Disseminated varicella-zoster virus in an immunocompetent adult.

Varicella-zoster is the virus that causes varicella (chicken pox), herpes zoster (shingles), and rarely, severe disseminated disease including diffuse rash, encephalitis, hepatitis, and pneumonitis. Disseminated disease is most often seen in immunocompromised patients. We describe a case of disseminated zoster in an immunocompentent patient who had previously been immune to VZV.

Impact of a dermatology wiki website on dermatology education.

Background: The Dermatology Education Wiki (dermwiki) website serves as a resource platform for medical students and residents. The readily accessible interface provides dermatology articles, survival guides, didactic lectures, and links to faculty talks as well as research opportunities.

Objective: To assess medical student and resident satisfaction with the dermwiki website.

Paraneoplastic pemphigus herpetiformis with IgG antibodies to desmoglein 3 and without mucosal lesions.

Background: Pemphigus herpetiformis (PH) is a rare clinical entity that combines the clinical features of dermatitis herpetiformis and the immunopathologic features of pemphigus. The target antigen is usually desmoglein 1, with exceptional cases manifesting autoantibodies against desmoglein 3. More recently, it has been found that many patients with PH also demonstrate autoantibodies against desmocollin.

Verrucous porokeratosis of Mibelli on the buttocks mimicking psoriasis.

The typical presentation of porokeratosis of Mibelli is of a solitary plaque with a prominent raised border cleaved by a central furrow. The central portion of the plaque is usually slightly atrophic. The plaques vary in size from a few millimeters to several centimeters in diameter and tend to be acrally distributed, though they can occur on any part of the body.