Nicolau syndrome: an iatrogenic cutaneous necrosis.

Nicolau syndrome is an uncommon complication of intramuscular injection leading to variable degrees of necrosis of skin and the underlying tissues. We report here two cases of this syndrome. Our first case was a 25 year-old male who developed intense pain and purplish discoloration of the skin in the right hip after intramuscular diclofenac injection. The second case was a 60 year-old male who developed intense pain and discoloration of skin, not only at the injection site, but also on the left scapular area and left elbow after receiving chlorpheniramine maleate injection intramuscularly. These cases highlight the need for awareness about this condition and the need to exercise utmost care during the administration of any parenteral injections by dermatologists.

Radiofrequency ablation of adenoma sebaceum.

Adenoma sebaceum is one of the diagnostic features of tuberous sclerosis. Histologically, they are angiofibromas that occur over the central part of the face and hence, cause a major cosmetic disfigurement. Different forms of ablative treatments including laser ablation have been used for the treatment of this condition. Laser treatment is expensive and any form of treatment for adenoma sebaceum is not a one-time procedure but is a recurring process as the condition is genetic in aetiology. It is therefore appropriate to use a cheap and easily available modality, particularly in the Indian scenario. We hereby report a case of tuberous sclerosis in whom we ablated the lesions by radiofrequency technique with acceptable results.