Review of Lyme Borreliosis in Africa-An Emerging Threat in Africa.

Lyme borreliosis (LB) is more common in the Northern Hemisphere. It is endemic mainly in North America, where the vectors are and , and in Eurasia, where the vectors are and . Both tick-borne diseases and LB are influenced by climate change.

International eDelphi Study to Reach Consensus on the Methotrexate Dosing Regimen in Patients With Psoriasis.

Importance: A clear dosing regimen for methotrexate in psoriasis is lacking, and this might lead to a suboptimal treatment. Because methotrexate is affordable and globally available, a uniform dosing regimen could potentially optimize the treatment of patients with psoriasis worldwide.

Objective: To reach international consensus among psoriasis experts on a uniform dosing regimen for treatment with methotrexate in adult and pediatric patients with psoriasis and identify potential future research topics.

Pemphigoid Gestationis - Case Report and Review of Literature.

Pemphigoid gestationis (PG) is a rare autoimmune bullous skin disorder which usually presents with intense pruritus and urticarial lesions that may evolve into vesicles and tense blisters. In majority of patients, it starts in the second or third trimester of pregnancy and resolves spontaneously after delivery. Lesions appear in the periumbilical area in 90% of patients and rapidly spread centrifugally to other parts of the body.

New onset of sinoatrial block in a young patient treated with systemic meglumine antimoniate.

The sinoatrial block is a new side effect of meglumine antimoniate. Prompt interruption of the drug results in the normalization of electrographic changes and prevents sudden cardiac arrest.

Factors associated with acute and recurrent erysipelas in a young population: a retrospective of 147 cases.

Background: erysipelas is a common infection of the superficial layer of the skin, predominantly caused by groups A β-hemolytic streptococci. It is an acute infection of the skin and frequently affects the legs. It is common in the elderly and favoured by the associated comorbidities.

Role of national dermatology societies: A perspective from Tunis.

Dermatology in French-speaking African countries is facing many challenges. Dermatology societies, if they exist, are relatively young and have limited financial resources to provide regular training opportunities for their members and those in training. In several sub-Saharan nations, the small number of dermatologists is truly alarming with the prevalence of such major skin diseases as cutaneous leishmaniasis, AIDS, mycetoma, leprosy, and the consequences of skin bleaching procedures, reaching catastrophic figures.

Addictive behaviors, cardiovascular and metabolic comorbidities in North African psoriatic patients: case-control study.

We propose to study the epidemiological aspects of North African psoriasis and determine the cardiovascular comorbidities and addictive behaviors associated with psoriasis. This is a North African case-control study which was conducted over a five year period (October 2008 through August 2013), involving 671 psoriatic patients and 1,242 controls identified in various Algerian, Tunisian and Moroccan university hospitals. For each patient, epidemiological characteristic, addictive behaviors, and cardiovascular pathologies associated with psoriasis were noted.

Verrucous Carcinoma of the Nail Bed: A New Case.

Verrucous carcinoma (VC) of the nail bed is a rare variant of squamous cell carcinoma that is often misdiagnosed as a benign condition. The clinical presentation of this tumor is very similar to that of warts or onychomycosis hence the delayed appropriate treatment. Its association with human papillomavirus (HPV) infection has rarely been reported.

Assessment of the quality of life of Egyptian and Tunisian autoimmune bullous diseases' patients using an Arabic version of the autoimmune bullous disease quality of life and the treatment of autoimmune bullous disease quality of life questionnaires.

Background: The Autoimmune Bullous Disease Quality of Life (ABQOL) and the Treatment of Autoimmune Bullous Disease Quality of Life (TABQOL) questionnaires proved to be reliable tools that measure the disease and treatment burden.

Objectives: We aimed to assess the ABQOL and TABQOL in the Arabic population.

Methods: The English questionnaires were translated into the Arabic language by a certified translation agency.

Nail Involvement in Psoriatic Patients and Association with Onychomycosis: Results from a Cross-Sectional Study Performed in a Military Hospital in Tunisia.

Nail psoriasis has variable prevalence and heterogeneous aspects. Many of them could mimic onychomycosis (OM). It has been suggested that patients with nail psoriasis are at high risk of OM.

Magnetic Resonance Imaging in the Diagnosis of Onychomatricoma: A Case Report.

Onychomatricoma (OM) is a rare benign tumour of the nail matrix characterized by specific clinical and histologic features. The main clinical signs are thickening of the nail plate, xanthonychia, overcurvature of the nail plate, and multiple splinter haemorrhages. The diagnosis is based on clinical, radiological and histopathological findings.

Daily Application of an Aqueous, Acidifying, Peelable Nail Polish versus Weekly Amorolfine for Topical Onychomycosis Treatment: A Prospective, Randomized, Blinded Trial.

