Combined pulsed dye and CO2 lasers in the treatment of angiolymphoid hyperplasia with eosinophilia.

Angiolymphoid hyperplasia with eosinophilia (ALHE) is an uncommon dermatosis of unknown etiology that manifests as characteristic red nodules and papules with a predilection for the scalp and periauricular region. Treatment is required for both esthetic and functional reasons, as lesions may ulcerate and bleed. Many treatment approaches have been reported, including excision, systemic medical approaches, topical or intralesional therapies, and non-invasive modalities including cryotherapy, electrosurgery, and laser.

Efficacy and safety of propranolol for the treatment of infantile hemangioma: a presentation of ninety-nine cases.

Background: Propranolol is highly effective in the treatment of infantile hemangioma (IH), but important clinical and pharmacological data are lacking.

Objective: The aims of the present study were to evaluate the efficacy of propranolol for the treatment of IH, to identify favorable prognostic factors in propranolol-treated IH, and to evaluate the safety of propranolol for the treatment of IH.

Methods: Clinical data were recorded from the electronic files and digital photographs of 99 patients with IH attending a tertiary pediatric medical center (2008-2011).

Novel antiphospholipid antibodies in autoimmune bullous diseases.

Background: Pemphigus and bullous pemphigoid are two autoimmune diseases that have similar pathogenesis. Both have a genetic predisposition, which promotes the production of auto antibodies targeted against different components of the epidermal desmosome and hemidesmosome. Antiphospholipid antibodies (aPL) are heterogeneous group of antibodies found in patients with autoimmune diseases and inflammatory conditions and are associated with thrombotic events.

[Rituximab (Mabthera) for treatment of rare autoimmune bullous skin disorders].

Autoimmune bullous skin disorders are characterized by a severe and potentially lethal course and may require aggressive long-term treatment with systemic corticosteroids and other immunosuppressive drugs, which can lead to serious adverse events. Recently, anti-CD20 antibody, Rituximab, was reported to be beneficial as an adjuvant therapy in these diseases. Herein, we present 2 case reports of patients suffering from resistant rare diseases from the aforementioned spectrum: linear IgA dermatosis and Pemphigoid gestationis.

Autoimmune bullous diseases the spectrum of infectious agent antibodies and review of the literature.

Pemphigus and bullous pemphigoid are two autoimmune diseases that have a similar pathogenesis. Both have a genetic predisposition which promotes the production of auto-antibodies targeted against different components of the epidermal desmosome and hemidesmosome. Environmental factors play an important role in the pathogenesis of this autoimmune disease.

Evidence for methotrexate as a useful treatment for steroid-dependent chronic urticaria.

Chronic urticaria is a relatively common disorder that can be severe and may impair quality of life. The management of recalcitrant chronic urticaria that is not responding to histamine antagonists includes short-term systemic corticosteroids, anti-inflammatory drugs (colchicine, dapsone and sulfasalazine) and immunomodulatory agents, such as cyclosporine, methotrexate, plasmapheresis and intravenous immunoglobulin. We report here our retrospective experience with the use of methotrexate in 8 patients (2 males and 6 females) with recalcitrant chronic urticaria who were not responding to high-dose first- and second-generation antihistamines.

The Koebner phenomenon.

The Koebner phenomenon is one of the most well-known entities in dermatology. It was first described by Heinrich Koebner in 1876 as the formation of psoriatic lesions in uninvolved skin of psoriatic patients after cutaneous trauma. This isomorphic phenomenon is now known to involve numerous diseases, among them vitiligo, lichen planus, and Darier disease.

Therapeutic hotline. Alefacept in the treatment of hyperkeratotic palmoplantar psoriasis.

Plaque-type palmoplantar psoriasis (PPP) is associated with marked morbidity and frequently resistant to conventional therapies. Patients with long-standing plaque-type PPP failing previous treatments were included and treated with a 12-week intramuscular alefacept. The biweekly evaluation included hyperkeratosis, itching, and pain grading.

Antiphospholipid syndrome presenting as unilateral renal artery occlusion: case report and literature review.

The objective of this study is to report a case of primary antiphospholipid syndrome (APS) presenting as complete renal artery occlusion, and to review the literature on the subject. We describe the clinical presentation, course and outcome of one patient who presented with resistant hypertension later found to be due to thrombosis and complete occlusion of the left renal artery. We review the medical literature registered in the Medline PubMed database from 1966 to 2004 using keywords: antiphospholipid, Hughes syndrome, kidney, renal, renal artery thrombosis.

Pemphigus and infectious agents.

Pemphigus is a group of autoimmune bullous diseases characterized by a loss of cell adhesion and blister formation within the epidermis in the skin and/or the mucosal surfaces. Pemphigus develops due to the interaction between predisposing genetic factors and environmental factors. Among the latter, infectious agents such as viruses and bacteria were reported as preceding or exacerbating pemphigus disease.