study of patients presenting with vitiligo at services hospital, Lahore

Two hundred patients presented with vitiligo at the Department of Dermatology, Allama Iqbal Medical College, Services Hospital, Lahore out of the 24,188 new patients seen over a two year period. The incidence of vitiligo was 0.82%. The mean age at the onset of the disease was found to be 16 years, However, majoriyy [88%] of the patients were in the age group of 8-32 years. Male to female ratio was 1.73: 1. Precipitating factors like physical and psychological trauma was found in 13 [6.5%] patients. In 11 [5.5%] patients, close blood relatives had a similar problem. Premature hair greying was seen in 5[2.5%] patients. Localised unilateral segmental vitiligo was seen in 8[4%] patients. The differences observed between segmental and other varieties of vititigo are also discussed

Prevalence of pediculosis capitis in school children

Three thousand and six hundred School children from class one to ten belonging to three socio-economic groups upper, middle and lower class, were examined for the presence of pediculosis capitis. Of this, 918 children were found to have this infestation. This study has shown that boys are less likely to get the infection than the girls. The medium and long haired girls of younger age get the maximum infestation, while girls from higher classes with short hair were comparitively free. The infestation was found to be more common in lower socio-economic groups

Chronic arsenic poisoning

In response to a report in the press that the people of village Badarpur were having some mysterious disease which manifested as gastro-intestinal complaints, weakness, dew drop hypo and hyper- pigmentation of the skin and hyperkeratosis of the palms and soles, the village was surveyed and investigated for suspected chronic arsenic poisoning. Out of 57 members of 8 families, 28 [16 males and 12 females] had the above mentioned complaints. The duration of the symptoms was 1 to 4 years [mean 2.75 years]. Hair and nails of a few patients, the soil, fruits, vegetables and source of drinking water was tested for the arsenic contents and arsenic was found to be present in the hair and nails of all the patients in the water source of the families. All tests i.e. blood complete examination, urine complete examination, liver function tests, chest X-ray, electro cardiogram, total serum proteins, albumin globulin ratio and Mantoux test were normal except the heamoglobin level was low in all the subjects