Psoriasis in childhood and adolescence: evaluation of demographic and clinical features.

BACKGROUND: The present study was aimed to define the gender ratio, familial occurrence, age of onset, precipitating factors, clinical types, nail and joint involvement of psoriasis in childhood and adolescence in Turkey. METHODS: A total of 61 children with psoriasis under 18 years old were evaluated retrospectively, for age, gender, age of disease onset, family history, concomitant disease, the clinical type of psoriasis, clinical localization, nail and joint involvement and treatment modalities. RESULTS: Of the patients, 23 (37.70%) were boys and 38 (62.30%) were girls. Mean age was 9.28 +/- 4.02 years in girls and 11.18 +/- 3.85 years in boys (9.96 +/- 4.03 years in all children). Mean age at the onset of the disease was 6.81 +/- 4.11 years in girls and 7.03 +/- 4.28 years in boys (6.89 +/- 4.14 years in all patients). In 14 (23%) cases, a positive family history was detected. The most frequent probable triggering factors were upper respiratory tract infections (14.8%) and positive throat culture for A group ss-hemolytic streptococcus (21.3%). Frequency of emotional stress and psychiatric morbidity were 54% and 9.8%, respectively. The most frequent localizations at onset were trunk (44.3%), extremities (54.0%), and scalp (36.0%). Three children (4.9%) had a history of dissemination from psoriatic diaper rash. In total, 51 (83.6%) patients presented with psoriasis vulgaris, eight (13.1%) with generalized pustular psoriasis, and the remaining two (3.3%) with erythrodermic psoriasis. CONCLUSION: The incidence of psoriasis among dermatological patients in childhood and adolescence was 3.8%. The disease tends to appear earlier in girls than boys. The authors suggested that stress and upper respiratory infections are the most important triggering factors in childhood and adolescence psoriasis.

Multiple metastatic tuberculosis abscesses in a patient with Pott disease and lung tuberculosis: a case report.

The incidence of tuberculosis in Western countries is rising, and continued vigilance together with an awareness of its protean manifestations is essential. Cutaneous tuberculosis is a relatively rare manifestation of the disease, accounting for only 1% of extrapulmonary cases of tuberculosis and 0.14% of all reported cases of tuberculosis. A 19-year-old male patient was admitted to our clinic with skin lesions both at the front and at the back of his body. With clinical findings, histopathology, polymerase chain reaction, PA lung graph, and computerised tomography, the patient was diagnosed with metastatic tuberculosis abscess associated with lung tuberculosis and Pott's disease. Antituberculosis drugs were administered. An increased awareness of the re-emergence of cutaneous tuberculosis will allow for the proper diagnosis and management of this increasing common skin disorder.

Congenital hemihypertrophy with hemihypertrichosis.

The rare condition in which one side of the body seems to grow faster than the other is called hemihypertrophy. This may be accepted as normal, but there are certain serious conditions that may be associated with this type of growth pattern. Congenital hypertrichosis is believed to be a genetic disorder that is inherited or occurs as a result of spontaneous mutation. The incidence of generalised congenital hypertrichosis is about one in a billion. A seven-month-old female case was brought to the hospital with growth and hairiness complaints, which were more apparent in the right side of the face, the right arm and the right leg. Physical examination showed more apparent hypertrophy and hypertrichosis, which covered the entire right side of the body beginning from the face and including the lower extremities and the genitalia. Hypertrichosis was more evident above the right scapula and on the right leg. The diameter of the right upper extremity and the right lower extremity were measured at 13 mm and 14 mm thicker than the left side, respectively. The infant did not have teeth yet and had totally normal nail growth. Skeletal structure, cardiovascular, respiratory, urogenital, central nervous system and eye examinations were all normal. Results of all laboratory analyses, including genetic examination, and those of the imaging techniques were found to be normal. We hereby present the rare co-presence of hemihypertrophy and hemihypertrichosis, for which we could not identify an etiological cause and which is the third such case in the literature.

