Pemphigoid Gestationis - Case Report and Review of Literature.

Pemphigoid gestationis (PG) is a rare autoimmune bullous skin disorder which usually presents with intense pruritus and urticarial lesions that may evolve into vesicles and tense blisters. In majority of patients, it starts in the second or third trimester of pregnancy and resolves spontaneously after delivery. Lesions appear in the periumbilical area in 90% of patients and rapidly spread centrifugally to other parts of the body. The diagnosis needs to be confirmed by direct immunofluorescence test (DIF) with indirect immunofluorescence test (IIF), ELISA and immunoblot techniques playing role in diagnosis and/or monitoring antibodies level. Mild symptoms of PG can be treated with topical therapy only, but in severe course of the disease the treatment may be escalated to oral corticosteroids. We present an unusual case of PG started 2 weeks after delivery with an updated overview on the epidemiology, pathology, clinical picture, treatment, and complications of the disease.

New onset of sinoatrial block in a young patient treated with systemic meglumine antimoniate.

The sinoatrial block is a new side effect of meglumine antimoniate. Prompt interruption of the drug results in the normalization of electrographic changes and prevents sudden cardiac arrest.

Factors associated with acute and recurrent erysipelas in a young population: a retrospective of 147 cases.

BACKGROUND: erysipelas is a common infection of the superficial layer of the skin, predominantly caused by groups A ß-hemolytic streptococci. It is an acute infection of the skin and frequently affects the legs. It is common in the elderly and favoured by the associated comorbidities. Its occurrence in young healthy people is rare. AIM: The present study aimed to elucidate factors associated with acute and recurrent erysipelas in a young population. METHODS: We retrospectively analyzed 147 cases of erysipelas admitted to the dermatology department of the Military Hospital of Tunis, Tunisia, over 18 years, identifying factors associated with recurrence. All patients were aged less than 35 years. RESULTS: During the study period, 147 patients were registered with the diagnosis of erysipelas. There were 125 military soldiers and 22 non-military patients. The prevalence of erysipelas was 2.23%. The median age was 25 years. Almost 86.2% of patients were male. The main favorable factors were: obesity (9%), alcoholism (8%), chronic venous insufficiency (6.5%), chronic lymphedema (3%), leg fracture (2%), and diabetes mellitus (1%). The lesions were mostly located in the lower limbs in 94.9%. According to our multivariate analysis, there was an association between recurrence and diabetes mellitus (p=0.02), female sex (p=0.004), onychomycosis (p=0.004), and plantar dyshidrotic eczema (p<0.005). CONCLUSION: Identifying factors associated with recurrent erysipelas in a young population remains essential for proposing primary and secondary prevention measures.

Role of national dermatology societies: A perspective from Tunis.

Dermatology in French-speaking African countries is facing many challenges. Dermatology societies, if they exist, are relatively young and have limited financial resources to provide regular training opportunities for their members and those in training. In several sub-Saharan nations, the small number of dermatologists is truly alarming with the prevalence of such major skin diseases as cutaneous leishmaniasis, AIDS, mycetoma, leprosy, and the consequences of skin bleaching procedures, reaching catastrophic figures.

Clinical characteristics of pediatric hidradenitis suppurativa: a cross-sectional multicenter study of 140 patients.

Hidradenitis suppurativa (HS) rarely affects pediatric patients. The literature on pediatric HS patients is scarce. This is a cross-sectional study based on case note review or interviews and clinical examination of 140 pediatric patients undergoing secondary or tertiary level care. Patients were predominantly female (75.5%, n = 105) with a median age of 16. 39% reported 1st-degree relative with HS. Median BMI percentile was 88, and 11% were smokers (n = 15). Median modified Sartorius score was 8.5. Notable comorbidities found were acne (32.8%, n = 45), hirsutism (19.3%, n = 27), and pilonidal cysts (16.4%, n = 23). Resorcinol (n = 27) and clindamycin (n = 25) were the most frequently used topical treatments. Patients were treated with tetracycline (n = 32), or oral clindamycin and rifampicin in combination (n = 29). Surgical excision was performed in 18 patients, deroofing in five and incision in seven patients. Obesity seemed to be prominent in the pediatric population and correlated to parent BMI, suggesting a potential for preventive measures for the family. Disease management appeared to be similar to that of adult HS, bearing in mind that the younger the patient, the milder the disease in majority of cases.

