Clinicopathological study of cutaneous chromoblastomycosis in Pakistan

To recognize commonest clinical presentations of chromoblastomycosis and isolate fungi responsible for causing chromoblastomycosis in our part of the world. The study included all patients with clinical diagnosis of chromoblastomycosis and skin histopathology and fungal culture confirming clinical diagnosis. The disease started in all our patients during their childhood. All presented with psoriasiform plaques and showed infection with Phialophora dermatitidis Psoriasiform plaques can be the clinical presentation of chromoblastomycosis. P. dermatitidis is the fungus commonly seen in our enrolled patients

Frequency of bacterial vaginosis and its rapid diagnosis in married females of child bearing age

The aim of this study was to see frequency to establish early diagnosis comparing various laboratory methods for detection of vaginosis in married women of child hearing age with or without vaginal discharge. 150 randomly selected non-pregnant, pregnant females with vaginal and without discharge were included in the study. The study was conducted between March 2001 to October 2001 at Microbiology Department, Basic Medical Sciences institute, Jinnah Post Graduate Medical Center, Karachi. Out of 150 high vaginal swabs, 100 females had complaints al discharge. 50% were just suffering from increased vaginal discharge, 28% Were due to bacterial vaginosis, 10% of candidiasis, 4% each of trichomoniasis and cervicitis and 3.3% were suffering from mixed infections. Amsel's Clinical criteria is accurate, sensitive and specific. Wet mount, Gram's staining are simple procedures for early diagnosis. It is concluded that Amsel's clinical criteria and Gram's staining are help-fill in rapid diagnosis in bacterial vaginosis. Conventional culture methods are not always reliable, are costly and lime consuming. It is advised that Amsel's criteria and Gram's staining should he adopted for diagnosis of bacterial vaginosis