Blowing Bubbles: Dermoscopy of Bubble Hair.

Exposing wet hair to high temperatures can create gas bubbles within the hair shaft, leading to brittle, dry hairs in a disorder known as bubble hair abnormality. We present a case of a 61-year-old woman who presented for hair breakage over her crown. She regularly dried her damp hair with a blow dryer.

Developing biomarkers for predicting clinical relapse in pemphigus patients treated with rituximab.

Background: Rituximab is an effective therapy for pemphigus, although relapses are common.

Objective: To identify biomarkers to predict relapse of pemphigus following rituximab treatment.

Methods: In this retrospective cohort study, 62 patients with pemphigus treated with 99 rituximab cycles provided longitudinal clinical scoring and biomarker data, including levels of CD19 B cells, CD4 T cells, and desmoglein 1 (Dsg1) and desmoglein 3 (Dsg3) autoantibodies.

Treatment of Hailey-Hailey Disease With Low-Dose Naltrexone.

Importance: Hailey-Hailey disease is a severe genetic blistering disease of intertriginous skin locations that can lead to poor quality of life and increased morbidities. Multiple therapies are available with inconsistent outcomes and potentially severe adverse effects.

Objective: To determine whether low-dose naltrexone is an effective treatment for Hailey-Hailey disease.

Rituximab Treatment for Recalcitrant Dermatitis Herpetiformis.

Importance: Dermatitis herpetiformis (DH) is an autoimmune blistering condition seen in the context of celiac disease. While typically managed by gluten-free diet and dapsone, treatment of DH refractory to standard treatments is not well defined.

Observations: A man in his 80s with DH not controlled by gluten-free diet (with poor adherence), dapsone, and conventional immune-suppressing agents responded to treatment with rituximab according to the lymphoma protocol (4 weekly infusions of 375 mg/m2).