Verrucous Carcinoma of the Nail Bed: A New Case.

Verrucous carcinoma (VC) of the nail bed is a rare variant of squamous cell carcinoma that is often misdiagnosed as a benign condition. The clinical presentation of this tumor is very similar to that of warts or onychomycosis hence the delayed appropriate treatment. Its association with human papillomavirus (HPV) infection has rarely been reported. The treatment of VC of the nail unit depends on the extent of the lesion and the presence or the absence of bone. We here report an unusual case of VC of the nail bed of the left big toe in a man associated with HPV53 infection that had been mistaken for a wart for 1 year. The condition was treated by ray amputation.

Assessment of the quality of life of Egyptian and Tunisian autoimmune bullous diseases' patients using an Arabic version of the autoimmune bullous disease quality of life and the treatment of autoimmune bullous disease quality of life questionnaires.

BACKGROUND: The Autoimmune Bullous Disease Quality of Life (ABQOL) and the Treatment of Autoimmune Bullous Disease Quality of Life (TABQOL) questionnaires proved to be reliable tools that measure the disease and treatment burden. OBJECTIVES: We aimed to assess the ABQOL and TABQOL in the Arabic population. METHODS: The English questionnaires were translated into the Arabic language by a certified translation agency. Eighty autoimmune bullous disease (AIBD) patients were included in this study. Patients were asked to answer 2 questionnaires. After 1 week the same patients were asked to answer the same questionnaires again. RESULTS: The age of the patients ranged from 19 to 81 years (mean=46), 19 males, 61 females. The ABQOL ranged from 0-37 (mean=16.4±9.2). The TABQOL ranged from 2-43 (mean=21.5±9.4). Test-retest reliability was acceptable, Cronbach's alpha was 0.76 for ABQOL and 0.74 for TABQOL. There was no significant correlation between the age of the patients and ABQOL, r =-0.2, p value was 0.183. There was a significant negative correlation between the age of the patients and the TABQOL, r=-0.2, p value was 0.039. There was a significant negative correlation between the education of the patients and the TABQOL, r=-0.3, p value was 0.007. STUDY LIMITATIONS: Small sample size of some AIBDs and patients with severe disease. CONCLUSION: Objective and valuable measurements such as ABQOL and TABQOL are now available to help physicians understand their patient's distress and should be used in every patient with AIBD. Younger and less educated patients appear to have more effects on their QOL from the treatments.

Nail Involvement in Psoriatic Patients and Association with Onychomycosis: Results from a Cross-Sectional Study Performed in a Military Hospital in Tunisia.

Nail psoriasis has variable prevalence and heterogeneous aspects. Many of them could mimic onychomycosis (OM). It has been suggested that patients with nail psoriasis are at high risk of OM. The aim of our study was to determine the epidemiological and clinical characteristics of nail psoriasis and to estimate the frequency and the factors associated with OM in psoriatic patients. The studied group included 163 patients with psoriasis aged 18 years or older. Epidemiological and clinical data, as well as the severity of skin and nails disease by evaluating the Psoriasis Area Severity Index (PASI) and Nail Area Psoriasis Severity Index (NAPSI) scores were specified. Mycological testing was performed for patients with nail alterations. Nail involvement was found in 71.2% of patients. The most common nail alterations were subungual hyperkeratosis and onycholysis. The mean NAPSI score was 11.6. Mycological testing was performed in 104 patients with onychodystrophy. OM was diagnosed in 53% of the cases. Dermatophytes were the most isolated pathogens. OM was associated with male gender, but not with age, NAPSI, or PASI score. Psoriasis is one of the dermatoses that most commonly affect the nail. Available data about the association between nail psoriasis and OM are controversial. However, mycological testing should be routinely performed on psoriatic nails.

