Treatment of small keloids with intralesional 5- fluorouracil alone vs. intralesional triamcinolone acetonide with 5-fluorouracil

Keloid is a benign well demarcated area of dense, fibrous tissue overgrowth that extends beyond the original defect. To compare the efficacy of intralesional 5-fluorouracil [5-FU] alone vs. intralesional triamcinolone acetonide [TAC] in combination with 5-fluorouracil. Study on 50 clinically diagnosed lesions of keloids from 28 patients was conducted. In group A, 25 keloid lesions were subjected to 50 mg/ml 5-FU intralesionally while in group B, 25 keloid lesions were injected intralesionally with a combination of 40 mg/ml triamcinolone acetonide [0.1 ml] and 5-FU 50mg/ml [0.9 ml]. Both the procedures were repeated at weekly intervals for 4 weeks, then bimonthly for 2 months and then monthly until the keloid lesions in both groups virtually assumed the same level as that of surrounding tissue or for a maximum of 3 months. Good to excellent response was seen in 96% cases in group B in contrast to 72% cases only in group A. The group B lesions showed better improvement than group A lesions in pruritus, pain, tenderness, restriction of movements and cosmetic problem. No recurrence was seen in any of the lesions. The combination of 5-FU and triamcinolone acetonide is a better modality of treatment of small keloids compared with 5-FU alone

comparative study of depression and anxiety in psoriasis and other chronic skin diseases

Psoriasis is often associated with psychological disorders and social discomfort. To compare depression and subcomponents of anxiety among psoriasis patients and controls with other chronic skin disorders. 162 psoriasis patients and 200 patients with other chronic skin disorders in the age group of 14-60 years were selected from Dermatology and Venereology Outpatient Department of Sri Guru Ram Das Institute of Medical Sciences and Research, Amritsar. The participants responded to IPAT Anxiety scale and Zungs Self-Rating Depression Scale. The data was analyzed statistically. The results of present study clearly revealed that psoriasis patients scored higher on depression and different sub-components of anxiety namely low self control, suspicion, apprehension and tension as compared to the control group. The findings of the present study highlight the higher prevalence of depression and anxiety in the psoriasis patients as compared to patients with other chronic skin diseases; it also shows importance of psychological adjustment in patient with psoriasis. It is recommended that the patients with psoriasis require psychological evaluation and management along with medical treatment

Conjunctival malignant melanoma in xeroderma pigmentosum - a case report

Xeroderma pigmentosum [XP] is a rare autosomal recessive disease characterised by photosensitivity, pigmentary changes, premature skin ageing and development of various cutaneous and internal malignancies at an early age due to defective nucleotide excision repair following exposure to ultraviolet radiations. Conjunctival malignant melanoma has a very rare association with XP. In this regard, we report a case of a 14-year-old boy suffering from XP with malignant melanoma of conjunctiva