Assessment of salivary and serum antioxidant vitamins and lipid peroxidation in patients with recurrent aphthous ulceration.

Recurrent aphthous ulceration (RAU) is a common oral mucosal disorder characterized by recurrent, painful oral aphthae. Although the exact cause of RAU is not known, local trauma, microorganisms, nutritional deficiencies, hormonal changes, genetics, and immunological factors have been suggested to contribute to its pathogenesis. The aim of this study was to assess the level of lipid peroxidation and status of antioxidant vitamins in patients with RAU. Thirty patients with RAU and 20 healthy controls were recruited. Vitamins A, E, and C and malondialdehyde (MDA) levels were measured in both serum and saliva of patients with RAU and control subjects by high performance liquid chromatography. Levels of vitamins A, E and C in both fluids were significantly lower (p < 0.05 for vitamins A and E, and p < 0.005 for vitamin C, respectively) in patients with RAU than in healthy control subjects. Conversely, the levels of MDA in serum and saliva were significantly higher (p < 0.005) in patients with RAU than in the control group. Furthermore, strong and highly significant correlation was found between serum and salivary levels of vitamins A, E and C, and MDA in patients with RAU (r > or = 0.90, p < 0.0001). The present study demonstrates that the serum and saliva levels of selected antioxidant vitamins are lower, while the degree of lipid peroxidation, as judged by the MDA levels, is higher in patients with RAU than in the control subjects. This is the first to measure specific antioxidant levels in both saliva and blood in the same patients, and indicates that the non-enzymatic anti-oxidant ability is impaired in patients with RAU.

Prevalence of psychological factors in chronic dermatoses.

Aim To investigate, retrospectively, psychiatric consultation results of inpatients staying in Firat University Dermatology Clinic. Materials and method Records of 520 inpatients who were treated in Firat University Dermatology Clinic between May 2000 and May 2003 were examined and their psychiatric consultation reports were retrospectively evaluated. Results Of the 520 patients who were included in the study, 272 were female and 248 were male. Ninety-two patients were asked to have psychiatric consultation and when consultation results of these patients were examined it was seen that 67 of them (61.7%) were given a psychiatric diagnosis. Of the 67 patients who were given a psychiatric diagnosis, 34 (50.7%) were female and 33 (49.3%) were male. Mean age of the patients was 39.4 (the youngest being 24 and the oldest 63). It was established that 35.9% of patients (24 individuals) were diagnosed as depressive disorder, 29.8% (20 individuals) as anxiety disorder, 13.4% (nine individuals) as mixed depressive anxiety disorder, 13.4% (nine individuals) as borderline personality disorder and 7.5% (five individuals) as obsessive-compulsive disorder, and that psychiatric treatment was started in 91% of patients. Dermatological diagnoses of patients who were given psychiatric diagnoses were as follows in order of frequency: psoriasis in 22 patients (32.9%), urticaria in 31 patients (46.2%), prurigo nodularis in five patients (7.4%) and others in nine patients (13.5%), respectively. Conclusions Dermatological diseases and psychiatric disorders frequently go together. Psychiatric treatment was started in a high number of patients who were given psychiatric diagnoses and had dermatological problems in the present study. Referring patients with chronic dermatological problems to the psychiatry clinic with a view to supporting their dermatological treatments, we believe, will increase the success rate of dermatosis treatment.

Idiopathic unilateral hyperhidrosis with Holmes-Adie syndrome: case report.

Hyperhidrosis is a disease that is characterized by excessive sweating due to hyperactivation of eccrine sweat glands. It may be localized or generalized form. Holmes-Adie syndrome is an idiopathic disease with unilateral pupil dilatation and loss of deep tendon reflexes. We present a 37-year-old female patient diagnosed with unilateral hyperhidrosis coincident with Holmes-Adie syndrome because of this unusual presentation.