Dermatitis herpetiformis.

Dermatitis herpetiformis (DH) is an autoimmune, pleiomorphic, papulovesicular disorder associated with celiac disease and gluten sensitivity. DH is characterized by subepidermal bullae on hematoxylin and eosin staining and granular immunoglobulin A deposits in the dermal papillae using the direct immunofluorescence method. Antibodies to tissue transglutaminase and epidermal transgulatminase can be measured serologically, although biopsy is still required for definitive diagnosis of DH.

Herpes simplex virus-induced plasmacytic atypia.

The clinical and histopathological features of cutaneous herpes simplex virus (HSV) infection have been well described. Genital herpetic infections are largely induced by HSV type 2, but 30% of cases can be caused by HSV type 1. Immunocompromised patients are known to exhibit atypical patterns of clinical presentation with variable lesion morphology and anatomic location.

Primary cutaneous aspergillosis in a patient with a solid organ transplant: case report and review of the literature.

Goal: To understand primary cutaneous aspergillosis to better manage patients with the condition.

Objectives: Upon completion of this activity, dermatologists and general practitioners should be able to: 1. Describe risk factors for Aspergillus infection.

Unilateral facial angiofibromas without other evidence of tuberous sclerosis: case report and review of the literature.

Bilateral facial angiofibromas are common cutaneous manifestations of tuberous sclerosis, an autosomal-dominant disease characterized by hamartomas of multiple organs. Papules in patients with tuberous sclerosis typically appear between 4 and 10 years of age, becoming more extensive during puberty before stabilizing. We present a 28-year-old man with unilateral facial angiofibromas, which may represent a segmental form of tuberous sclerosis.

Amantadine-induced livedo reticularis: a report of two cases.

In the last several years, amantadine has been increasingly prescribed for akinesia in Parkinson's disease and to combat fatigue associated with multiple sclerosis. Amantadine is a well-known medication involved in drug-induced livedo reticularis (LR), yet remains under-reported in the English literature. We describe 2 patients with amantadine livedo reticularis: one patient with multiple sclerosis had, previous to this eruption, tolerated 4 years of amantadine therapy without adverse reactions and another patient with Parkinson's disease who developed LR 1 month after starting amantadine.

Familial ulcerative pyoderma gangrenosum: a report of 2 kindred.

Pyoderma gangrenosum is a rare, chronic ulcerative skin disease. It is a diagnosis of exclusion, after ruling out other causes of cutaneous ulceration. The etiology of pyoderma gangrenosum is poorly understood but is likely multifactorial.

The effectiveness of tumor necrosis factor alpha antibody (infliximab) in treating recalcitrant psoriasis: a report of 2 cases.

Background: Psoriasis is being recognized as an autoimmune disease in which immunocyte-derived cytokines are thought to drive the development of the altered keratinocyte phenotype. Although the role of tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-alpha) in psoriasis is not completely understood, it may underlie many of the key steps that lead to induction and maintenance of the disease. Infliximab is an immunoglobulin monoclonal antibody that binds and inactivates TNF-alpha and has been successfully used in the management of TNF-alpha-mediated diseases, such as Crohn disease and rheumatoid arthritis.