aspiration cytology and/or smear for acid-fast bacillus, and chest x-ray (PA view) was done in all confirmed cases (n = 183).

Diagnosis of sclerosing hemangioma of lung: don't rely on fine-needle aspiration cytology diagnosis alone.

Sclerosing hemangioma is a rare variety of benign pulmonary neoplasm. It usually presents as asymptomatic, solitary, peripheral, circumscribed lesions in middle-aged women. Here, we describe a 46-year-old woman presenting to us for evaluation of right parahilar lung mass.

Recovery of fluconazole sensitive Candida ciferrii in a diabetic chronic obstructive pulmonary disease patient presenting with pneumonia.

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) exacerbations admitted in intensive care units (ICUs) occur rarely due to fungal respiratory tract infections, but may occur when associated co-morbidities like diabetes mellitus coexist. Candida ciferrii is a new agent, recently was isolated from lung infections but usually resistant to fluconazole. Here, we report a rare case of pneumonia due to fluconazole sensitive Candida ciferrii in a COPD patient with known diabetes, admitted in our ICU.

Dissecting aneurysm of arch and descending thoracic aorta presenting as a left sided hemorrhagic pleural effusion.

The most common cause of massive hemorrhagic effusion is malignancy. Herein we present a case of dissecting aneurysm of descending thoracic aorta presenting initially with shortness of breath due to left sided massive pleural effusion. Effusion was hemorrhagic in nature with high hematocrit value.