Efficacy of 810 nm diode laser in hair reduction in Indian subpopulation using a novel Gabor filter-based detection software and hair algorithm.

Background: Diode laser (810 nm) is frequently employed for hair reduction. There are few studies determining the efficacy in Indian population.

Objectives: Assessment of efficacy and safety of 810 nm diode laser in facial/axillary hair reduction and objective assessment of the improvement with dermoscopy, photographs, and novel Gabor filter-based hair detection algorithm.

Guidelines for bath PUVA, bathing suit PUVA and soak PUVA.

Background: The aim of these guidelines is to encourage dermatologists to use bath psoralen plus ultraviolet A (PUVA), bathing suit PUVA and soak PUVA in the treatment of psoriasis vulgaris and other conditions.

Methods: Evidence was collected using searches of the PubMed, MEDLINE and COCHRANE databases using the keywords "bath PUVA," "soak PUVA," "bathing suit PUVA" and "turban PUVA." Only publications in English were reviewed.

Anything Rare is Possible: Letrozole Induced Eczematous Skin Eruption.

Letrozole is used as first line drug in postmenopausal women with early-stage or advanced hormone-sensitive breast cancer. Letrozole has favourable tolerability profile when administered once daily and significant adverse reactions occur rarely. The objective of this report is to describe a case of eczematous skin eruption that occurred during letrozole treatment.

Synopsis of Diet in Dermatology: A one day CME conducted by the Department of Dermatology, Kasturba Medical College, Manipal, March 3, 2013.

Food is intricately related to mind and body and is one of the elements sustaining life, in disease as well as in health. There are many myths and misgivings regarding partake of food and its medicinal properties. The Department of Dermatology, Kasturba Medical College (KMC), Manipal organized a continuing medical education (CME) on Diet in Dermatology on 3(rd) March 2013 focusing on pertinent issues regarding diet and medicinal use of food.

A simple instrument designed to provide consistent digital facial images in dermatology.

Photography has proven to be a valuable tool in the field of dermatology. The major reason for poor photographs is the inability to produce comparable images in the subsequent follow ups. Combining digital photography with image processing software analysis brings consistency in tracking serial images.

Efficacy and safety of erbium-doped yttrium aluminium garnet fractional resurfacing laser for treatment of facial acne scars.

Background: Treatment of acne scars with ablative fractional laser resurfacing has given good improvement. But, data on Indian skin are limited. A study comparing qualitative, quantitative, and subjective assessments is also lacking.

Erythema elevatum diutinum associated with scleritis.

Erythema elevatum diutinum (EED) is a chronic and rare variant of leukocytoclastic vasculitis that is being reported nowadays frequently in association with HIV infection. It clinically manifests as asymptomatic to tender erythematous papules, plaques and nodules, usually with acral distribution and is rarely accompanied by systemic complaints other than arthralgia. The reported associations include preceding upper respiratory infections, hematological malignancies, lymphomas and monoclonal gammopathies.

Cutaneous metastases from carcinoma breast: the common and the rare.

Cancer metastasis is quite devastating to the patient as well as the physician and may herald the onset, dissemination or recurrence of malignancy. Breast carcinoma metastasis is the most common carcinoma encountered by dermatologists and it presents in various morphological and histological forms. Here, we present two varied cases, the first being the common nodular metastasis from a previously treated intraductal carcinoma and the second, the rarer variant, carcinoma erysipeloides as a heralder of the invasion of an incompletely treated disease.

Erythema nodosum leprosum as the presenting feature in multibacillary leprosy.

Leprosy is an ancient disease that has survived into the modern ages despite an intense effort to eliminate it worldwide. Here we report a case of a 32-year-old woman who had recurrent painful nodules of six months duration. Because of a lack of lesions suggestive of leprosy, she was initially diagnosed to have cutaneous vasculitis and erythema nodosum.

Epithelioid sarcoma: a diagnostic challenge.

Epithelioid sarcoma is an uncommon slow-growing soft tissue malignancy, associated with a high incidence of local recurrence and metastasis. We report a 26-year-old male with epithelioid sarcoma on the right palm with a long history of over seven years, which was initially misdiagnosed as cutaneous tuberculosis and epithelioid hemangioendothelioma, as a result of which the treatment was delayed. No metastasis was found in our patient.