Magnetic Resonance Imaging in the Diagnosis of Onychomatricoma: A Case Report.

Onychomatricoma (OM) is a rare benign tumour of the nail matrix characterized by specific clinical and histologic features. The main clinical signs are thickening of the nail plate, xanthonychia, overcurvature of the nail plate, and multiple splinter haemorrhages. The diagnosis is based on clinical, radiological and histopathological findings. Histologically, the tumour is characterized by filiform epithelial projections. The objective of this study is to present the first reported Tunisian case of OM, focusing on the contribution of magnetic resonance imaging to the diagnosis of OM. A review on the subject is also presented.

Assessment of the quality of life of Egyptian and Tunisian autoimmune bullous diseases' patients using an Arabic version of the autoimmune bullous disease quality of life and the treatment of autoimmune bullous disease quality of life questionnaires

Abstract: Background: The Autoimmune Bullous Disease Quality of Life (ABQOL) and the Treatment of Autoimmune Bullous Disease Quality of Life (TABQOL) questionnaires proved to be reliable tools that measure the disease and treatment burden. Objectives: We aimed to assess the ABQOL and TABQOL in the Arabic population. Methods: The English questionnaires were translated into the Arabic language by a certified translation agency. Eighty autoimmune bullous disease (AIBD) patients were included in this study. Patients were asked to answer 2 questionnaires. After 1 week the same patients were asked to answer the same questionnaires again. Results: The age of the patients ranged from 19 to 81 years (mean=46), 19 males, 61 females. The ABQOL ranged from 0-37 (mean=16.4±9.2). The TABQOL ranged from 2-43 (mean=21.5±9.4). Test-retest reliability was acceptable, Cronbach's alpha was 0.76 for ABQOL and 0.74 for TABQOL. There was no significant correlation between the age of the patients and ABQOL, r =-0.2, p value was 0.183. There was a significant negative correlation between the age of the patients and the TABQOL, r=-0.2, p value was 0.039. There was a significant negative correlation between the education of the patients and the TABQOL, r=-0.3, p value was 0.007. Study limitations: Small sample size of some AIBDs and patients with severe disease. Conclusion: Objective and valuable measurements such as ABQOL and TABQOL are now available to help physicians understand their patient's distress and should be used in every patient with AIBD. Younger and less educated patients appear to have more effects on their QOL from the treatments.

Addictive behaviors, cardiovascular and metabolic comorbidities in North African psoriatic patients: case-control study.

We propose to study the epidemiological aspects of North African psoriasis and determine the cardiovascular comorbidities and addictive behaviors associated with psoriasis. This is a North African case-control study which was conducted over a five year period (October 2008 through August 2013), involving 671 psoriatic patients and 1,242 controls identified in various Algerian, Tunisian and Moroccan university hospitals. For each patient, epidemiological characteristic, addictive behaviors, and cardiovascular pathologies associated with psoriasis were noted. Six hundred and seventy one psoriasis patients and 1,242 controls were included in this study. The average age was 47.24 years and the M/F sex-ratio was 1.11 (354 men and 317 women). Statistical analysis showed that psoriasis patients were more likely to develop addictive behaviors than controls (smoking p<10-5 and alcohol consumption: p < 10-5), together with dyslipidemia (30.1% of patients p < 10-5), obesity (23.8% of patients p < 10-4), hypertension (22.3% of patients p < 10-5), diabetes (21.7% of occurrences p < 10-5) and metabolic syndrome (37.4% of patients p<10-5). The relative risk for developing psoriasis was 1.9 in hypertensive patients, 1.7 in diabetic patients, 3.9 in dyslipidemic patients, 1.8 in obese patients, 2.6 in those with metabolic syndrome, 2.1 in smokers and 2.8 in alcoholics. Our work confirms the high incidence of addictive behaviors and of cardiovascular and metabolic comorbidities during the North-African psoriasis, hence the need for a multidisciplinary comprehensive care based on a guideline suited to the characteristics of North-African psoriatic patients.

