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The difference of bronchial lability that is bronchial hyper-reactivity between normal men and women is studied by standard exercise using Harvard steps. Preclinical medical students (M=30, F=30) with mean age of 18.64 years were assessed. Students included were nonsmokers & with no personal history of allergy or any respiratory disease. Parameters compared were age, sex, height, weight & PFTs. Parameters i.e. PFTs were recorded before, during & upto 45 minutes after exercise with computerized spirometer & for PEFR Wright's Mini Peak flow meter was used. Exercise lability index (ELI), ELI % rise & % fall calculated. Resting FVC, FEV1, FEF25-75% & PEFR in men were significantly higher (p<0.05) but there was no significant difference of FEV1%. ELI-PEF was not significantly different (p>0.05) but there was greater ELI % rise in PEFR values in women during exercise & lesser decline after it.. Women have a greater increase and lesser decrease in flow rates & showed earlier recovery as compared to men. This respiratory response pattern could account for the lower incidence, morbidity & mortality from respiratory allergic diseases seen in women.

Spindle cell carcinoma (SpCC), a rare, aggressive variant of squamous cell carcinoma (SCC), is characterised by proliferation of epithelial and mesenchymal components. It is important to diagnose this variant of SCC, because of its tendency to recur and early metastasis. It accounts for 1% of all tumours in the oral cavity. In this paper, we have reported a case of SpCC of the tongue in a 65-year-old male who presented with a polypoidal growth over the lateral border of his tongue with a short history of one month. Immunohistochemical expression of cytokeratin was strongly positive in the epithelial component and focally in the spindle cell component. The spindle cell component showed a strong positivity for vimentin.

Context: Pancytopenia is defined by reduction of all the three formed elements of blood below the normal reference. Hematological investigation forms the bedrock in the management of patients with pancytopenia and therefore needs detailed study. The aim of this study was to identify the underlying etiologies of pancytopenia cases presenting at our institute with clinico-hematological evaluation. Materials and Methods: In this 2-year prospective study, 105 patients aged ≥15 years admitted in hospital with a hematological diagnosis of pancytopenia followed by bone marrow aspiration and/or biopsy after receiving an informed consent were studied. The criteria applied for pancytopenia were hemoglobin level: <13.5 g/dL for males and <11.5 g/dL for females; total leukocyte count: <4 × 109/L; and platelet count: <150 × 109/L. Pregnant women and patients aged <15 years along with those who did not give consent for bone marrow aspiration or biopsy were excluded. A detailed clinical examination was carried out in all cases. Results: In the present study, megaloblastic anemia (67.62%) was the most common cause of pancytopenia, followed by aplastic anemia (15.25%), leukemia (3.81%), malaria (3.81%), hypersplenism (3.81%), liver cirrhosis (1.90%), myelofibrosis (1.90%), multiple myeloma (1%), and enteric fever (1%). Conclusions: The severity of pancytopenia and the underlying pathology determine the management and prognosis. Thus, comprehensive clinical and hematological evaluation of pancytopenia cases will help in identification of the correct cause and in implementing the appropriate therapy.