Studies follow a hierarchy in terms of the quality of evidence that they can provide. Randomized double blind placebo control (RDBPC) studies are considered the "gold standard" of epidemiologic studies. And the same is discussed at length in this paper taking example of a real journal article employing this study design to answer the research question; "Does once daily dose of Valacyclovir reduce the risk of transmission of genital herpes in a susceptible partner?" RDBPC studies remain the most convincing research design in which randomly assigning the intervention can eliminate the influence of unknown or immeasurable confounding variables that may otherwise lead to biased and incorrect estimate of treatment effect. Also, randomization eliminates confounding by baseline variables and blinding eliminates confounding by co-interventions, thus eliminating the possibility that the observed effects of intervention are due to differential use of other treatments. The best comparison is placebo control that allows participants, investigators and study staff to be blinded. The advantage of trial over an observational study is the ability to demonstrate causality. Hope, this will be useful to neophyte researchers to understand causal hierarchy when critically evaluating epidemiologic literature.

Orbital tuberculosis is an extremely rare, potentially devastating state, when not effectively treated, can lead to grave sequelae. Proptosis can be the result of primary orbital pathology or systemic disease processes. (1, 2) Thyroid ophthalmopathy being commonest cause of proptosis .It can also be a manifestation of, diseases involving various structures of orbit and of superior orbital fissure or cavernous sinus. A case of orbital tubercular abscess presenting with proptosis and blindness in a young male 27 years is reported. Clinicians should suspect rare causes in an immuno- compromised host .(2, 3) The failure to diagnose these conditions can lead to unintended sequelae.KEY MESSAGE: The patient who presents with proptosis must be evaluated to ascertain the causation. Preservation of vision is of paramount importance. On follow-up patients should be monitored for complications and remedied.

Syringomas and Fox-Fordyce disease are appendageal skin disorders. While syringomas represent an adenoma of the intraepidermal eccrine duct, Fox Fordyce disease occurs due to blockage of the apocrine sweat duct. In both conditions, extragenital sites are more frequently involved than the genitalia. We herein report two young females, one with syringomas on the face and vulva and the other with Fox Fordyce disease involving axilla, areola and vulva, thereby citing the importance of examination of genitalia in these disorders.

Though thromboembolic complications in HIV infected patients have been described in literature, recurrent thrombosis is very rare. We present a six-year-old HIV infected boy who presented with recurrent thrombosis. He initially had renal artery thrombosis, then middle cerebral artery thrombosis and finally hepatic vein thrombosis that was fatal.