Daily Application of an Aqueous, Acidifying, Peelable Nail Polish versus Weekly Amorolfine for Topical Onychomycosis Treatment: A Prospective, Randomized, Blinded Trial.

INTRODUCTION: Onychomycosis is a fungal nail infection, frequently caused by dermatophytes, which occurs in 2-14% of Western adults. The present study was set up to evaluate the efficacy and safety of a water-based, peelable nail polish (daily application), which acidifies the nail environment, versus a 5% amorolfine nail lacquer (weekly application) for topical treatment of mild-to-moderate onychomycosis. METHODS: One hundred two adults were randomized in this open, prospective, blinded trial. Clinical efficacy was evaluated at baseline and days 30, 60, 120, and 180, respectively. All patients underwent microbiological testing (at baseline and study end). The primary objective of this trial was the change in the percentage of healthy nail surface at day 180. RESULTS: The percentage of healthy surface between baseline and day 180 increased with 11.8% in the test product group and 13.2% in the amorolfine group, which were statistically comparable. Other onychomycosis-related parameters (dystrophy, discolouration, thickening, and healthy aspect, respectively) showed significant (p < 0.05) improvement after 180 days (versus baseline) with both treatments. Clinical performance was further confirmed by the frequency of patients showing onychomycosis improvement or success at the end of the study: 96.0% (test product) versus 79.6% (amorolfine). Microbiological results and improved quality of life confirmed clinical performance. Both treatments were well tolerated and appreciated for their properties and efficacy. CONCLUSION: The present trial confirmed the clinical performance of daily acidification of the nail, as reflected by (1) a comparable increase of percentage of healthy nail surface following treatment with the test product versus amorolfine, (2) the overall improvement of other onychomycosis-related parameters, (3) user convenience, and (4) absence of side effects. These data indicate that daily application of an aqueous, acetic acid-based, peelable solution can be a convenient, safe, and equally effective alternative for the topical management of onychomycosis. TRIAL REGISTRATION: ClinicalTrials.gov identifier; NCT03382717 FUNDING: Oystershell Laboratories.

Coexistence of pyoderma gangrenosum and sweet's syndrome in a patient with ulcerative colitis.

Pyoderma gangrenosum (PG) and Sweet's Syndrome (SS) are inflammatory skin diseases caused by the accumulation of neutrophils in the skin and, rarely, in internal organs. These neutrophilic dermatosis (NDs) are distinguished by the existence of forms of transition or overlap. They are frequently associated to systemic diseases especially hematologic and gastrointestinal ones. We report a case of a patient with ulcerative colitis (UC) who successively developed two types of NDs: PG then SS. A 66 years old patient with a history of UC consulted in July 2012 for an erythematous swelling of the back of the right hand treated with antibiotics without improvement. At that time, bacteriological samples were negative. In October 2012, he was hospitalized for polyarthralgia and impaired general condition. In physical examination, he had vesiculobullous plaque of 10 cm long of the right hand and wrist, infiltrated erythematous plaque on the right leg and another topped with a large pustule at the left ankle. Skin biopsy showed at the back of the right hand an aspect of PG and at the infiltrated plaques of the ankle an aspect of SS. Prednisone was started with improvement of the skin lesions and a recovery condition. The combination of PG and SS has already been described in cases of hematologic malignancy and rarely in UC. There is also the notion of passage from a neutrophilic dermatosis to another. Indeed, a typical lesion initially of SS can evolve to a future PG. This case demonstrates that neutrophilic dermatoses form a continous spectrum of entities that may occur in UC.

