Impetigo herpetiformis: menstrual exacerbations for 7 years postpartum.

Impetigo herpetiformis (IH) is a rare pustular dermatosis that shares striking clinical and histological similarities to generalized pustular psoriasis. The case of a 26-year-old primigravida with IH progressing in the 30th week of her pregnancy is presented. The peculiarity of our presentation relies on the reappearance of the disease postpartum.

Imiquimod 5% cream: a new treatment for Bowen's disease.

Bowen's disease (BD) is a squamous cell carcinoma in situ. Recent studies suggest that human papilloma virus plays an important role in the development of BD. We investigated whether imiquimod 5%, a topical immune response modifier, is an effective treatment for BD in five immunocompetent patients.

Hypertrophic and keloidal scars: an approach to polytherapy.

Background: Cryotherapy and intralesional corticosteroids have been used separately or in combination as a treatment for hypertrophic and keloidal scars. The addition of silicone gel to the treatment schedule might be of interest.

Methods: Twenty patients with hypertrophic and keloidal scars received two 15-s cycles (in total 30 s) of cryotherapy treatments at every session (once monthly for 12 months) with intralesional injections of trimcinolone acetonide 0.

Epidemiology of dermatomycoses in children living in Northern Greece 1996-2000.

In the 5-years period, 1996-2000, 1045 children under 13 years old were examined for suspected dermatomycosis. In 611 cases fungi were isolated. Male children were mainly affected on the scalp and body area.

Optimal management of recalcitrant disorders of hyperpigmentation in dark-skinned patients.

Alterations in skin pigmentation may often have a dramatic expression in individuals with a dark skin complexion and can be a source of significant emotional distress in these individuals. Hyperpigmented disorders such as melanosis (melasma), post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation, drug-induced hyperpigmentation, and erythema dyschromicum perstans tend to have a prolonged course and, in many cases, are refractory to treatment, further contributing to the psychological impairment of the affected patients. Melanosis, is a common form of facial pigmentation attributable to sunlight and hormonal factors.

Low-dose schema of isotretinoin in acne vulgaris.

In severe papulopustular and in nodulocystic/conglobate acne, oral isotretinoin is the treatment of choice. It is also required for patients with moderate to severe acne, especially when acne scars start to occur A new therapeutic approach consists of a low-dose regimen of isotretinoin. We performed a comparative study of high- and low-dose schemas of isotretinoin per os for the treatment of acne.

Efficacy and tolerability of 8 weeks' treatment with terbinafine in children with tinea capitis caused by Microsporum canis: a comparison of three doses.

Background: Tinea capitis caused by Microsporum canis is the most common mycosis of the scalp in preschool and school-aged children in Greece.

Objective: To compare the efficacy, safety and tolerability of an 8-week course of oral terbinafine at different doses.

Methods: Patients received oral terbinafine at doses ranging from 3.

Comparison of chloroxylenol 0.5% plus salicylic acid 2% cream and benzoyl peroxide 5% gel in the treatment of acne vulgaris: a randomized double-blind study.

A 12-week double-blind randomized study was performed to compare benzoyl peroxide 5% (BP) gel and chloroxylenol 0.5% plus salicylic acid 2% (PCMX + SA) cream (Nisal cream) for efficacy and adverse reactions. Thirty-seven volunteers participated in the study, 19 in the BP group and 18 in the PCMX + SA group.

Spectrum of idiopathic photodermatoses in a Mediterranean country.

Background: Idiopathic photodermatoses are considered to be common disorders in the population of northern latitude countries, presumably because of the dominance of more "sun-sensitive" individuals with a light-skinned complexion. The incidence of these disorders in the Mediterranean or tropical countries is often under-appreciated because of the higher degree of perennial presence of sunlight and the prevalence of darker skin-type individuals who are seemingly more resistant to the development of sun sensitivity.

