Publications by authors named "Alex Ortega-Loayza"

Introduction: Pyoderma gangrenosum (PG) is a rare neutrophilic dermatosis characterized by rapidly enlarging, painful ulcers with undermined borders. The management of PG is challenging due to the lack of standardized evidence-based treatments.

Areas Covered: This review examines recent efforts to establish standardized outcomes for clinical trials to facilitate the drug development process for PG.

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Pyoderma gangrenosum (PG) is a neutrophilic dermatosis of unclear etiology. Numerous theories of its underlying pathogenesis have been proposed, including external triggers, neutrophilic dysfunction, complement activation, and autoimmunity, as well as a possible component of underlying genetic susceptibility. This review seeks to synthesize current understanding of the pathogenesis of PG and integrate interactions between the multitude of implicated host immune pathways to guide and inform future directions into the treatment of PG.

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Article Synopsis
  • Pyoderma gangrenosum is a rare skin condition characterized by painful ulcers and is linked to an abnormal immune response, but its exact cause remains unclear.
  • Research and funding for this condition have been minimal, which hampers a deeper understanding of its mechanisms and treatments.
  • The review aims to shed light on the causes, how to diagnose, and available treatments for pyoderma gangrenosum, encouraging more scientific studies on this serious condition.
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Pyoderma gangrenosum (PG) is a rare, painful neutrophilic dermatosis characterized by rapidly progressing skin ulcers. Despite the importance of local wound care in managing PG, there is no consensus or evidence-based guidelines. This systematic review aimed to investigate local wound care strategies for PG.

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Pyoderma gangrenosum (PG) can be difficult to diagnose, leading to diagnostic delay which affects patient outcomes and increases health care utilization. Among different scenarios of diagnostic delay, atypical infections can mimic PG. Here, we present a case of extensive cutaneous leishmaniasis initially misdiagnosed as the superficial granulomatous variant of PG and describe diagnostic clues to aid in differentiation.

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Background: Patients with skin lesions suspicious for skin cancer or atypical melanocytic nevi of uncertain malignant potential often present to dermatologists, who may have variable dermoscopy triage clinical experience.

Objective: To evaluate the clinical utility of a digital dermoscopy image-based artificial intelligence algorithm (DDI-AI device) on the diagnosis and management of skin cancers by dermatologists.

Methods: Thirty-six United States board-certified dermatologists evaluated 50 clinical images and 50 digital dermoscopy images of the same skin lesions (25 malignant and 25 benign), first without and then with knowledge of the DDI-AI device output.

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Article Synopsis
  • * A systematic review of 44 studies with 216 patients revealed Rivaroxaban as the most commonly used treatment, leading to complete or partial healing of ulcers in the majority of cases.
  • * The review emphasizes the necessity for more research to discover better treatment options and to develop standardized care protocols for LV in future clinical studies.
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Inpatient hospitalization of individuals with hidradenitis suppurativa (HS) has increased. Inpatient services may not be familiar enough with this disease to understand how to manage severe HS and/or HS flares. It would be beneficial to the inpatient medical community to establish consensus recommendations on holistic inpatient care of patients with HS.

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Background: Cutaneous (or "Metastatic") Crohn disease (CCD) is a rare and underrecognized disease characterized by cutaneous granulomatous inflammation. We describe patient demographics, clinical characteristics, histology, and treatment of 89 pediatric cases of CCD, including 78 previously reported and 11 new cases seen at four academic institutions. We emphasize the efficacy of biologic mono- and dual therapy.

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Article Synopsis
  • Pyoderma gangrenosum (PG) is a rare skin condition linked to immune system issues, but its exact causes are still unclear, prompting a systematic review to explore its connections with inborn errors of immunity.
  • A comprehensive literature search revealed 74 cases of PG associated with various genetic mutations, suggesting that PG can occur with a range of immunological deficiencies not typically linked to the disorder.
  • Certain genetic mutations, such as those in PSMB8 and NLRP3, are associated with severe cases of PG, while others, like mutations in RAG1 and complement deficiencies, tend to lead to milder symptoms.
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Introduction: Neutrophilic dermatoses (NDs) often occur secondary to inflammatory conditions, medication exposure, and hematologic malignancy. While malignancy-associated NDs (MA-NDs) have been well reported among those with hematologic cancers, little is known about drug-induced NDs (DI-NDs) within this population. The objective of this study was to compare the presentations and outcomes of patients with hematologic malignancies who developed MA-NDs and DI-NDs.

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Pyoderma gangrenosum (PG) is a rare neutrophilic dermatosis causing chronic and recalcitrant painful ulcerations. Pathogenic mechanisms are yet poorly understood limiting therapeutic options, however, IL-12/IL-23 inhibition via ustekinumab has previously been associated with positive outcomes. We aimed to elucidate the dysregulated immune landscape of PG and lesional skin changes associated with IL-12/IL-23 blockade.

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Article Synopsis
  • - Atypical wounds are becoming more common globally, creating challenges for accurate diagnosis and treatment, which are crucial skills for dermatologists
  • - Successfully managing atypical wounds requires identifying their underlying causes, combined with effective pain management and active patient involvement
  • - Ongoing advancements in treatment methods, along with more research and clinical training, are vital to effectively dealing with the rising number of atypical wounds
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Nuclear matrix protein (NXP-2) positive amyopathic dermatomyositis (DM) may present without classic symptoms like muscle weakness, dysphagia, and edema, and mimic conditions like cutaneous lupus. Given DM's association with malignancy and interstitial lung disease, prompt and accurate diagnosis is important. Testing for myositis-specific antibodies aids diagnosis in ambiguous cases.

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Pyoderma gangrenosum is an inflammatory skin disease that presents with rapidly progressive ulcers with violaceous, undermined borders. Despite most commonly affecting the lower extremities, pyoderma gangrenosum can rarely present in the genital, anal, and perineal regions. We describe 2 cases and report a review of published cases.

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Peristomal pyoderma gangrenosum is an uncommon subtype of pyoderma gangrenosum mainly affecting stoma sites of patients with inflammatory bowel disease. While surgical treatments are often used to assist healing, little is known about the relationship between surgical interventions and the rate of recurrence of peristomal pyoderma gangrenosum. The aim of this study was to identify patient and clinical factors associated with peristomal pyoderma gangrenosum recurrence following surgical intervention.

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In the second part of this CME, we present an approach for the management of inflammatory and vaso-occlusive ulcers and highlight the need for further research in this field. The 3 overarching principles for management are etiology-specific treatment, ulcer care, and consideration of patient comorbidities and risk factors for poor healing. Both etiology-specific treatment and management of patient comorbidities and risk factors often require collaboration with providers from other specialties.

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In this CME, we review 2 specific categories of ulcers: inflammatory (where inflammation is the primary pathologic process leading to ulceration) and vaso-occlusive (where occlusion is the primary process). Inflammatory ulcers include pyoderma gangrenosum and vasculitides, whereas livedoid vasculopathy, calciphylaxis, and Martorell ulcers are vaso-occlusive ulcers. Determining the causes of ulcers in these conditions may require laboratory evaluation, biopsy, and imaging.

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