EPIMAG: International Cross-Sectional Epidemiological Psoriasis Study in the Maghreb.

BACKGROUND: Psoriasis is a common skin disorder that is characterized by red plaques covered with silvery scales and is associated with considerable psychosocial impact. It has been described in several studies worldwide, but specific data from the Maghreb (Algeria, Morocco and Tunisia) are unavailable. OBJECTIVES: To characterize the frequency of new psoriasis cases and to describe the epidemiological and clinical profile of psoriasis in the Maghreb. METHODS: A psoriasis working group for the Maghreb initiated the EPIMAG international multicentre cross-sectional observational epidemiological study coupled with a 2-week psoriasis screening study via medical consultation. Data were collected via questionnaires. RESULTS: The total analysis population included 373 pre-existing and 326 new psoriasis cases, described by 261 participating investigators. The frequency of new psoriasis cases was 10.26/1,000 in Algeria, 15.04/1,000 in Morocco and 13.26/1,000 in Tunisia, and thus 12.08/1,000 in the Maghreb. In all 699 psoriasis subjects, the mean age was 46 years, the mean BMI was 26.6, and 55.7% of subjects were men. Two thirds of the subjects had never smoked, and 85.0% had never consumed alcohol. Half had brown skin, and 28.6% had a family history of psoriasis. Three quarters had localized psoriasis, 85.8% had plaque psoriasis, coupled with pruritus in over 70.0% of cases. Flares or outbreaks were most often triggered by stress (79.4%) and change of season (43.1%). The majority of subjects used topical therapy, and the investigators considered overall treatment efficacy to be partial in over half of the cases. Among patients with pre-existing psoriasis, secondary analyses showed that 73.2% had severe psoriasis, and that quality of life was severely affected in 40.1% of cases. The mean number of missing school or work days over 6 months was 3.2 (±12.1) days. CONCLUSIONS: Our study provides novel information relative to psoriasis epidemiology and characterization in the Maghreb and highlights the need to improve psoriasis screening and management in the region. The data will help optimize psoriasis management, to ensure appropriate national health care policies.

The antiangiogenic insulin receptor substrate-1 antisense oligonucleotide aganirsen impairs AU-rich mRNA stability by reducing 14-3-3ß-tristetraprolin protein complex, reducing inflammation and psoriatic lesion size in patients.

Increased inflammation and aberrant angiogenesis underlie psoriasis. Here, we report that the inhibition of insulin receptor substrate-1 (IRS-1) expression with aganirsen resulted in a dose-dependent reduction (P < 0.0001) in IRS-1 protein in the cytoplasm, while IRS-1 protein remained quantitatively unchanged in the perinuclear environment. Aganirsen induced a dose-dependent increase in serine-phosphorylated IRS-1 in the soluble perinuclear-nuclear fraction, inducing IRS-1-14-3-3ß protein association (P < 0.001), thereby impairing 14-3-3ß-tristetraprolin protein complex and AU-rich mRNA's stability (P < 0.001). Accordingly, aganirsen inhibited (P < 0.001) in vitro the expression of interleukin-8 (IL-8), IL-12, IL-22, and tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNFα), four inflammatory mediators containing mRNA with AU-rich regions. To demonstrate the clinical relevance of this pathway, we tested the efficacy of aganirsen by topical application in a pilot, double-blind, randomized, dose-ranging study in 12 psoriatic human patients. After 6 weeks of treatment, least square mean differences with placebo were -38.9% (95% confidence interval, -75.8 to -2.0%) and -37.4% (-74.3 to -0.5%) at the doses of 0.86 and 1.72 mg/g, respectively. Lesion size reduction was associated with reduced expression of IRS-1 (P < 0.01), TNFα (P < 0.0001), and vascular endothelial growth factor (P < 0.01); reduced keratinocyte proliferation (P < 0.01); and the restoration (P < 0.02) of normal levels of infiltrating CD4(+) and CD3(+) lymphocytes in psoriatic skin lesions. These results suggest that aganirsen is a first-in-class of a new generation of antiangiogenic medicines combining anti-inflammatory activities. Aganirsen-induced downregulation of inflammatory mediators characterized by AU-rich mRNA likely underlies its beneficial clinical outcome in psoriasis. These results justify further large-scale clinical studies to establish the dose of aganirsen and its long-term efficacy in psoriasis.

