ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Certain dermatological conditions are life-threatening and can cause mortality. The aim of this study is to find out the dermatological diseases leading to death in our indoor patients. METHODS: A record-based retrospective descriptive study of dermatology cases who died during the period of 1995 to 2001. RESULTS: The total number of cases analyzed was thirty-seven. There were 24 males and 13 females. The maximum number of deaths occurred in the age group 61-70. Vesiculobullous disorders were the commonest cause of death, found in 18 cases (48.6%), followed by drug reactions in 5 (13.5%), malignancies in 5 (13.5%) and collagen vascular disease in 2 cases ((5.40%). Pemphigus was the commonest fatal vesiculobullous disorder (13 cases - 35.13%), and toxic epidermal necrolysis the commonest drug reaction (3 cases - 8.10%). CONCLUSION: Area of skin involvement, electrolyte imbalance and septicemia were important factors leading to death in pemphigus and toxic epidermal necrolysis. We advocate that such patients should be managed in burns unit or ICU units.
Subject(s)
Cause of Death , Skin Diseases/diagnosis , Skin Diseases/mortality , Adolescent , Adult , Age Distribution , Aged , Aged, 80 and over , Child , Child, Preschool , Female , Humans , Incidence , India/epidemiology , Male , Middle Aged , Registries , Retrospective Studies , Sex DistributionABSTRACT
A 38-year-old female presented with hyperpigmented velvety plaques on the nape and the sides of the neck with diffuse pigmentation of the face and flexures suggestive of acanthosis nigricans. The dorsa of both the hands showed increased rugosity, hyperpigmentation and hyperkeratosis of the palms, suggestive of tripe palms. Investigations revealed multiple secondaries in the liver. Histopathology showed the secondaries to be from adenocarcinoma of the gastrointestinal tract.
Subject(s)
Acanthosis Nigricans/pathology , Adenocarcinoma/secondary , Liver Neoplasms/secondary , Paraneoplastic Syndromes/pathology , Stomach Neoplasms/pathology , Acanthosis Nigricans/diagnosis , Adenocarcinoma/surgery , Adult , Biopsy, Needle , Female , Follow-Up Studies , Humans , Immunohistochemistry , Laparotomy/methods , Liver Neoplasms/pathology , Liver Neoplasms/surgery , Risk Assessment , Stomach Neoplasms/surgeryABSTRACT
A 2(1/2)-year-old child presented with multiple discrete granulomatous lesions on the face and flexural regions since the age of 2 months along with lymphadenopathy. The patient also had recurrent bouts of pyodermas and respiratory tract infections. Biopsy of the lesion showed necrosis of tissue with suppuration and histiocytes but no evidence of tuberculosis, fungal infections or atypical mycobacteria. Lymph node biopsy also showed necrosis with suppuration but no infective organism. Nitroblue tetrazolium test was negative indicating that the neutrophils failed to oxidize the dye. We are reporting here a rare case of chronic granulomatous disease.
