Himachal Pradesh state of India is situated in the outer Himalayan ranges. During the rainy season, several cases of acute febrile illness of unknown origin occurred. Orientia tsutsugamushi was identified as the causative agent by microimmunofluorescence and PCR. Two new genotypes of O. tsutsugamushi were identified in the region.

Pregnancy associated aplastic anemia is a rare association. Spontaneous remission can occur in 25-30% of patients. In the first trimester patients, pregnancy can be terminated while in advanced pregnancy patients can be followed up with stringent supportive care. Cyclosporin may be a safe drug antenatally in such patients. Patients with established aplastic anemia should avoid pregnancy.

In order to define the prevalence of haemostatic defects in women presenting with menorrhagia in our region, the coagulation data on women bleeders investigated in the Department of Haematology, AIIMS, were analysed. A total of 337 of the 2200 menorrhagic women investigated were characterized to have an inherited bleeding disorder; 221 of these 337 women presented with menorrhagia alone while 116 also had other associated bleeding manifestations as prolonged bleeding from injury site, ecchymotic patches in the skin, epistaxis, haematomas, haemarthroses and major bleeds like intracerebral bleeding. The tests performed included bleeding time (BT), platelet count, prothrombin time (PT), prothrombin consumption index (PCI), activated partial thromboplastin time (APTT), PF3 release with adenosine diphosphate (ADP) at 0 and 20 min, total PF3 assay and platelet Aggregation studies with collagen, ADP, adrenaline, arachidonic acid and ristocetin. Coagulation factor assays, von Willebrand antigen estimation, ristocetin cofactor assay and electron microscopy were performed wherever necessary. Inherited platelet dysfunction was seen in 283 (83.9%) of the patients. Amongst these, isolated PF3 availability defect was seen in 163 (48.4%) cases. Glanzman's thrombasthenia was seen in 30 (8.9%) patients, Storage pool disease in eight (2.4%) patients, arachidonic acid pathway defect in five (1.5%) patients and Bernard-Soulier Syndrome in six (1.8%) patients. In 71 (21.1%) patients, the platelet function defect could not be classified into any specific subtypes. Inherited defects of coagulation were observed in 54 (16%) of the cases. Amongst these, von Willebrand disease (vWD) was the most frequent being seen in 40 (11.9%) of the cases. Factor XIII deficiency was seen in one (0.3%), factor X deficiency in four (1.2%), factor VII deficiency in one (0.3%) and factor XII deficiency in one (0.3%) of the patients. It is concluded that although hereditary platelet function defects constitute a large majority of women bleeders in India but among the coagulation defects, vWD is the commonest as reported from the caucasian population. It is thus suggested that in women presenting with menorrhagia, screening tests for haemostasis especially for vWD and inherited platelet function defects must be performed.

Autoimmune hemolytic anemia (AIHA) associated with giant cell hepatitis (GCH) is a rare disorder in infants. AIHA usually precedes the development of liver disease by months to years. Early recognition of the disease and prompt institution of immunosuppressive therapy results in clinical remission and prevents liver disease progression. Am.

Glanzmann's thrombasthenia is an autosomal recessive, inherited platelet function disorder. There is an absence of glycoprotein (GP) IIb/IIIa on the platelet membrane which causes reduced platelet aggregation with a defective platelet haemostatic plug formation. The management of bleeding episodes in these patients with platelet transfusions may result in alloimmunization and make the successive transfusions less effective. Pregnancy and delivery is rare in these patients and is associated with a high risk of severe haemorrhage. We describe a primigravida with Glanzmann's thrombasthenia and alloimmunization who developed secondary postpartum haemorrhage and was successfully treated with oral prednisolone.

Maternal and fetal outcome is poor in severe aplastic anemia.

A high proportion of patients presenting with idiopathic splenomegaly will have underlying haematological malignancies even in tropical countries. The clinical presentation, laboratory profile and imaging findings were not helpful in differentiating between patients with haematological malignancies and non-malignant conditions. Splenectomy still has an important role in establishing the pathology in patients presenting with idiopathic splenomegaly.

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