Saudi practical guidelines on biologic treatment of psoriasis.

The current treatment of psoriasis patients with biologic agents in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) is mainly based on clinical experience. Although there are published international guidelines for treatment with biologics, such as the European S3 guidelines (a joint project of the European Dermatology Forum, the European Academy of Dermatology and Venereology, and the International Psoriasis Council), many nations have found it beneficial to develop country-based guidelines that incorporate specific regional aspects of therapy (legal and practical). With the expanded role of biologic agents in the treatment of psoriasis in Saudi Arabia, a need for local Saudi guidelines has become evident.

Response of vitiligo to PUVA therapy in Saudi patients.

Background: Vitiligo is not uncommon in southern Saudi Arabia. The response of Saudi patients to PUVA therapy has not been previously assessed. The aim of this study was to evaluate this response.

Isotretinoin therapy: any need for laboratory assessment?

Background: Recently studies showed the no need for laboratory follow up of patients on isotretinoin therapy. The aim of this study is to assess this issue.

Patients And Methods: A retrospective study on-400 patients was performed to analyze the laboratory data before and after isotretinoin therapy of acne vulgaris patients.

The incidence of pemphigus in the southern region of Saudi Arabia.

Background: This is the first epidemiologic study of pemphigus in the southern region of Saudi Arabia.

Methods: Data were collected from patient records in the outpatient and inpatient departments of Asir Central Hospital during the period 1990-99. The diagnosis of pemphigus was based on the clinical, histopathologic, and direct immunofluorescence patterns which were consistent with pemphigus.

Darier-White disease in a Saudi patient associated with systemic involvement.

A 22 year-old Saudi patient is reported who had Darier-White disease (Keratosis follicularis), presenting with the classical cutaneous manifestation of this disease in addition to systemic symptoms, including chronic renal failure, mental retardation, epilepsy, cataract and corneal opacities.

A case of angiolymphoid hyperplasia with eosinophils.

The authors report a case of angiolymphoid hyperplasia with eosinophils in a 45-year-old Syrian man working in Saudi Arabia. His skin lesions recurred eighteen months after they were surgically excised.

Terbinafine in the treatment of cutaneous leishmaniasis: a pilot study.

Twenty-seven patients were randomly picked for an open pilot study using terbinafine with a dose range of 250-500 mg/day for 4 weeks. The inclusion criteria were as follows: (1) the patient had to be aged 5 years or older; (2) the patient could be of either sex; (3) any number or location of the lesions was allowed; (4) parasitologic confirmation was required; (5) the patient was allowed no previous treatment; (6) pregnant or lactating patients were excluded; (7) informed consent from the patient or his/her parents was required. The parasitologic diagnosis was carried out by a slit smear technique followed by a Giemsa stain for parasite identification.

Human cutaneous leishmaniasis: ultrastructural interactions between the inflammatory cells and Leishman bodies in the skin lesions.

The ultrastructural interactions between the inflammatory infiltrate and Leishman bodies (LBs) were described in skin lesions from 16 patients with acute cutaneous leishmaniasis. In early stages of the inflammation, the cellular infiltrate consisted of both undifferentiated and differentiated (activated) monocytes (M), macrophages (Mc), multinucleated giant cells (MNGC), plasma cells (PC), lymphocytes (Ly), and fibroblasts (F). In late stages, the infiltrate was in the form of tuberculous granulomas consisted mainly of type I secretory, and type II vesicular epithelioid cells (ECs), in addition to remnant of some inflammatory cells seen in the early stages.

Value of touch preparations (imprints) for diagnosis of cutaneous leishmaniasis.

Background: The clinical diagnosis of cutaneous leishmaniasis is confirmed by demonstrating the organism on a superficial smear or on a biopsy of the lesion. Misdiagnosis in a biopsy specimen may be due to scanty Leishmania organisms that may not be identified in histologic sections.

Methods: Punch biopsies of skin lesions, suspected clinically to be cutaneous leishmaniasis, from 29 patients were taken.

Skin diseases among adolescent boys in Abha, Saudi Arabia.

Background: Adolescence is characterized by a sensitivity to issues of attractiveness. With dermatologic conditions, this may adversely affect early detection and compliance.

Methods: A cross-sectional study was carried out on a multistage stratified random sample of 647 adolescent schoolboys in Abha, Saudi Arabia, to determine the prevalence of skin diseases.

Prevalence and risk factors for warts among slaughterhouse workers.

This study was conducted in three animal slaughterhouses in Asir Province, southern region, Saudi Arabia. The aim of this work was to determine the prevalence of warts among the workers of slaughterhouses and to identify possible risk factors of developing warts associated with work environment and workers' characteristics. Data were collected through interview questionnaire and clinical examination.

Visceral and cutaneous leishmaniasis comparative ultrastructure of host-parasite interactions.

The comparative ultrastructure of host-parasite interactions is described for the first time in patients with visceral (VL) and cutaneous (CL) leishmaniasis. In patients with VL, the parasite invades the bone marrow (BM) macrophages (Mcs) and neutrophils, while in patients with CL, the parasite invades the dermal fibroblasts in addition to Mcs. The skin Mcs seem to have more lethal effects on the parasite than the BM Mcs; this is possibly due to the presence of numerous melanosomes with acid phosphatase activity in the Mcs digestive vacuole.

The pattern of skin diseases in Asir region, Saudi Arabia: A 12-month prospective study in a referral hospital.

The literature on the pattern of skin diseases in Saudi Arabia is scanty. We have attempted to analyze the pattern of skin diseases seen in the dermatology unit of Asir Central Hospital, Abha, Southern Saudi Arabia, during a 12-month period from March 1992 to March 1993. All new patients who were seen for dematological complaints in the skin clinics, emergency room or in the wards were studied prospectively.

Value of rebound tenderness in acute appendicitis.

This is a prospective study on 123 randomly selected patients admitted with the diagnosis of acute appendicitis. The value of rebound tenderness as a clinical diagnostic tool was statistically compared to those of some other physical signs; namely guarding, rigidity and Rovsing's sign. Rebound tenderness was found to carry the highest sensitivity (94.

Pattern of malignant skin tumors in Asir region, Saudi Arabia.

The current study describes the pattrn of malignant skin tumors in 137 cases seen in Asir Central Hospital histopathology laboratory over a five year period (1987 to 1991). Ninety percent (90.5%) were Saudis and the mean age was 61.