[Analysis of a case series of adult patients with severe atopic dermatitis treated with dupilumab in Argentina].

Introduction: Severe atopic dermatitis (AD) treatment is an unmet need, given the limited efficacy and safety of classical systemic treatments (CSTs). Dupilumab is a monoclonal antibody that blocks the signaling of the interleukins that mediate the inflammatory response involved in AD.

Methods: the clinical response of a group of patients from Argentina with severe AD and insufficient response and/or toxicity to CSTs who were treated with dupilumab before commercial availability was analyzed.

Medical resource consumption of moderate/severe psoriasis in a private health organization of Buenos Aires, Argentina.

Background: Despite the economic burden of psoriasis for patients and societies, scant information exists regarding the impact and burden of the disease in Argentina.

Objective: The objective of this study was to estimate medical resource consumption and direct health care costs for patients with moderate/severe psoriasis in Buenos Aires, Argentina from the perspective of the payer.

Methods: Adults with moderate/severe psoriasis (severity was defined as receiving systemic treatment), during January 2010-January 2014, aged 18 years and older, members of the Italian Hospital Medical Care Program with at least 18 months of follow-up were included.

No detection of c-kit gene mutations in exons 9, 11, 13 and 17 and low CD117 expression in plaque-stage mycosis fungoides.

The growth factor receptor c-kit (CD117) is expressed in immature T-cells and in some advanced forms of mycosis fungoides. c-kit gene mutation results in unrestricted neoplastic proliferation. We aimed to detect by PCR the most frequent exon mutations in seventeen plaque-stage MF patients, in their perilesional skin and in healthy skin donors.

Bullous pyoderma gangrenosum as a predictor of hematological malignancies.

Pyoderma gangrenosum may precede, coexist or follow diverse systemic diseases. The bullous variety is usually associated with hematologic disorders. From 31 patients with pyoderma gangrenosum diagnosed in our hospital during 10 years, only 2 presented with the bullous type.

Ultrasound entheseal abnormalities at the distal interphalangeal joints and clinical nail involvement in patients with psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis, supporting the nail-enthesitis theory.

Objective: It has been shown that nail involvement in psoriasis is associated with systemic enthesopathy. Our objective was to evaluate the association of nail involvement and enthesopathy at distal interphalangeal joint (DIP) level in psoriasis (PsO) and psoriatic arthritis (PsA) patients.

Methods: Consecutive patients (54 PsO and 56 PsA) seen at the outpatients clinic in this cross-sectional study were included.

Pyoderma gangrenosum: clinical characteristics, associated diseases, and responses to treatment in a retrospective cohort study of 31 patients.

Objective: The aim of this study was to describe the clinical characteristics of patients with pyoderma gangrenosum (PG) and to evaluate the association between these characteristics, the treatment followed, and the patient responses, relapses, and mortality rates.

Material And Methods: This retrospective cohort study identified adults diagnosed with pyoderma gangrenosum over the duration of 10 years.

Results: Thirty-one patients were evaluated; 58% were women and 55% were older than 65 years, 87% presented with the ulcerative type, and 77% showed lower limb compromise.

Cutaneous phaeohyphomycosis.

Background: Phaeohyphomycosis is an infrequent infection in human beings. However, in recent years, its prevalence has augmented in immunosuppressed patients (mostly in solid organ transplanted patients). Infection can be mucocutaneous or disseminated.

Mortality in patients with psoriasis. A retrospective cohort study.

Background And Objectives: The immune and inflammatory pathways involved in psoriasis could favor the development of atherosclerosis, consequently increasing mortality. The objectives of this study were: 1) to assess the mortality of a population with psoriasis compared to a control group, and 2) to assess the prevalence of cardiovascular risk factors.

Patients And Method: A retrospective cohort was analyzed from a secondary database (electronic medical record).

Lingual ulceration associated with retinoic acid syndrome during treatment of acute promyelocytic leukemia.

Background: All-trans retinoic acid (ATRA) is routinely associated with chemotherapy for the treatment of acute promyelocytic leukemia (APL). Several reports of scrotal ulceration induced by this agent have been made in the recent years.

Aims: The aim of this article was to report the first case of a lingual ulceration associated with retinoic acid syndrome (RAS).

[Coronary artery disease in patients with psoriasis].

In previous reports, psoriasis was associated with an increased rate of coronary artery disease. These data has not been investigated in our population. We performed a cross-sectional study analyzing data from electronic medical records of a health system in Buenos Aires.

