Study of T helper 1 and T helper 2 responses in pemphigus vulgaris patients receiving interferon alpha 2a injections in addition to a standard protocol therapy: a randomized controlled trial.

T helper (Th)1 insufficiency was recently found to be related to the pathogenesis of pemphigus vulgaris (PV). Decreased Th1 response was particularly noticed in the early stages of PV. Therefore, administration of interferon alpha in the early stages of aggressive PV may lead to rapid control of the acute stage of the disease.

Study of T helper (17) and T regulatory cells in psoriatic patients receiving live attenuated varicella vaccine therapy in a randomized controlled trial.

Background: The use of live attenuated varicella vaccine (Varilrix(®)) as an adjuvant treatment in severe cases of psoriasis has recently been postulated. Its efficacy raised questions regarding its possible mechanisms of action.

Objective: To compare the efficacy and safety of combining Varilrix(®) and cyclosporine to cyclosporine alone in the treatment of severe psoriasis.

Mycophenolate mofetil: a novel immunosuppressant in the treatment of dystrophic epidermolysis bullosa, a randomized controlled trial.

Background: No effective treatment has been found for epidermolysis bullosa dystrophica (EBD).

Objective: To evaluate the efficacy and safety mycophenolate mofetil (MMF) in treating EBD.

Methods: This randomized controlled double-blinded study included 35 patients with severe generalized EBD.

Hypopigmented parapsoriasis en plaque, a new, overlooked member of the parapsoriasis family: a report of 34 patients and a 7-year experience.

Background: In the past 7 years we have extensively studied an uncommon hypopigmented disorder that, apart from hypopigmentation, showed many common features with parapsoriasis en plaque (PSEP), both clinically and histopathologically.

Objective: We sought to verify whether this disorder should be considered a hypopigmented variant of PSEP and thus be referred to as hypopigmented PSEP.

Methods: A total of 34 patients presenting with this peculiar hypopigmented disorder were included (2003-2010).

Comparative study of the effect of a daily steroid regimen versus a weekly oral pulse steroid regimen on morphological changes, blood sugar, bone mineral density and suprarenal gland activity.

Background: The most serious side effects of systemic steroids include osteoporosis and suprarenal suppression. Many steroid regimens have been suggested to minimize these side effects; one of them is oral steroid pulse therapy.

Objective: To compare the side effects of a daily oral steroid regimen versus a weekly oral steroid pulse regimen on bone mineral density and suprarenal suppression.

Leukocytoclastic vasculitis and necrolytic acral erythema in patients with hepatitis C infection: do viral load and viral genotype play a role?

Background: Leukocytoclastic vasculitis (LCV) and necrolytic acral erythema (NAE) are skin disorders associated with hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection. However, they have not been found to occur simultaneously in the same patient.

Objective: We sought to analyze the role of serum HCV-RNA levels and HCV genotype in the pathogenesis of both LCV and NAE in an attempt to assess whether these two parameters play a role in mutual exclusivity of LCV and NAE in the same patient.

Microscopic study of normal skin in cases of mycosis fungoides.

Background: During therapy of patients with mycosis fungoides (MF) at the Department of Dermatology, Kasr El-Aini Hospital, follow-up biopsies are routinely taken every 2 months. It was noticed that lesions of MF might become clinically normal during treatment, and yet still show microscopical evidence of MF. This finding raised the possibility that clinically normal skin in MF could be microscopically involved.

Histopathological study of apparently normal skin of patients with leprosy.

Background: Several clinical and laboratory observations point to the possible microscopical affection of normal-looking skin in leprosy.

Objective: This study was carried out to verify the microscopical affection of apparently normal-looking skin in different types of leprosy.

Patients And Methods: The study included 50 patients with different clinical types of leprosy.

Muckle-Wells syndrome: report of six cases with hyperpigmented sclerodermoid skin lesions.

Muckle-Wells syndrome (MWS) is a rare syndrome, characterized by chronic recurrent urticaria, often combined with fever, chills, rigors, malaise, and arthralgia. Progressive sensorineural deafness, and, in approximately one third of the patients, amyloidosis of the kidneys as well as of other organs may occur. It was first described in 1962 by Muckle and Wells.

Vitiligo vs. hypopigmented mycosis fungoides (histopathological and immunohistochemical study, univariate analysis).

Vitiligo is a common skin disease characterized by the presence of well circumscribed, depigmented milky white macules devoid of identifiable melanocytes. On the other hand, hypopigmented mycosis fungoides (MF) is a rare variant of MF which presents clinically as persistent hypopigmented macules and patches. Both disorders show a predominance of CD8+ T cells in tissue samples and hence the differentiation between the two diseases on clinical, histopathological and even immunohistochemical grounds may offer great difficulty.

Familial gigantic melanocytosis.

Background: Familial gigantic melanocytosis (FGM) is a rare disorder first described in 1984 and termed "familial melanopathy with gigantic melanocytes". The cause of the disorder is still unknown. Melanocytes in both hyper- and hypopigmented skin seem to be unable to deliver melanin to the surrounding keratinocytes.

Branchio-oculo-facial syndrome with bilateral linear scars of the neck.

A case of branchio-oculo-facial syndrome with bilateral linear scars affecting both sides of the neck is described. The disease occured in a male patient aged 20 years and presented with facial asymmetry, pre and postauricular pits, lip pits, microphthalmia, broad malformed nose, colobomas and dystrophic right kidney. In addition, there were bilateral linear hypertrophic scars on both sides of the neck.

Basaloid follicular hamartoma.

Basaloid follicular hamartoma (BFH) is a unique benign follicular hamartoma characterized by variable clinical presentations, identical histologic features and possible associations with numerous disorders. Basaloid follicular hamartoma may be hereditary or acquired. Hereditary cases may be either generalized or unilateral nevoid.