Latanoprost in the treatment of eyelash alopecia in alopecia areata universalis.

OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study was to test the efficacy of latanoprost in eyelash alopecia areata (AA). DESIGN: This study is a 2-year prospective, non-blinded, non-randomized, bilateral eyelash alopecia controlled study. SETTING: The setting of this study was Trichology Unit, Virgen Macarena University Hospital, Seville, Spain. PATIENTS: We conducted a survey of 54 subjects with AA universalis treated with the protocol of the Trichology Unit of our Department. Control group comprised 10 subjects who received injections of 0.5 mg/cm(2) of triamcinolone acetonide (TAC) in their eyebrows and 1 mg/cm(2) of TAC injections in affected scalp. The treatment group included 44 subjects who received the same treatment as the control group in scalp and eyebrows but they also applied a drop of latanoprost 0.005% (50 microg/mL) ophthalmic solution in their eyelid margins every night. Subjects were reviewed every 3 months for 2 years. RESULTS: Forty subjects finished the study and four subjects were lost to follow-up. In the treatment arm of this study, the course was well tolerated and uncomplicated. Both investigators and patients evaluated the regrowth. The results we obtained were: complete regrowth in 17.5%, moderate regrowth in 27.5%, slight regrowth in 30% and without response in 25%. Moderate and total regrowth constituted a cosmetically acceptable response. The therapy was continuous and the response remained without any side effects. No patients had cosmetically acceptable eyelash regrowth in the control group. CONCLUSIONS: Latanoprost may be an effective drug in the treatment of eyelash AA because it induces acceptable responses (total and moderate) in 45% of the patients. A formal, blinded prospective unilateral controlled study will permit further understanding about this promising therapeutic agent for eyelash AA.

[Epidemiology of pemphigus in the Hospital Universitario Virgen Macarena, Seville, Spain, 2005-2006]. / Epidemiología del pénfigo en el Hospital Universitario Virgen Macarena (2005-2006).

BACKGROUND: Pemphigus is a serious, potentially fatal chronic autoimmune bullous disease with cutaneous and mucosal manifestations. Early diagnosis and treatment are essential. MATERIAL AND METHODS: We performed a retrospective cohort study that included patients diagnosed with pemphigus in the dermatology department of Hospital Universitario Virgen Macarena, Seville, Spain, in 2005 and 2006. We reviewed demographic, clinical, and therapeutic data. RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONS: Twenty-three patients, the majority women, were included in the study. Clinical onset usually occurred between 30 and 60 years of age. The most common variant was pemphigus vulgaris (79 %), and the sites most frequently affected were the oral mucosa, trunk, and scalp. Oral corticosteroids were the initial treatment of choice in all patients, and azathioprine and mycophenolate mofetil were given as adjuvant therapy. Complete remission was induced in 8.68 % of patients and partial remission in 91.32 %. The main complications were infections, osteopenia and osteoporosis, and cataracts.

El lupus eritematoso en la consultade dermatología / Lupus erythematosus in dermatological practice

El lupus eritematoso (LE) es una enfermedad que presenta manifestaciones cutáneas en más del 80% de los pacientes. El propósito de este estudio esconocer la incidencia de las manifestaciones cutáneas de esta enfermedad en la mucosa oral y cuero cabelludo que, a menudo, pasan desapercibidaspara el clínico e incluso para el paciente. Además, se valoró la eficacia del tratamiento con inmunomoduladores tópicos en todos los tipos clínicos. Paraello, revisamos 63 pacientes diagnosticados de LE que asistieron a una consulta de Dermatología del Hospital Universitario Virgen Macarena entre septiembrey diciembre del 2005, incluyendo las formas sistémica, subaguda y discoide.Se analizaron datos demográficos, formas clínicas, localización de las lesiones, exposición solar, pruebas analíticas, histopatología y tratamiento.Observamos una alta frecuencia de lesiones en mucosa oral y cuero cabelludo y obtuvimos buenos resultados terapéuticos con el uso de inmunomoduladorestópicos en todos los tipos clínicos (AU)

Lupus erythematosus (LE) is a sistemic disease with cutaneous manifestations in more than 80% of the patients. The aim of the study is to know theincidence of manifestations at oral mucosa and scalp, which are frequently unnoticed to the physician and the patient. Moreover, we evaluated theefficacy of topical immunomodulators in all the types of LE. Sixty three patients diagnosed of LE who came to a consultation at the Department of Dermatologyat the Virgen Macarena Universitary Hospital from september to december of 2005 were reviewed. We included the systemic, subacute anddiscoid forms of LE. Demographic data, clinical types, location of the lesions, photoexposition, serology, histopathology and treatment followed bythe patients were considerated.We observed a high proportion of lesions at the oral mucosa and scalp. Finally, we obtained good therapeutical results using topical immunomodulatorsin all clinical types of lupus (AU)