Multiple cutaneous abscesses revealing disseminated nocardiosis in a patient with chronic rheumatoid arthritis.

Nocardiosis is a challenging infection that is difficult to diagnose and treat. Delayed recognition and prolonged illness are major concerns. We report the case of a 65-year-old man who underwent treatment with corticosteroids for rheumatoid arthritis and then presented with multiple abscesses on the right leg.

Metabolic syndrome prevalence in psoriasis: a cross-sectional study in the Italian population.

Background: The pathogenesis of psoriasis is complex, with a significant role suggested for pro-inflammatory mediators. There is strong evidence of an association between psoriasis and the metabolic syndrome (MetS), a cluster of cardiovascular risk factors, which impose a substantial disease burden.

Objective: This study aimed to evaluate the prevalence of MetS and to examine the implications of disease severity, type 2 diabetes mellitus, and cardiovascular disease in a large cohort of Italian psoriatic patients representative of the whole population.

Leg ulcer in Werner syndrome (adult progeria): a case report.

Werner syndrome (WS; MIM#277700) or adult progeria, is a rare disease, associated with mutations of a single gene (RECQL2 or WRN), located on chromosome 8 (8p12). It codes a DNA-helicase, whose defects cause genomic instability. The highest incidences are reported in Japan and Sardinia (Italy).

Functioning glucagonoma associated with primary hyperparathyroidism: multiple endocrine neoplasia type 1 or incidental association?

Background: Diagnosis of multiple endocrine neoplasia type 1 (MEN1) is commonly based on clinical criteria, and confirmed by genetic testing. In patients without known MEN1-related germline mutations, the possibility of a casual association between two or more endocrine tumors cannot be excluded and subsequent management may be difficult to plan. We describe a very uncommon case of functioning glucagonoma associated with primary hyperparathyroidism (pHPT) in which genetic testing failed to detect germline mutations of MEN-1 and other known genes responsible for MEN1.

Dermatophyte infections mimicking other skin diseases: a 154-person case survey of tinea atypica in the district of Cagliari (Italy).

Background: Although usually simple, the diagnosis of dermatophyte infection is sometimes neglected. An observational study has been realized to evaluate the role of corticosteroid exposure (tinea incognito) and of other primary characteristics of the dermatophytosis that from onset mimic other diseases and mislead an unexperienced physician.

Materials And Methods: Between 1990 and 2009, all cases of atypical dermatophytosis mimicking other skin diseases were collected from the more general number of dermatophyte infections diagnosed at the Dermatology Department of Cagliari University, Italy.

Tinea faciei due to microsporum canis in children: a survey of 46 cases in the District of Cagliari (Italy).

Dermatophytoses are frequent in children, but involvement of the facial skin has peculiar aspects that should be considered a separate entity: tinea faciei. Microsporum canis infection in tinea faciei has not been widely documented. To review cases of tinea faciei due to M.

Italian Euromelanoma Day Screening Campaign (2005-2007) and the planning of melanoma screening strategies.

Although no study has definitively shown that unfocused screening of skin cancer is effective, many campaigns have been organized with the aim of increasing awareness on melanoma risk factors. The objective of this study was to analyse the results of the Skin Cancer Screening Day in Italy during the period 2005-2007, to determine the priorities for melanoma control plans in a Mediterranean country. A total of 5002 patients were screened by dermatologists in 31 cities.

D-penicillamine elastosis perforans serpiginosa: description of two cases and review of the literature.

Long term D-penicillamine (DPA) therapy to treat Wilson disease can induce elastosis perforans serpiginosa (EPS), a very rare degenerative skin disease characterized by a transepidermal elimination of elastic fiber aggregates. The iatrogenous disease depends on DPA capacity to chelate copper and cause its depletion. Lysyl-oxidase is a copper dependent enzyme crucial to the dermal elastic fiber cross-linking, which is strongly affected by DPA copper depletion.

Treating psoriasis with etanercept in italian clinical practice: prescribing practices and duration of remission following discontinuation.

Background: conventional antipsoriatic therapies are often administered until remission, with treatment resumed in the case of relapse, in order to reduce the likelihood of cumulative, dose-dependent toxicities. Biological agents have been safely used in continuous therapy.

Objective: to assess the use of etanercept for psoriasis in clinical practice in Italy.

Two cases of primary endonasal leishmaniasis in Sardinia (Italy).

