Bilateral Linear Porokeratosis Treated With Topical Lovastatin 2% Monotherapy.

Linear porokeratosis is a rare skin disorder that presents along dermatomal or Blashko lines. While the mechanism of linear porokeratosis formation is unknown, both disrupted cholesterol synthesis and mevalonate accumulation have been proposed as possible theories. There is a small chance of transforming into cutaneous malignancies, most commonly squamous cell carcinomas. The patient is a 61-year-old male with an unusual presentation of bilateral linear porokeratosis. His condition provided a unique opportunity to compare the efficacy of topical treatments in a single individual. A previous trial had successfully cleared the porokeratosis plaques with topical cholesterol 2%/lovastatin 2% on the patient's right arm. After a 12-week trial of topical lovastatin 2% monotherapy on the left arm, our current study demonstrated a comparable reduction of porokeratosis lesions. In our PubMed search, there has been a single reported case of disseminated superficial actinic porokeratosis successfully treated with topical lovastatin 2% monotherapy, but there have not been any reported cases of linear porokeratosis treated with this therapy. While topical lovastatin monotherapy for porokeratosis subvariants requires further studies, this case demonstrates similar efficacy of treating linear porokeratosis with topical lovastatin compared to cholesterol/lovastatin dual therapy. These findings support the theory of mevalonate accumulation as a more likely cause of linear porokeratosis compared to disruption of cholesterol synthesis.

Bilateral Linear Porokeratosis Treated With Topical Cholesterol 2%/Lovastatin 2.

Linear porokeratosis is a cutaneous disorder that typically presents in a unilateral linear formation. While the exact cause of linear porokeratosis is unknown, it is thought to be a downstream effect of disrupted cholesterol synthesis and mevalonate accumulation. Our patient is a 61-year-old male with an unusual case presentation of bilateral linear porokeratosis. He had failed numerous standard therapies. Pathologic examination of a skin biopsy was consistent with bilateral linear porokeratosis. Through a PubMed search, there have been limited reported cases of unilateral linear porokeratosis, but there have not been any reported cases of bilateral linear porokeratosis. There are currently limited therapies with satisfactory outcomes for variants of porokeratosis. While there are some studies on the topical application of cholesterol/lovastatin, limited studies have been performed on the linear form. Our study evaluates the efficacy of compounded topical cholesterol 2%/lovastatin 2% ointment on bilateral linear porokeratosis. The patient demonstrated a significant reduction of porokeratotic lesions on the treated arm compared to the untreated arm. Cholesterol/lovastatin is alternative therapy that can be considered in the treatment of linear porokeratosis and other porokeratosis variants.

Stevens-Johnson Syndrome in a Patient of Color: A Case Report and an Assessment of Diversity in Medical Education Resources.

This is a review of a patient encounter that underscores the common trend of insufficient inclusivity and lack of diversity regarding skin of color representation in teaching materials including textbooks in the medical education setup. A Black woman who was treated with carbamazepine for trigeminal neuralgia after a dental procedure presented with upper airway breathing difficulties and facial pain and swelling. After doubling her dose of carbamazepine as advised by her primary care physician, her symptoms continued to worsen, and she was treated in the emergency department for a presumed allergic reaction of unknown etiology. Two days later, her symptoms progressively worsened. She self-admitted to the emergency department, where she required cardiopulmonary resuscitation. Eventually, the formal diagnosis of carbamazepine-induced Stevens-Johnson syndrome (SJS) was made based on history, clinical presentation, and skin biopsy. The nature of the disease progression in this case prompted our investigation into the lack of representation of skin of color in current medical training resources regarding SJS. Our assessment demonstrates that there is a significant underrepresentation of SJS in skin of color in medical educational resources. Increased inclusivity of skin disorders in patients of color is crucial in training healthcare professionals to recognize life-threatening cutaneous disorders quickly and accurately in such patients.