Isolated right pulmonary artery agenesis with agenesis of right upper lobe and bronchiectasis of right lower lobe with anomalous arterial supply from celiac axis with normal venous drainage.

Isolated unilateral absence of pulmonary artery (UAPA) is a rare congenital anomaly. When detected in infancy, the condition is commonly associated with cardiovascular defects which are more frequently associated with left pulmonary artery agenesis. Patients with isolated right pulmonary artery agenesis survive into adulthood with minimal or no symptoms and are diagnosed incidentally on the chest radiographs. We report a case of a 19-year-old female patient who presented to us with recurrent haemoptysis. She was symptomatic since the age of four years. We report the rare occurrence of UAPA on right side, agenesis of right upper lobe and bronchiectasis of right lower lobe with anomalous arterial supply of right lung from coeliac axis in this patient.

Bacteriological & epidemiological characteristics of diphtheria cases in & around Delhi -a retrospective study.

BACKGROUND & OBJECTIVE: Diphtheria infections caused by the different toxigenic biotypes of Corynebacterium diphtheriae are endemic in Delhi. Information on biochemical identification, toxigenicity and antimicrobial susceptibility to this bacterium is scanty. This retrospective study was carried out to identify isolated Corynebacteria biochemically, determine their toxigenicity, drug sensitivity and some epidemiological characteristics of diphtheria cases from Delhi and adjoining States for the period 1998-2004. METHODS: A total of 1118 throat and 585 nasal swabs were used to detect human pathogenic corynebacteria. WHO recommended methods were used for the detection, screening, toxigenicity and antibiogram pattern of the isolates. RESULTS: Among 493 (44.1%) cases detected positive for corynebacteria 71.8 per cent were pharyngeal, 20.9 per cent nasopharyngeal and rest 7.3 per cent nasal diphtheria cases. Biochemical identification revealed two species i.e., C. diphtheriae and C. pseudodiphtheriticum. In C. diphtheriae three biotypes were detected viz., intermedius (95.5%), gravis (3.4%) and mitis (1.1%). Toxin was expressed by 96 per cent isolates of C. diphtheriae. Cases were recorded from Delhi and four adjoining States. Sex ratio among male to female was 1.6:1. Prime victims were less than 9 yr old children (93.3%). Unvaccinated children (70.2%) were the main sufferers. Fatality rate was highest in Delhi cases (16.8%) followed by UP (14.6%) and Haryana (5.9%). INTERPRETATION & CONCLUSION: Standard methods revealed the replacement of C. diphtheriae var mitis with var intermedius and occurrence of diphtheria infections due to other human pathogenic corynebacteria. It is imperative to have good bacteriological facilities to have better surveillance with regular monitoring in the endemic areas to keep the disease under control.

An uncommon presentation of systemic lupus erythematosus.

A patient who had discoid facial lesion for 10 years developed a right sided pleural effusion in which LE cells were demonstrated. The case is reported due to progression of DLE into SLE after a long interval and rare occurrence of LE cells in pleural fluid.