Affective temperament profile in psoriasis patients in Tunisia using TEMPS-A.

BACKGROUND: Psoriasis may be considered as falling within the category of psychosomatic disorders. The aim of this study was to investigate the temperament profile in psoriasis patients in Tunisia. METHOD: We performed a prospective and comparative study investigating affective temperament in Tunisian psoriasis patients. Sixty five psoriasis patients and 67 age and sex matched healthy controls were enrolled, aged from 18 to 60 years. The diagnosis was made clinically; if necessary, lesional biopsy was obtained for histopathological examination. Temperament Evaluation of Memphis, Paris and San Diego Auto-questionnaire (TEMPS-A) in its 110-items version was used. Both statistical and descriptive analyses were performed. RESULTS: We found significant gender differences, with women scoring higher in depressive and anxious temperaments. There was no significant difference between temperament scores in psoriasis patients and healthy controls. Irritable temperament scores tend to decrease with disease duration. Stressful event was more frequently associated with anxious and depressive temperaments in women. LIMITATION: This survey has a single-time cross-sectional design. CONCLUSIONS: This study broadens our understanding of the relationship between temperament and psoriasis. Some aggravating factors of the disease seem to be associated with particular temperament traits. Understanding the temperaments would be essential in establishing a cooperative relationship between patients and doctors during the management of this chronic skin disorder.

Family-based association study in Tunisian familial psoriasis.

BACKGROUND: The pathogenesis of all forms of psoriasis remains obscure. Segregation analysis and twin studies together with ethnic differences in disease frequency all point to an underlying genetic susceptibility to psoriasis, which is both complex and likely to reflect the action of a number of genes. MATERIALS AND METHODS: In the present study, we performed a family-based association study, and a transmission dysequilibrium test using the PLINK program, in a set of seven Tunisian multiplex families using a panel of 96 single-nucleotide polymorphisms localized in several regions across the genome. Ninety-five of them were reported to be associated with psoriasis in different populations. RESULTS: Besides the confirmation of association between previous associated regions: 6p, 1p, 2p, 13q, 14q, and 20p, and cutaneous psoriasis, we identified a new association with the rs1249564 in the IL17RD gene. CONCLUSION: Our results support the complex genetic basis of psoriasis.

Association analysis of LCE3C-LCE3B deletion in Tunisian psoriatic population.

An association between a common deletion comprising the late cornified envelope LCE3B and LCE3C genes (LCE3C_LCE3B-del) and psoriasis has been reported in Caucasian and Asian populations. To investigate whether this deletion plays a role in the genetic of psoriasis in Tunisian population, we determined the LCE3C_LCE3B-del genotype in 180 Ps patients and 208 healthy controls from different regions of Tunisia. The LCE3B and LCE3C gene variant was determined in the patients through PCR amplification and the SPSS software package. The frequency of the LCE3C_LCE3B-del was similar between patients and healthy controls. Subanalyses by family history revealed that the frequency of LCE3C_LCE3B-del was significantly higher in patients with a positive family history than in control individuals, as well as in individuals with a positive family history versus those without in the case cohort. However, no significant difference was observed between psoriatic patients with no family history and controls. We also evaluated the relationship between LCE3C_LCE3B-del and PSORS1. No significant epistatic effect was observed suggesting that there was no significant epistasis of the two loci in the Tunisian population. Our findings indicate that the LCE3C_LCE3B-del might play a role in familial psoriasis in the Tunisian population.