Clinical and Laboratory Findings of Pigmented Purpuric Dermatoses

BACKGROUND: Pigmented purpuric dermatoses (PPD) are chronic, recurrent group of disorders characterized by petechial and pigmentary macules usually localized on the lower limbs. Its etiopathogenesis is unknown. There are very few clinical and etiological studies on PPD in the literature. OBJECTIVE: We aim to examine the etiopathogenetic factors of PPD retrospectively. METHODS: Demographic characteristics, history of co-morbid disorders and drug usage, hepatitis markers, levels of serum lipids, findings of Doppler ultrasonography in lower extremities, and patch test results of the 24 patients of PPD were examined retrospectively. The patch test results, history of drug use, and co-morbid disorders of the patients were compared with those of the control groups. RESULTS: The male-to-female ratio was 1 : 2, and 83.3% of the patients had Schamberg disease. Seventeen patients had co-morbid disorders and 16 used various drugs, but there was no statistically significant difference between the controls and patients. One patient was positive for hepatitis B surface antigen and 1, for anti-hepatitis C virus antibody. Nine had elevated total cholesterol levels, and 5 had elevated triglyceride levels. Further, 30% of them were positive for at least 1 allergen, while 16% of the control subjects were positive for at least 1 allergen, but statistically significant difference was not found between the 2 groups. Variable degrees of venous insufficiency were detected in 75% of the patients on Doppler ultrasonography of the lower extremities. CONCLUSION: Venous insufficiency and hypercholesterolemia might be the basic predisposing factors for PPD. Further studies are needed to show if diabetes mellitus and hypertension may cause perivascular inflammation in PPD.

Comparison of corneal curvature and anterior chamber depth measurements using the manual keratometer, lenstar LS 900 and the pentacam

The purpose of this study was to compare keratometry and anterior chamber depth [ACD] measurements from the Lenstar LS 900 [Haag-Streit AG, Switzerland] and the Pentacam [Oculus, Weltzar, Germany], and compare the keratometry readings of these two systems to a manual keratometer [MK], [Haag-Streit, Switzerland]. In this prospective study, keratometry and ACD measurements were obtained in 50 eyes of 50 normal subjects with the Lenstar and the Pentacam. Keratometry was also measured using a MK. Correlation, comparison, and interdevice agreement was evaluated using intraclass correlation analysis, Wilcoxon test, and Bland-Altman plots. The keratometry and ACD measurements obtained from the Lenstar and the Pentacam showed excellent correlation. The mean interdevice differences in mean keratometry [Km] for the Lenstar and the Pentacam, the Lenstar and the MK, and the Pentacam and the MK were 0.39 D, 0.10 D, and 0.30 D respectively; and the 95% limits of agreement [LoA] for Km were 0.04-0.82 D; -1.90-2.10 D; and -2.30-1.70 D, respectively. The mean interdevice difference in ACD for the Lenstar versus the Pentacam was 0.09 mm, with 95% LoA of 0.23-0.05 mm. The ACD measurements obtained using the Lenstar and the Pentacam seem to be interchangeable, whereas, the keratometry measurements obtained using the Lenstar, Pentacam, and MK differ considerably, and are not interchangeable