Clinical and demographic profile of childhood alopecia areata in Iran

To evaluate the clinical profile of alopecia areata [AA] in Iranian children. One hundred Iranian children aged less than 16 years participated in this cross-sectional study. Data were obtained by administering a parental-recall questionnaire; and clinical and demographic parameters and associated diseases were evaluated. The mean age of AA onset was 8.9 +/- 2.1 years. The scalp was the most common site of involvement. Thirty-five percent of the patients had a precipitating factor, with psychological stress being the most common factor. Associated diseases were recorded in 60% of the patients, with the most common associated disease being eczema. Twenty-one percent of the patients were positive for a family history of AA. Severity and extent of the disease and the age of onset showed significant relationships with parents' educational and economic status [p<0.05]. Nail changes were also strongly associated with severity and extent of the disease [P=0.006]. Our results suggest that the severity and extent of the disease both increase with anearly age of onset, low parent educational levels, low socioeconomic status, and nail changes

[Generalized granuloma annulare with clinical presentation resembling erythema gyratumrepens in a diabetic female patient]

Generalized granuloma [GA] is an inflammatory benign cutaneous disease of unknown etiology that may manifest different clinical features. The most common presentation or classic form of the disease is flesh colored, annular, grouped papules. They usually are on the extremities especially on the lateral or dorsal surfaces of the fingers, hands, wrists, ankles, and insteps. Several clinical manifestations have been reported for this disease. Variants, such as localized, generalized, subcutaneous, linear, perforating and patch GA, have been reported. The generalized form may present as either disseminated, individual, usually skin-colored papules arise anywhere on the skin surface especially trunk, or annular to circinate erythematous lesions that resemble erythema multiform, erythema migrans, erythema annularecentrifugum and erythema gyratumrepens. In latter group, the popular quality is less obvious than the erythema. In these lesions, rings may spread centrifugally and central hyper pigmentation may be present. This report describes a case of generalized GA in a 46-year-old diabetic woman with annular and circinate erythematous plaques resembling erythema annulare. At first according to clinical and histological findings, diagnosis of erythema gyratumrepens had been suggested but later, GA was confirmed