Methods: We performed a retrospective, chart-based review of all patients who were diagnosed with idiopathic photodermatoses at a photodermatology referral center in Athens, Greece, during a period of 10 years.

Polymorphous light eruption.

Polymorphous light eruption (PLE) is a common idiopathic photosensitivity disorder with an estimated prevalence of 10-20%. It is characterized by an intermittent skin reaction to ultraviolet (UV) radiation exposure, consisting of non-scarring pruritic erythematous papules, vesicles or plaques that develop on light-exposed skin. Despite the different morphology in different individuals, the eruption tends to have a monomorphous presentation in any single subject.

Acute hemorrhagic pellagra in an Albanian refugee.

We report a peculiar case of hemorrhagic pellagra in an exhausted Albanian refugee who had walked for 3 days under sunny skies on his way from his country to Greece. The peculiarities of the case are the fulminant course of the disorder; the "terrifying" appearance of the patient (initially he was admitted to an emergency unit); the gangrenous appearance of the hemorrhagic lesions of the palms and fingernails; the disturbed hepatic function that gradually returned to normal; and the absence of a history of alcohol consumption, alcohol malabsorption, or drug intake.

An epidemiological study of syphilis incognito, an emerging public health problem in Greece.

Background: Syphilis incognito is a subtype of latent syphilis (early or late) characterized by no signs or symptoms of primary or secondary syphilis and diagnosed by positive serologic results for syphilis during routine screening.

Objective: To study the epidemiological characteristics, causes, and implications of syphilis incognito in Greece.

Patients And Methods: All new adult patients diagnosed as having syphilis in Andreas Sygros Hospital for Skin and Venereal Diseases, Athens, Greece, from 1989 through 1996 were studied prospectively and retrospectively (history, physical examination, serologic tests, cerebrospinal fluid examination, and imaging) to determine the stage of their disease.

Sexually transmitted diseases in Lithuania: some epidemiological and social aspects.

With political, economical and social changes in Lithuania following the break-up of the Soviet Union, the health-care system has changed. The old Soviet system has been abandoned and it has taken time to re-establish a system under the new government. Resources are limited in most aspects of health care, including sexually transmitted infections (STIs).

Tinea capitis in children in northern Greece during the period 1981-1995.

In our 15 years of investigation in northern Greece, the predominant organism producing tinea capitis in children was found to be the zoophilic Microsporum canis (494 strains) which is a common saprophyte of the hair of pets, especially cats. The high percentage of cases with M. canis (97%), in contrast to zoophilic fungi (3%), is probably due to the increased contact of children with pets.

Value of routine diagnostic criteria of bullous pemphigoid.

Background And Design: The clinical, histologic, and direct (DIF) and indirect (IIF) immunofluorescence findings are used in a critical, although arbitrary, manner in the routine diagnostic process of bullous pemphigoid (BP). Our purpose was to estimate their relative value. In the present retrospective study, a follow-up of at least 18 months was used as a prerequisite for the final diagnosis of BP (63 patients) and controls (n=159).

Cutaneous alternariosis in an immunocompromised patient.

A case of cutaneous alternariosis in a 68-year-old male farmer is presented. The patient had been treated with prednisone and azathioprine for thrombocytopenic purpura, and two months later he noted multiple ulcerated and slightly infiltrated granulomatous lesions on exposed areas. The diagnosis was confirmed by results of direct examination, culture of biopsy material, and histologic examination.

The treatment of pemphigus vulgaris. Experience with 48 patients seen over an 11-year period.

We present a retrospective analysis of 48 patients with pemphigus vulgaris (PV) who were seen between 1978 and 1988. They were divided into three treatment groups: 25 (group A) received 40-100 mg of oral prednisone daily; eight (group B) received > 100 mg of prednisone daily; 15 (group C) received 40 mg of oral prednisone every other day and azathioprine 100 mg daily. A second immunosuppressive agent was subsequently added to the treatment regimen of three patients in group A and eight patients in group B.