Validation in Spanish of a screening questionnaire for the detection of psoriatic arthritis in patients with psoriasis.

Objective: A patient self-administered questionnaire [PsA Screening and Evaluation (PASE)] has been developed and validated in English, but has not been tried in Spanish speaking populations. This study aimed to adapt and validate PASE in Spanish to screen Spanish speaking psoriasis patients for signs and symptoms of inflammatory arthritis.

Methods: Initial translation from English to Spanish (forward translation) was performed by two independent translators and the resulting versions were synthesized during a consensus meeting.

Emerging systemic fungal infections.

Systemic mycoses are a heterogeneous group of infections caused by different species of fungi that mainly affect individuals with primary or secondary alterations of immunity. In recent years, there has been an increase in the incidence of infections related to migration, AIDS, and other causes of immunosuppression, such as solid organ and bone marrow transplantation; oncological, hematological, and autoimmune diseases; and the use of new drugs. In this paper, we outline the microbiological and epidemiological characteristics of 3 fungi: Aspergillus spp, Fusarium spp, and Penicillium spp.

Reactivation of Chagas' disease: cutaneous manifestations in two immunosuppressed patients.

Background: Chagas' disease is a zoonosis caused by a protozoan agent, Trypanosoma cruzi. Patients undergoing immunosuppressive treatment due to organ transplant, malignancies, infections, or chemotherapy may reactivate a preexisting chronic or indeterminate Trypanosoma cruzi infection.

Methods: We present two transplant patients who underwent reactivation of Chagas' disease with cutaneous manifestations after an augmentation in their immunosuppressive therapy.

Outcomes in 11 patients with dermatofibrosarcoma protuberans treated with Mohs micrographic surgery.

Background: Dermatofibrosarcoma protuberans (DFSP) is an uncommon intermediate-grade fibrohistiocytic sarcoma. It occurs most often in adults aged 20-50 years and is associated with local invasion and a high recurrence rate. Uncontrolled local disease or metastases may result in death.

Control of Moderate-to-Severe Plaque Psoriasis with Efalizumab: 24-Week, Open-Label, Phase IIIb/IV Latin American Study Results.

INTRODUCTION: Psoriasis is a debilitating, chronic inflammatory systemic disease affecting around 2% of the South American population. Biological therapies offer the possibility of long-term therapy with improved safety and efficacy. METHODS: We conducted a multicentre, open-label, single-arm, Phase IIIb/IV study of adult patients (18-75 years) with moderate-to-severe plaque psoriasis who were candidates for systemic therapy or phototherapy.

Use of sodium thiosulfate in the treatment of calciphylaxis.

Calciphylaxis is an infrequent but severe entity found in chronic dialysis patients. Its clinical pattern consists of tissue ischemia with itchy and painful subcutaneous nodules and plaques, most often located on the abdomen, buttocks, thighs and/or legs. These injuries evolve to extensive superficial necrosis of the skin overlying the panniculitis, with ulceration, overinfection and consequent sepsis.

Disseminated strongyloidiasis in immunocompromised patients--report of three cases.

Background: Strongyloides stercoralis is an intestinal nematode of humans. The characteristic cutaneous manifestation of strongyloidiasis is larva currens. Patients with suppressed immunity can develop a severe disseminated strongyloidiasis involving wide spread of the larvae to extraintestinal organs, outside the usual migration pattern.

Lymphocutaneous nocardiosis and cutaneous pheohyphomycosis in a liver transplant recipient.

Background: Infections are the leading cause of morbidity and mortality in transplanted patients. The increasing number of immunocompromised patients has not only augmented infections by specific pathogens, but also by opportunistic microbial agents.

Methods: A mixed cutaneous infection caused by Nocardia brasiliensis and Exophiala jeanselmei is reported in a liver transplant patient.

Cutaneous necrosis by calcific uremic arteriolopathy.

Background: Calcific uremic arteriolopathy is a rare and serious disorder characterized by systemic medial calcification of the arteries and tissue ischemia. Most often it is found in patients with chronic renal failure on dialysis and in renal transplant recipients with secondary hyperparathyroidism.

Methods: We report six patients with end-stage renal disease [five on hemodialysis (one with a nonfunctioning renal graft) and one on peritoneal dialysis] who developed painful livedo reticularis and skin necrosis of the limbs.