Porokeratosis confined to the genital area: a report of three cases.

Genital involvement in porokeratosis (PK) is a rare occurrence even in disseminated forms. We encountered three patients who had porokeratosis affecting only the genital area. Two of them were male with involvement of the penis and scrotum and only the scrotum respectively. The lady with vulvar involvement is a hitherto unreported instance of porokeratosis confined to female genitalia. None of the cases were very easy to diagnose clinically but biopsies proved confirmatory. The male patients were advised light electrocautery under local anesthesia while the female patient underwent surgical excision.No malignant change has been reported in them till date.

Multicentric squamous cell carcinoma over lesions of porokeratosis palmaris et plantaris disseminata and giant porokeratosis.

Porokeratosis is a specific disorder of keratinization that has five clinical types and shows a characteristic 'cornoid lamella' on histopathology. Malignant degeneration has been described in all forms of porokeratosis. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first Indian report of multicentric squamous cell carcinoma complicating porokeratosis.

An open randomized comparative study of oral itraconazole pulse and terbinafine pulse in the treatment of onychomycosis.

BACKGROUND: Onychomycosis is a recalcitrant disease of the nails caused by dermatophytes, yeasts, and molds. AIMS: To compare the clinical efficacy of oral itraconazole pulse therapy and oral terbinafine pulse therapy in onychomycosis. METHODS: A randomized single-blind clinical comparative study was undertaken on 120 patients of onychomycosis during the period March 1999-February 2002. Sixty patients were randomly assigned to receive oral itraconazole 100 mg, two capsules twice daily for seven days a month and the other group of sixty patients received oral terbinafine 250 mg, one tablet twice daily for seven days every month. Four such monthly pulses were administered for each drug. The patients were evaluated at 4-weekly intervals till sixteen weeks and then at 24, 36 and 48 weeks. RESULTS: We observed a clinical cure rate of 82% and mycological cure rate of 90% in the group of patients treated with itraconazole while the group with terbinafine showed clinical and mycological cure rates of 79% and 87% respectively. This difference was not statistically significant. CONCLUSIONS: Both oral itraconazole and terbinafine are effective in the treatment of onychomycosis when administered in the pulse dosage form. Terbinafine is more cost effective while itraconazole has a broader spectrum of antimycotic activity.

Pityriasis versicolor in the pediatric age group.

BACKGROUND: Pityriasis versicolor (PV) is a mild chronic infection of the skin caused by Malassezia yeasts. Although it is primarily seen in adults, children are often affected in the tropics . METHODS: Over a period of 2 years, children (up to the age of 14 years) who were clinically and mycologically diagnosed as PV were included in the study. The clinical and epidemiological pattern in different age groups was noted. RESULTS: PV in this age group formed about 31% of the total cases of PV; 4.8% cases presented in infancy. The commonest site of involvement was the face in 39.9% of the cases. Most of the cases presented in summer months. CONCLUSIONS: PV is not an uncommon disease among children in the tropics. There is a sudden resurgence of cases in the hot monsoons and even infants are not spared.

Epidemiological and clinicopathological study of oral leukoplakia.

BACKGROUND: Oral white lesions that cannot be clinically or pathologically characterized by any specific disease are referred to as leukoplakia. Such lesions are well known for their propensity for malignant transformation to the extent of 10-20%.Exfoliative cytology is a simple and useful screening tool for detection of malignant or dysplastic changes in such lesions. AIMS: A clinico-epidemiological and cytological study of oral leukoplakia was undertaken to detect their malignant potential and value of cytology in diagnosis. METHODS: This 2 year duration multicentre study was undertaken on all patients presenting with oral white lesions to the out patient department of the two institutions. Those cases in which a specific cause (infective, systemic disease or specific disease entity) for the white lesions were elicited were excluded from the study. The group with idiopathic white lesions was included in the study and was subjected to periodic exfoliative cytological study at three monthly intervals to detect any malignant change. Patients presenting less than two times for follow up were excluded from the final analysis of the study. RESULTS: Out of total 2920 patients studied, 89.53% showed benign, 9.93% showed dysplastic and, 0.72% showed malignant cells on exfoliative cytological study. All the dysplastic and malignant lesions were subjected to histopathological study by incisional biopsy. Among the dysplastic lesions 13.79% proved benign and the rest true dysplastic. Among the cytologically malignant group 4.76% showed dysplasia and the rest true malignant lesions. CONCLUSION: Persistent leukoplakia has a potential for malignant transformation and exfoliative cytology could be a simple method for early detection of dysplastic and malignant changes.

Alagille syndrome with prominent skin manifestations.

Alagille syndrome, a rare genetic disorder with autosomal dominant transmission, manifests 5 major features: paucity of interlobular bile ducts, characteristic facies, posterior embryotoxon, vertebral defects and peripheral pulmonic stenosis. We report a 6-year-old male child who presented with a history of progressive jaundice since infancy, generalized pruritus and widespread cutaneous xanthomata. He was also found to have obstructive jaundice, pulmonary stenosis with ventricular septal defect and paucity of bile ducts in liver biopsy. Histopathology confirmed skin lesions as xanthomata. The child was diagnosed as a case of Alagille syndrome. This particular syndrome with prominent cutaneous manifestations has been rarely reported in the Indian literature.

Epidermolysis bullosa pruriginosa--report of three cases.

Epidermolysis bullosa pruriginosa, a genetic mechanobullous disease, is characterized by pruritus, lichenified or nodular prurigo-like lesions, occasional trauma-induced blistering, excoriations, milia, nail dystrophy and albopapuloid lesions, appearing at birth or later. Scarring and prurigo are most prominent on the shins. Treatment is unsatisfactory. We report three such cases: two of them first cousins, are described with history of blisters since childhood, followed by intensely pruritic lesions predominantly on the shins, and dystrophy of toenails, but no albopapuloid lesions or milia. Intact blisters were present in one case, and excoriations were seen in the other two. All of them showed encouraging response to cryotherapy.