Telangiectasia macularis eruptiva perstans treated with narrow-band UVB phototherapy and heliotherapy during the COVID-19 pandemic

@#Telangiectasia macularis eruptiva perstans (TMEP) is a rare disease, previously classified as a variant of cutaneous mastocytosis. While no gold standard of treatment exists, several treatments have been studied. We report a case of a 63-year-old woman who presented with long-standing asymptomatic telangiectatic macules beginning on the upper chest, back, and bilateral arms, with occasional pruritus and no other systemic symptoms. Skin biopsy, along with Giemsa stain, revealed findings consistent with TMEP. The patient underwent testing for serum tryptase level, which was within normal limits. The patient was started on topical steroids for two weeks and antihistamine therapy, with a noted decrease in pruritus but no change in cutaneous lesions. She was then advised to start phototherapy, and subsequently underwent a total of five sessions of narrow-band ultraviolet B phototherapy, after which she noted lightening of the lesions. Due to the COVID pandemic, the patient was shifted to heliotherapy with continued lightening of lesions after two months of thrice weekly sessions. This rare case is supportive of narrow-band ultraviolet B phototherapy and heliotherapy as promising treatment options for cases of TMEP.

Herpes zoster after COVID-19 vaccination: A case series

Introduction@#The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic caused a global health crisis, necessitating the development of vaccines. An emerging cutaneous reaction is herpes zoster.@*Case Series@#We present 7 cases of Filipino patients who developed herpes zoster after receiving the COVID-19 vaccine. Four patients received Sinovac Biotech Ltd (CoronaVac), 2 patients received Oxford AstraZeneca, and 1 patient received Pfizer-BioN- Tech (COMIRNATY). Five patients developed herpes zoster after their first dose of the vaccine, while 2 patients developed herpes zoster after their second dose. All patients were prescribed anti-viral medication, after which resolution of the lesions was observed.@*Conclusion@#As more vaccines are administered, further surveillance is necessary to expand our understanding of a possible association between herpes zoster and COVID-19 vaccines. Additionally, awareness of cutaneous reactions following COVID-19 vaccines and their disease course can contribute to shifting the attitude towards pro-vaccination.