Leishmaniasis is an endemic protozoan infection in Sardinia, one of the major islands of the Mediterranean Basin. We report two cases of endonasal primary Leishmaniasis, which is a very rare event in adult men who are immunocompetent, born in, and residents of Sardinia. The diagnosis was confirmed by the presence of intra and extracellular Leishmania amastigotes in the histological smear.

A 20-year survey of tinea faciei.

Tinea faciei is an uncommon dermatophytosis affecting the glabrous skin of the face. Between 1988 and 2007 at the Dermatology Department of Cagliari University, 107 cases of tinea faciei have been diagnosed, involving 72 females and 35 males, aged 2-72 years. Incidence peaks were observed between 6 and 15 years (48.

Primary cutaneous cryptococcosis in an immunocompetent host.

We report a case of primary cutaneous cryptococcosis in an immunocompetent host. Several nodules, isolated or sometimes joint to form plaques, affected the right arm. The arm was paralytic and hypoplastic, and a history of numerous abrasions picking firewood up preceded the onset of the eruption.

Bullous skin eruption in an HIV patient during antiretroviral drugs therapy.

Dermo-epidermal blistering is an uncommon presentation of adverse drug reactions. Several drugs are associated to such eruptions, but review of current knowledge does not list antiretroviral drugs. A 37-year-old Caucasian HIV-positive woman presented with a 6-week history of diffuse annular blistering affecting the trunk and limbs.

Pityriasis rosea-like adverse reaction: review of the literature and experience of an Italian drug-surveillance center.

Pityriasis rosea is a common, acute eruption of uncertain etiology. A rash very similar to this idiopathic disease is also attributed to several drugs, and recovery, which depends on withdrawal of the responsible drug, can be delayed by its late identification. A prospective study to record all cases of adverse cutaneous reactions presenting with pityriasis rosea like manifestations was conducted at the center for drug-surveillance of the dermatology department of Cagliari University.

Cutaneous Crohn disease in a child.

Cutaneous Crohn disease refers to granulomatous skin manifestations not contiguous with gastrointestinal affected areas. It is a very rare condition, especially in children, and is easily misdiagnosed when characteristic gastrointestinal symptoms are absent. We report a 10-year-old Caucasian girl with a 6-month history of erythematous, firm tumescence of the left labium majus pudendi and moist vegetations circumscribing the anal ostium.

Facial cellulitis associated with Pseudomonas aeruginosa complicating ophthalmic herpes zoster.

Cellulitis is a rare and severe soft-tissue infection characterized by acute, diffuse, spreading inflammation, often associated with systemic symptoms such as malaise and fever. Surgery of the head and neck, dental infections, sinusitis, upper respiratory tract infections, and trauma are the most common portal of entry for pathogens in facial cellulitis. A very unusual case complicating an ophthalmic herpes zoster in a 74-year-old woman was observed at the department of dermatology, Cagliari University (Italy).

Tinea capitis caused by Microsporum canis treated with terbinafine.

Tinea capitis is a disease found throughout the world. It frequently affects children and only rarely adults, usually post-menopausal women. Numerous dermatophytes of the genus Microsporum and Tricophyton can cause tinea capitis and griseofulvin is still today the treatment of choice.

Kerion Celsi in a newborn due to Microsporum canis.

The present study deals with a case of a 40-day-old girl with kerion Celsi caused by Microsporum canis. The source of the infection were the parents who presented tinea corporis caused by M. canis.

Nail pigmentation caused by hydroxyurea: report of 9 cases.

We report a series of 9 patients, 6 men and 3 women, who presented nail hyperpigmentation arising between 6 and 24 months from the start of hydroxyurea therapy. The most commonly observed clinical pattern was that of longitudinal melanonychia. In only 1 patient, who was affected in all 20 nails, we observed longitudinal melanonychia, diffuse melanonychia, and hyperpigmentation of the skin.

Case report. Pityriasis versicolor mimicking Pityriasis rotunda.

Pityriasis versicolor is a common dermatomycosis, occurring throughout the world, characterized by irregular, slightly scaly patches, varying in color from red/light brown to white. Pityriasis rotunda, on the other hand, is an uncommon disease, reported in specific ethnic groups, and characterized by perfectly round or oval patches of varying color, with a scaly surface. The histologic pattern is that of ichthyosis vulgaris.