Efficacy and maintenance strategies of two-compound formulation calcipotriol and betamethasone dipropionate gel (Xamiol® gel) in the treatment of scalp psoriasis: results from a study in 885 patients.

Background: Previous studies showed the efficacy of a formulation containing calcipotriol and betamethasone dipropionate for the treatment of psoriasis.

Objective: To investigate maintenance strategies of a formulation containing calcipotriol (50 µg/g) and betamethasone dipropionate (0.5 mg/g) for the treatment of scalp psoriasis.

Renal cell carcinoma diagnosed by cutaneous metastasis: a case report.

Renal cell carcinoma (RCC) is one of the most frequent malignancies of the genitourinary tract and has the poorest prognosis of all urologic tumors. It often causes metastatic lesions, and although rare, the skin also can be involved. Cutaneous lesions rarely are the primary signs of RCC.

Churg-Strauss and montelukast.

Churg-Strauss syndrome (CSS) is a systemic small vessel vasculitis involving lungs, skin, heart, gastrointestinal tract and peripheral nerves. We report the case of a 36-year-old woman with a necrotic lesion on the left foot of two months duration, associated with hypereosinophilia, patchy lung infiltrates, cardiac damage and a mononeuritis. The personal history was remarkable only for an asthma, treated with Montelukast, a leukotriene receptor antagonist (LRA).

An unusual case of annular bollous eruption of the inguinal folds.

Pemphigus herpetiformis is a rare clinical entity belonging to the group of autoimmune blistering disorders of the skin, that usually presents clinical features of dermatitis herpetiformis and immunologically findings of pemphigus. Because of the variety of its presentation, differential diagnosis with other bollous diseases is not simple and histopathological results have to be supported by direct immunofluorescence assay, for a correct diagnosis. We report the case of a young woman, where immunofluorescence was a fundamental tool to reach the diagnosis of pemphigus herpetiformis, because of the lack of acantholitic cells at histological sample.

Chronic urticaria and IgG paraproteinaemia: unusual spectrum of Schnitzler Syndrome.

Schnitzler Syndrome (SS) is a rare clinical entity of unknown etio-pathogenesis characterizated by non itching chronic urticaria, associated with an IgM monoclonal paraprotein; other symptoms as bone pain, poliarthralgia, elevated erytrocyte sedimentation rate and persistent fever, may be present. Since 1972-1974, when it was first described by Schnitzler et al. about 80 cases have been reported in literature, all characterized by chronic urticaria and IgM monoclonal gammopathy.

A case of lichen amyloidosus treated with acitretin.

Lichen amyloidosus is a cutaneous dermatosis clinically characterized by an hyperkeratotic brownish-grey papular eruption located on trunk and extremities, associated to severe pruritus. Histologically it is characterized by amyloid deposits in the papillary derma. Amyloid is an amorphous substance, probably derived by apoptotic keratinocites and other protein such as Apolipoprotein E.

An 18-year follow-up of a case of D-penicillamine-induced Elastosis perforans serpiginosa.

Elastosis perforans serpiginosa (EPS) is a rare complication of chronic therapy with a high-dose of D-penicillamine (1 g daily for more than 5 years), characterized by the elimination of abnormal elastic fibers from the upper dermis through the epidermis. D-penicillamine (DPA) is a heavy metal chelator primarily used for disorders such as cystinuria and Wilson disease. This therapy can lead to induction of EPS through a still unknown mechanism.

Ehlers-Danlos syndrome: case report and an electron microscopy study.

Ehlers-Danlos syndrome (EDS) type III is a inherited connective tissue disorders characterized by extensibility of the skin, hypermobility of the joints, chronic pain, tissue fragility, easy bruising, and delayed wound healing with result of atrophic scars. The patients report commonly a history of recurrent dislocations of the shoulders and knees after low-impact trauma, chronic joint pain, and early osteoarthritis, which lead to diagnosis. The pathogenesis of this condition is unknown, and the diagnosis is generally made in adult age, based only on clinical criteria.

Safety and efficacy of calcium folinate in psoriasis: an observational study.

An association between psoriasis and cardiovascular diseases has been reported, and treatment of this condition is often considered difficult because the conventional systemic therapies often show several side effects. To assess the efficacy and tolerability of a new drug, folinate calcium, to treat psoriasis, a total of 58 patients affected by active psoriasis were enrolled in a variable period study. These patients had clinically stable, plaque psoriasis involving greater than or equal 6% body surface area.

Treating psoriasis with etanercept in italian clinical practice: prescribing practices and duration of remission following discontinuation.

Background: conventional antipsoriatic therapies are often administered until remission, with treatment resumed in the case of relapse, in order to reduce the likelihood of cumulative, dose-dependent toxicities. Biological agents have been safely used in continuous therapy.

Objective: to assess the use of etanercept for psoriasis in clinical practice in Italy.

Allergy to nickel: first results on patients administered with an oral hyposensitization therapy.

Nickel sulphate allergy is the most common contact allergy. In fact, nickel sulphate is an ubiquitous element, contained in various objects and food; it occurs in igneous rocks, as a free metal and together with iron, but it is also a component of living organism, mainly vegetables. We carried out a clinical trial of oral hyposensitization therapy with low doses of nickel in a group of 67 patients affected by systemic allergy to this sensitizer element.

Wells Syndrome with Multiorgan Involvement Mimicking Hypereosinophilic Syndrome.

Eosinophil-associated diseases represent a spectrum of heterogeneous disorders, where blood and cutaneous eosinophilia is the most important feature and eosinophils are the principal cause of cutaneous lesions. These diseases show some similarities in the clinical features but also many distinctive characteristics [Saurat et al., Dermatologia e malattie sessualmente trasmesse, Milano, Masson, 2000].

A Case of Ketron-Goodman Disease.

Pagetoid reticulosis (PR) is a rare form of cutaneous T-cell lymphoma [Mod Pathol 2000;13:502-510]. Two variants of the disease are described: the localized type Woringer-Kolopp disease (WKD) and the disseminated type Ketron-Goodman disease (KGD). KGD may have disseminated lesions, high rate of recurrence and a guarded prognosis [Mod Pathol 2000;13:502-510].

Disseminated Superficial Porokeratosis with Dermal Amyloid Deposits.

Only 6 cases with an association of disseminated superficial porokeratosis with dermal amyloid deposits are reported in the literature. We present the case of a 76-year-old woman who presented with a disseminated superficial porokeratosis. Histological examination revealed amyloid deposits in the upper dermis, which were typed with routine HE stains, Congo red stains and anticytokeratin antibodies (AE1-AE3 and CK5).