Long-pulsed Nd: YAG Laser and Intense Pulse Light-755 nm for Idiopathic Facial Hirsutism: A Comparative Study.

BACKGROUND: Hirsutism means excessive terminal hair growth in a female in male pattern distribution. Perception of hirsutism is subjective. Permanent laser hair reduction is a slow process taking many sessions and tracking of improvement parameters is tedious. Hence, a lot of confusion still exists regarding the type of laser most beneficial for treatment. AIM: The aim of this study was to compare the effectiveness and safety profile of long-pulsed Nd: YAG laser (1064 nm) and intense pulse light (IPL)-755 nm in management of idiopathic facial hirsutism. SETTINGS AND DESIGN: Open-labelled, randomly allocated experimental study. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: The study included 33 cases of idiopathic facial hirsutism. Patients were randomly divided into Group A, treated with long-pulsed Nd: YAG laser and Group B, treated with IPL-755 for a total of six sessions at 1 month interval. STATISTICAL ANALYSIS: Chi-square test was used in Medcalc® version 9.0 and the test of significance was taken to be P < 0.05. RESULTS: Average percentage of improvement in Group A, according to patients at each sessions were 46.33%, 70.66%, 81.66%, 84.67%, 85.33%, 87.33% and that in Group B were 28.06%, 39.72%, 52.22%, 64.72%, 67.78%, 71.11%, respectively. Excellent response (>75% reduction in hair) after six sessions in Group A was seen in fourteen (93.33%) out of fifteen patients, whereas in Group B, it was seen only in three (16.66%) out of eighteen patients. In Group A, erythema was seen in 26.67%, perifollicular edema and hyperpigmentation in 13.33% each. In Group B, erythema was seen in 50% patients, perifollicular edema in 16.67% and hyperpigmentation in 38.89% patients. CONCLUSIONS: Long-pulsed Nd: YAG Laser (1064 nm) is better than IPL-755 nm in terms of safety and effectiveness in the management of idiopathic facial hirsutism.

Cerebriform intradermal nevus presenting as cutis verticis gyrata with multiple cellular blue nevus over the body: A rare occurrence.

Cutis verticis gyrata is a rare skin condition characterized by swelling of scalp resembling the surface of the brain. Various conditions, like cerebriform intradermal nevus (CIN), may give rise to this clinical entity. Moreover, its association with cellular blue nevus is extremely rare and has not been reported so far. Here, we report a 28-year-old male with a huge cerebriform swelling covering the occipital lobe along with multiple nodules all over the body. Histology of the scalp swelling showed solitary or clusters of nevus cells in the dermis and from the body lesions showed features of cellular blue nevus. The diagnosis of CIN with cellular blue nevus was confirmed.

Pseudotumor cerebri in a child treated with acitretin: a rare occurrence.

Pseudotumor cerebri (PTC) is a rare neurological disorder characterized by increased intracranial pressure in absence of any intra-cranial space-occupying lesion. It is mostly due to impairment of drainage of CSF from arachnoid villi. Clinically pseudotumor cerebri presents with headache, diplopia, nausea, vomiting, papilloedema and if treatment is delayed, may lead to blindness. Females of childbearing age group, endocrinal abnormalities and ingestion of certain drugs have been reported to be associated with pseudotumor cerebri. However, it's occurrence in relation to acitretin ingestion has not been reported on pubmed database. Here we present a case where significant temporal association of acitretin intake with PTC was found in a child who was being treated with this medication for recalcitrant pustular psoriasis. The case is reported for its rarity in occurrence and associated significant morbidity including visual loss if not diagnosed and treated immediately. According to Naranjo ADR Causality scale of adverse drug reaction, the association of PTC due to acitretin in our case was probable.

Mucocutaneous manifestations of acquired hypoparathyroidism: An observational study.

Hypoparathyroidism is a disorder of calcium and phosphorus metabolism due to decreased secretion of parathyroid hormone. Hypoparathyroidism can be hereditary and acquired. Acquired hypoparathyroidism usually occurs following neck surgery (thyroid surgery or parathyroid surgery). Along with systemic manifestations, hypoparathyroidism produces some skin manifestations. Lack of study regarding mucocutaneous manifestations of acquired hypoparathyroidism prompted us to undertake this study. To evaluate the mucocutaneous manifestations of acquired hypoparathyroidism. An observational study done in a tertiary care hospital of Kolkata by comprehensive history taking, through clinical examination and relevant laboratory investigations. Twenty-one patients were included in the study. The commonest form of acquired hypoparathyroidism was neck surgery (thyroidectomy and parathyroidectomy operation). Mucocutaneous manifestations were present in 76.19% of patients. The most frequent mucocutaneous manifestation was found in the hairs like the loss of axillary hair (61.9%), loss of pubic hair (52.38%), coarsening of body hair (47.62%), and alopecia areata (9.52%). The nail changes noted were brittle and ridged nail, followed by onycholysis, onychosezia, and onychomedesis. The most common skin features were xerotic skin in 11 patients (52.38%), followed by pellagra-like skin pigmentation, pustular psoriasis and acne form eruption, bullous impetigo, etc. Mucosa was normal in all the cases excepting the one which showed oral candidiasis.