Sexual quality of life in female patients with acne.

Acne is a common skin disease which can have a negative psychosocial impact on quality of life. Sexual health is an important part of overall health and little is known about the effects of acne on individual sexuality. We aimed to assess the sexual quality of life and general quality of life in female patients with acne and compare to those without acne. Sixty female participants with acne and age-matched 40 female controls were enrolled in the study and asked to complete the Sexual Quality of Life-Female Questionnaire and the Short Form-36 Health Survey. Acne severity was evaluated objectively by the Global Acne Grading System and subjectively by the Visual Analogue Scale. Participants reported a significantly worse sexual quality of life and had significantly decreased scores on the quality of life scales of Bodily Pain, General Perception of Health and the Physical Component Summary when compared to controls. Neither the sexual quality of life nor the quality of life was correlated with objective and subjective acne severity and duration of acne. Acne can negatively affect sexual quality of life in female patients as well as differentdimensions of quality of life. The sexual quality of life should be considered while evaluating acne in women irrespective of its severity.

Neonatal sucking blister.

Neonatal sucking blisters result from vigorous sucking on hand or forearm in utero. Clinically, one observes a tense, fluid-filled blister, which when ruptured forms an erosion. We report a female neonate with a sucking blister on the distal dorsal aspect of her left forearm. These benign bullae should be differentiated from other diseases of the newborn through their presentation, characteristic morphology, and self-limiting course.

Children with atopic dermatitis do not have more anxiety or different cortisol levels compared with normal children.

BACKGROUND: The hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis has an important immunoregulatory role under stress, and stress-mediated anxiety has been reported to be associated with alterations in immune functions and attenuated cortisol levels in atopic dermatitis (AD) patients. OBJECTIVE: We investigated serum basal cortisol and anxiety levels in pediatric AD patients and compared them with those of controls. METHODS: Basal serum cortisol levels were measured in 36 pediatric AD patients (aged 9-16 years) and 36 control subjects (aged 9-15 years). Anxiety was assessed by the trait anxiety subscale (TAI-C) of the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory for Children. The severity of AD was assessed by the objective severity scoring of AD (SCORing Atopic Dermatitis [SCORAD]). RESULTS: Data analysis showed no statistical difference for the basal serum cortisol levels (p = .383) and the TAI-C (p = .730) between the two groups. No significant correlation was found between the basal cortisol values and the TAI-C scores in the AD group (p = .290). The SCORAD index was correlated with the TAI-C scores (p < .05) but not correlated with the basal serum cortisol values in AD patients (p = .06). CONCLUSION: Children with AD do not have more anxiety or different cortisol levels when compared with normal children, but the severe symptomatology of AD itself may cause anxiety levels to increase in children with AD.

Lupus vulgaris in a pediatric patient: a clinicohistopathological diagnosis.

Lupus vulgaris is the most common form of cutaneous tuberculosis which usually occurs in patients previously sensitized to Mycobacterium tuberculosis. We present a case of a 10-year-old boy who was diagnosed as lupus vulgaris clinically and histopathologically. He had well demarcated, irregularly bordered, pink, infiltrated plaques on his left cheek showing apple-jelly appearance on diascopy. The histopathological examination showed tuberculoid granulomas with Langhans type giant cells. The Mantoux reactivity was in normal limits, and no acid-fast bacilli was found in the lesion, either by direct stained smears or by culture. The lesions showed marked improvement on anti-tuberculosis treatment. We want to emphasize that histopathological examination has diagnostic value in lupus vulgaris in correlation with clinical appearance, when direct analysis or culture is negative.

Pediatric morphea (localized scleroderma): review of 136 patients.

BACKGROUND: Morphea is an autoimmune inflammatory sclerosing disorder that may cause permanent functional disability and disfigurement. OBJECTIVES: We sought to determine the clinical features of morphea in a large pediatric cohort. METHODS: We conducted a retrospective chart review of 136 pediatric patients with morphea from one center, 1989 to 2006. RESULTS: Most children showed linear morphea, with a disproportionately high number of Caucasian and female patients. Two patients with rapidly progressing generalized or extensive linear morphea and arthralgias developed restrictive pulmonary disease. Initial oral corticosteroid treatment and long-term methotrexate administration stabilized and/or led to disease improvement in most patients with aggressive disease. LIMITATIONS: Retrospective analysis, relatively small sample size, and risk of a selected referral population to the single site are limitations. CONCLUSIONS: These data suggest an increased prevalence of morphea in Caucasian girls, and support methotrexate as treatment for problematic forms. Visceral manifestations rarely occur; the presence of progressive problematic cutaneous disease and arthralgias should trigger closer patient monitoring.

