Introduction:Androgenetic alopecia (AGA) is characterized by miniaturization of the hair follicle, leading to vellus transformation of the terminal hair follicle. It is caused by interactions between androgens, several genes, and environmental factors with hair follicles. Benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) is highly prevalent among elderly men but infrequent in those younger than 40 years. Because both entities share a common pathogenesis and AGA manifests before the onset of BPH, there could be an association between AGA and BPH.Aim:To study the possible association between AGA and the size of prostate.Materials and Methods:Sixty-five consecutive male patients, 35–65 years of age with AGA of Hamilton–Norwood classification Grades 3–7, were included in the study. AGA of Grades 1 and 2 patients on treatment with minoxidil, finasteride, or other treatments for AGA with history of prostate cancer or prostate disease were excluded from the study. Prostate size was measured through transabdominal ultrasonography. Statistical analysis was done with SPSS software.Results:Of the 65 AGA patients, the mean age was 47.18 years. Grade 4 AGA was the most common grade seen in 19 patients (29.2%), out of which, most (47.4%) were in the 56–65 years age group. 52.3% patients had normal prostate volume, and 47.7% had an enlarged prostate. The percentage of patients with the normal and enlarged prostate in moderate Grade 3 AGA was 68.8% and 31.2%, and in severe Grade 6 AGA, it was 33.3% and 66.7%, respectively. Prostate enlargement was more likely to occur in severe AGA than in moderate AGA(odds ratio 3.311; P = 0.025, which is significant).Conclusion:This study revealed an increase in prostate size with increasing age, with higher prevalence of Grade 1 prostate enlargement in younger individuals, and with higher prevalence of Grade 3 prostate enlargement in elderly men. The study also found a positive correlation between AGA and prostate size, with higher grades of AGA having higher prostate volume.

The immunobullous disorders have severe impact on the patients and their family and have severe economic and health related consequences associated with pain, agony and loss of manpower. Tzanck smear being a bed side test can aid in establishing the clinical diagnosis with ease and rapidity and can serve as an adjunct to routine histological study. This study was undertaken to assess the utility of Tzanck test for early diagnosis of various immunobullous disorders and correlate the findings with histopathology and direct immunofluorescence. Objectives: 1.To study Tzanck smear, histopathology, and immunofluorescence patterns in immunobullous disorders. 2.To evaluate diagnostic efficacy and sensitivity of Tzanck smear findings in comparison to histopathology and direct immunofluorescence in clinically suspected cases of immunobullous disorders. Materials and Methods: A total of 38 cases clinically diagnosed immunobullous disorders were appraised during the study. The patients were subjected to Tzanck smear, skin biopsy for histopathology and direct immunofluorescence. The specimen was sent in 10% buffered formalin and normal saline for routine histological analysis and DIF respectively to the department of Pathology. The resulting data was tabulated and statistically analysed for comparison using sensitivity test. Conclusion: Tzanck smear served as a simple, rapid and non invasive bedside diagnostic tool, which was cost effective and yield ed quick results. It can be concluded that in pemphigus group of disorders, Tzanck smear is 100% sensitive, can yield quick results and can serve as first line of investigation rather than histopathology and DIF which is expensive and takes time for reporting. Results: Pemphigus vulgaris was the most common immunobullous disease seen in this study, followed by bullous pemphigoid. Tzanck smear served as a rapid diagnostic tool and showed 100% sensitivity in all the pemphigus group of disorders which was compared with histopathological findings, which also showed 100% sensitivity whereas DIF was positive in 93.54% of cases.

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Sweet's syndrome is a dermal neutrophilic inflammatory dermatosis characterized by unrestricted neutrophil production with consequent infiltration of the skin and in some cases other organs. We report a 4 month old baby boy with multiple well-defined skin coloured to erythematous, edematous papules and plaques studded with sterile pustules along the periphery involving the entire body since 1 week with sparing of palms, soles and mucosae. Thick crusts were seen involving the entire scalp. Laboratory investigations and histopathology were suggestive of neutrophilic dermatoses (Sweet's syndrome).

Acute hemorrhagic edema of infancy (AHEI) is a cutaneous leukocytoclastic vasculitis of infants, clinically characterized by acute development of peripheral edema and targetoid purpuric lesions on face and extremities. It is considered to be an uncommon form of cutaneous vasculitis occurring in children younger than two years old. The clinical picture has a violent onset, a short benign course followed by spontaneous complete recovery. We report a case of a male child who presented with upper respiratory tract infection followed by limb swelling and purpuric and ecchymotic lesions on the skin. Skin biopsy revealed leukocytoclastic vasculitis.