Cutaneous Crospovidone: A Newly Described Foreign Body Due to Illicit Drug Abuse.

Crospovidone, a polymer of poly N-vinyl-2-pyrrolidone, is an inert insoluble disintegrant found in pharmaceutical tablets. This material has been encountered in the lungs of intravenous drug users and embolized with other components such as talc and microcrystalline cellulose. More recently, crospovidone has also been described in the gastrointestinal tract.

Diagnosis of herpes simplex virus-induced erythema multiforme confounded by previous infection with Mycoplasma pneumonia.

Erythema multiforme (EM) is an immune-mediated hypersensitivity reaction often related to viral infection or medications. Infection-induced EM is typically self-limited and commonly caused by herpes simplex virus (HSV) or Mycoplasma pneumoniae (MP); recurrent EM is almost always associated with HSV. We present a concise overview of diagnostic techniques for HSV and MP, as repeatedly elevated MP titers in our case led to a delayed diagnosis of HSV-induced EM.

Baseline quality of life as measured by Skindex-16+5 in patients presenting to a referral center for patch testing.

Background: The impact of skin disease on heath-related quality of life (QoL) is often underrecognized, and there is little research about health-related QoL in patch-tested populations.

Objective: A pilot study to assess baseline QoL in dermatitis patients referred to a specialized center for patch testing.

Methods: A convenience sample of patients presenting for patch testing (n = 107) completed a survey, Skindex-16+5, which measures QoL in four domains: symptoms, emotions, functioning, and occupational.