Lupus vulgaris in a pediatric patient: a clinicohistopathological diagnosis

Lupus vulgaris is the most common form of cutaneous tuberculosis which usually occurs in patients previously sensitized to Mycobacterium tuberculosis. We present a case of a 10-year-old boy who was diagnosed as lupus vulgaris clinically and histopathologically. He had well demarcated, irregularly bordered, pink, infiltrated plaques on his left cheek showing apple-jelly appearance on diascopy. The histopathological examination showed tuberculoid granulomas with Langhans type giant cells. The Mantoux reactivity was in normal limits, and no acid-fast bacilli was found in the lesion, either by direct stained smears or by culture. The lesions showed marked improvement on anti-tuberculosis treatment. We want to emphasize that histopathological examination has diagnostic value in lupus vulgaris in correlation with clinical appearance, when direct analysis or culture is negative.

Becker's naevus and segmental naevus depigmentosus: an example of twin spotting?

A 12-year-old girl presented with a 1-year history of a Becker's naevus involving the right posterior thigh and gluteal area. In addition, three hypopigmented macules of naevus depigmentosus distributed in a segmental pattern on the medial aspect of the right posterior thigh had been present since birth. We suggest that their unusual coexistence in close proximity may represent an example of twin spotting.

Acquired port-wine stain in a pediatric patient.

BACKGROUND: Acquired port-wine stains (PWSs) are vascular lesions that are identical to congenital PWSs morphologically and histopathologically. OBJECTIVE: Because acquired PWSs are rarely seen in adult and pediatric patients, we present a 9-year-old boy with an acquired PWS on his left forearm. CONCLUSION: None of the proposed etiologies, such as trauma, chronic sun exposure, or hormonal medication, was applicable to our patient, and a literature review showed us that acquired PWSs give a faster and better response to pulsed dye laser therapy than congenital lesions do.

Efficiency of benzoyl peroxide-erythromycin gel in comparison with metronidazole gel in the treatment of acne rosacea.

Oral wide-spectrum antibiotics are the linchpin of rosacea treatment. Oral and topical metronidazole, topical tretinoin, and topical benzoyl peroxide may also be used in the treatment of rosacea. We aimed to show that benzoyl peroxide-erythromycin gel is efficient in the treatment of acne rosacea. Fifty-six patients with acne rosacea were enrolled in our study. We administered benzoyl peroxide-erythromycin gel to 27 patients and metronidazole gel to 29 patients. In all the patients, the intensities of erythema, telangiectasia, papules/pustules, and nodules were evaluated before, during and after the treatment. The positivity of Demodex folliculorum from skin scratches was compared between the two groups at each visit. At the end of the therapy on the third examination, in the benzoyl peroxide-erythromycin group, 91.7% of the patients showed marked clinical improvement, and 8.3% of them showed complete remission. In the metronidazole group, 73.3% showed marked clinical improvement, and 26.7% of them showed complete remission. Clinical improvement in the papular component was 65.2% for the benzoyl peroxide-erythromycin group, and 81.5% for metronidazole group. In the first examination, the clinical results of the agents were similar. Although both of the drugs were found to be effective in the second and third examinations, metronidazole gel was more effective than benzoyl peroxide-erythromycin. Both of the drugs were found to be significantly effective especially in treating the papular component of rosacea. Demodex folliculorum was found to be positive in 74.1% of the benzoyl peroxide-erythromycin group and in 62.1% of the metronidazole group at the beginning. In the benzoyl peroxide-erythromycin group, 40.7% of Demodex folliculorum positive patients, became negative by the first examination. This was 17.2% for the metronidazole group. In the benzoyl peroxide-erythromycin group, among the patients who were positive for Demodex folliculorum in the first examination, 37.5% of them became negative. This was 36.7% for the metronidazole group. Benzoyl peroxide-erythromycin gel was superior to metronidazole gel in decreasing Demodex folliculorum by the first examination, but the effect of the two drugs on Demodex folliculorum was similar by the second examination. As a result, topically applied combined benzoyl peroxide-erythromycin gel may be an alternative choice of treatment for acne rosacea.