Multifocal cutaneous alternariosis in a 70-year-old Kenyan renal transplant patient.

Alternaria species are a group of dematiaceous fungi that are ubiquitous in nature and are becoming an increasingly important cause of disease in immunocompromised patients. We present a case of a 70 year old renal transplant recipient with multiple areas of cutaneous Alternaria infections likely introduced during local trauma. Treatment has required a combination of systemic therapy and surgical excision. This case illustrates the importance of recognizing fungal infections with cutaneous manifestations, such as alternariosis, in immunosuppressed patients.

Cutaneous clues to renal cell carcinoma: hereditary leiomyomatosis and renal cell carcinoma.

We present a case of a 33-year-old female who was incidentally found to have cutaneous leiomyomata during a routine skin examination. Further history revealed that she also suffered from uterine fibroids and that her mother had died at an early age from renal cell carcinoma. This case serves as a reminder of the often-subtle cutaneous clues, as well as the importance of a multidisciplinary approach, for early diagnosis of potentially fatal conditions.

Investigator-initiated, open-label trial of ustekinumab for the treatment of moderate-to-severe palmoplantar psoriasis.

BACKGROUND: Palmoplantar psoriasis is a variant of psoriasis resistant to many forms of treatment. METHODS: Twenty subjects with moderate-to-severe psoriasis of the palms and soles, 50% with pustules at baseline, were treated with ustekinumab at weeks 0, 4, and 16. All subjects had previously failed topical corticosteroids. Dosing was 45 mg subcutaneously for subjects weighing <100 kg and 90 mg for subjects weighing ≥100 kg. The primary endpoint was the percent of subjects achieving clinical clearance at week 16, defined as Palm-Sole Physician's Global Assessment ≤1. The study received Tufts Medical Center IRB approval. RESULTS: After 16 weeks of treatment, 35% (7/20) of subjects achieved clinical clearance. Sixty percent (12/20) improved two or more points on the Palm-Sole Physician's Global Assessment scale. Sixty-seven percent (6/9) of those receiving the 90 mg ustekinumab dose achieved clinical clearance compared with nine percent (1/11) receiving 45 mg (p = 0.02). At 24 weeks, mean values showed 56% improvement in Dermatology Life Quality Index, and 34% improvement in pain Visual Analogue Scale score (all p < 0.05). LIMITATIONS: Assessment tools for palmoplantar psoriasis are not yet validated. Five subjects withdrew or were lost to follow-up. CONCLUSION: This study demonstrates that ustekinumab dosed at 90 mg is effective in controlling signs and symptoms of palmoplantar psoriasis.

Consensus guidelines for the management of plaque psoriasis.

The Canadian Guidelines for the Management of Plaque Psoriasis were reviewed by the entire National Psoriasis Foundation Medical Board and updated to include newly approved agents such as ustekinumab and to reflect practice patterns in the United States, where the excimer laser is approved for psoriasis treatment. Management of psoriasis in special populations is discussed. In the updated guidelines, we include sections on children, pregnant patients or pregnant partners of patients, nursing mothers, the elderly, patients with hepatitis B or C virus infections, human immunodeficiency virus-infected patients, and patients with malignant neoplasms, as well as sections on tumor necrosis factor blockers, elective surgery, and vaccinations.

Assessor-blinded study of the metabolic syndrome and surrogate markers of increased cardiovascular risk in children with moderate-to-severe psoriasis compared with age-matched population of children with warts.

Adult patients with psoriasis have an increased prevalence of the metabolic syndrome (MetS) and cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk factors due to elevations of Tumor Necrosis Factor and other inflammatory cytokines.1,2 Recently, higher rates of hyperlipidemia, obesity, hypertension, and diabetes mellitus were seen in patients with juvenile psoriasis.3 Here, we report the interim results of an ongoing study of MetS and CVD risk factors in pediatric psoriasis patients.

Role of golimumab, a TNF-alpha inhibitor, in the treatment of the psoriatic arthritis.

Psoriatic arthritis (PsA) is an inflammatory arthritis that affects many psoriasis patients and can often have a debilitating disease progression. Golimumab is a new tumor necrosis factor (TNF) antagonist recently approved by the FDA for controlling signs and symptoms of psoriatic arthritis. In a Phase III clinical trial in patients with PsA, patients receiving golimumab showed significant improvement in the signs and symptoms of disease. It was usually well tolerated, but adverse events generally occurred more in patients receiving golimumab compared to placebo. Golimumab has also recently shown efficacy in slowing structural damage in PsA. This new biologic therapy provides physicians with another option in the treatment of this inflammatory arthritis while offering patients certain advantages over other TNF antagonists.