A rare case of pemphigoid vegetans / 中华皮肤科杂志

A 89-year-old female patient presented with skin lesions of the groin, vulva and intergluteal sulcus for 10 months, and blisters for 3 weeks. Skin examination revealed the red-white hyperplastic plaques on the groin, vulva and intergluteal sulcus, on which mung-bean- to pea-sized erosions and blisters scattered, and several similar blisters were scattered on the right axilla and right leg, some of which were broken and covered with crusts. Histopathological examination of the skin lesion on the intergluteal sulcus showed thickened spinous layer without acantholysis, subepidermal fissures and blisters in some areas, focal papillary dermal edema with eosinophil infiltration, and perivascular infiltration composed mainly of lymphocytes in the superficial dermis. Direct immunofluorescence assay showed linear deposition of IgG and C3 at the epidermal basement membrane zone, clustered deposition of IgM in the dermis, but no IgA deposition. Indirect immunofluorescence on salt-split skin revealed that IgG and C3 were deposited on the epidermal side. Enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) showed that serum levels of anti-BP180 and anti-BP230 antibodies were 26.92 U/ml and 68.17 U/ml respectively, and those of anti-desmoglein 1 (Dsg1) and anti-Dsg3 antibodies were normal. The patient was diagnosed with pemphigoid vegetans. After the treatment with oral methylprednisolone combined with topical halometasone ointment and tacrolimus 0.03% ointment, the skin lesions gradually subsided.

Genotype and clinical analysis of 129 strains of Cryptoccocus neoformans / 中国感染与化疗杂志

Objective To determine the genetic subtypes and susceptible population of Cryptoccocus neoformans in China. Methods We analyzed 129 strains of Cryptococcus neoformans isolated during the period from 1980 through 2006 in 18 Prov-inces and municipalities of central and eastern China using epidemiological method,PCR fingerprint,and multilocus sequence typing (MLST).Results About 71.5% (91/129)of the clinical strains were isolated from the patients without any recognizable immunodeficiency.Only 8.5% (11/129)of the strains were from AIDS patients.The remaining 20.9% (27/129)were from patients with underlying diseases other than HIV infection.Furthermore,PCR fingerprinting and MLST showed that serotype A strains exhibited a unique VNⅠsubtype,which was distinguishable from the reference VNⅠmolecular types.For convenience we named this unique genotype as VNⅠc.Conclusions People without any recognizable immunodeficiency are the main susceptible population of the 129 clinical strains of Cryptococcus neoformans ,which contrasts with the reports from other countries.The different genetic subtypes of Cryptococcus neoformans between China and other countries may contribute to such a difference.

Hydroxyapatite orbital implant drilling and pegging / 眼科新进展

Objective　To evaluate the efficacy and safty of pegging hydroxyapatite orbital implants.Methods　Fourty-five patients who received drilling and pegging of hydroxyapatite orbital implants were studied retrospectively, and all patients used the peg and sleeve system followed-up 2 to 24 months.Results　The rate of success of the first operations is 82.2%. Complications associated with pegging included peg hole drilled on an angle, drilling off-center, drilled hole shallow, granuloma and infection, total complications occured in 22.2% in the review, most that are of a minor nature can be cured.Conclusions　The hydroxyapatite orbital implants can be directly coupled to the prosthesis through a peg system, allowing a wide range of prosthesis movement and giving a more lifelike quality to the prosthesis. When and how to drill and exactly hole on implant is the key for pegging.