Introduction: Onychomycosis is a fungal nail infection, frequently caused by dermatophytes, which occurs in 2-14% of Western adults. The present study was set up to evaluate the efficacy and safety of a water-based, peelable nail polish (daily application), which acidifies the nail environment, versus a 5% amorolfine nail lacquer (weekly application) for topical treatment of mild-to-moderate onychomycosis.

Methods: One hundred two adults were randomized in this open, prospective, blinded trial.

Low and high body mass index in hidradenitis suppurativa patients-different subtypes?

Introduction: Overweight is a well-established risk factor for hidradenitis suppurativa (HS). In this cross-sectional study, we compare HS patients with a high body mass index (BMI) with HS patients with a low BMI to investigate differences in disease characteristics.

Materials And Method: Patients were recruited from 17 dermatological centres from four continents.

CARD14 alterations in Tunisian patients with psoriasis and further characterization in European cohorts.

Background: Rare highly penetrant gain-of-function mutations in caspase recruitment domain family, member 14 (CARD14) can lead to psoriasis, a chronic inflammatory disease of the skin and other organs.

Objectives: To investigate the contribution of rare CARD14 variants to psoriasis in the Tunisian population and to expand knowledge of CARD14 variants in the European population.

Methods: CARD14 coding exons were resequenced in patients with psoriasis and controls from Tunisia and Europe, including 16 European cases with generalized pustular psoriasis (GPP).

Coexistence of pyoderma gangrenosum and sweet's syndrome in a patient with ulcerative colitis.

Pyoderma gangrenosum (PG) and Sweet's Syndrome (SS) are inflammatory skin diseases caused by the accumulation of neutrophils in the skin and, rarely, in internal organs. These neutrophilic dermatosis (NDs) are distinguished by the existence of forms of transition or overlap. They are frequently associated to systemic diseases especially hematologic and gastrointestinal ones.

EPIMAG: International Cross-Sectional Epidemiological Psoriasis Study in the Maghreb.

Background: Psoriasis is a common skin disorder that is characterized by red plaques covered with silvery scales and is associated with considerable psychosocial impact. It has been described in several studies worldwide, but specific data from the Maghreb (Algeria, Morocco and Tunisia) are unavailable.

Objectives: To characterize the frequency of new psoriasis cases and to describe the epidemiological and clinical profile of psoriasis in the Maghreb.

[Psoriasis: physiopathology and immunogenetics].

Psoriasis is a multifactorial disease that involves genetic, immunological and environmental factors. During the last decade, several studies by genome scan on families or cases/controls helped to highlight more than ten loci "PSORS" located on different chromosomes and containing several candidate genes. Psoriasis appears as a genetic disease that follows the mixed model with the involvement of a major gene (PSORS1) and a set of minor genes with a variable penetrance depending on the locus.

The antiangiogenic insulin receptor substrate-1 antisense oligonucleotide aganirsen impairs AU-rich mRNA stability by reducing 14-3-3β-tristetraprolin protein complex, reducing inflammation and psoriatic lesion size in patients.

Increased inflammation and aberrant angiogenesis underlie psoriasis. Here, we report that the inhibition of insulin receptor substrate-1 (IRS-1) expression with aganirsen resulted in a dose-dependent reduction (P < 0.0001) in IRS-1 protein in the cytoplasm, while IRS-1 protein remained quantitatively unchanged in the perinuclear environment.

Failure to find evidence for deletion of LCE3C and LCE3B genes at PSORS4 contributing to psoriasis susceptibility in Tunisian families.

Background: Recently, it has been shown that a deletion in the late cornified envelope (LCE) gene cluster (LCE3C_LCE3B-del) is associated with susceptibility to psoriasis in European and Asian populations. However, no study of this deletion has been performed in the North African population. The aim of the present study was to investigate whether this deletion is associated with familial psoriasis in Tunisian population.

A multicenter, randomized, open-label, controlled study comparing the efficacy, safety and cost-effectiveness of a sequential therapy with RV4104A ointment, ciclopiroxolamine cream and ciclopirox film-forming solution with amorolfine nail lacquer alone in dermatophytic onychomycosis.

Background: The efficacy of topical antifungals is controversial.

Objective: To compare the efficacy and safety of a sequential(SEQ) treatment with chemical nail avulsion and topical antifungals to amorolfine nail lacquer in dermatophytic onychomycosis.

Methods: This was a randomized,parallel-group, controlled study comparing a 36-week SEQ treatment with chemical nail avulsion with RV4104A ointment(class I medical device containing 40% urea) followed by ciclopirox cream for 8 weeks and ciclopirox nail lacquer for 25 weeks (SEQ group) to amorolfine nail lacquer for 36 weeks (AMO group).