Demodex Mite Density Determinations by Standardized Skin Surface Biopsy and Direct Microscopic Examination and Their Relations with Clinical Types and Distribution Patterns.

BACKGROUND: Demodicosis is a parasitic skin disease caused by Demodex mites, and the determination of mite density per square centimeter is important to diagnose demodicosis. Standardized skin surface biopsy (SSSB) and direct microscopic examination (DME) are commonly used to determine Demodex mites density (Dd). However, no study has previously compared these two methods with respect to clinical types and distribution patterns of demodicosis. OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to compare the value of SSSB and DME findings in reference to the clinical types and distribution patterns of demodicosis. METHODS: The medical records of 35 patients diagnosed with demodicosis between December 2011 and June 2015 were retrospectively reviewed. Demodicosis was classified according to four clinical types (pityriasis folliculorum, rosacea type, acne type, and perioral type) and three distribution patterns (diffuse pattern, U-zone pattern, and T-zone pattern). Two samples, one for SSSB and one for DME, were obtained from a lesion of each patient. RESULTS: In all patients, mean Dd and the proportion with a high Dd (>5D/cm2) by DME (14.5±3.3, 80.0%, respectively) were higher than by SSSB (5.5±1.3, 37.1%, respectively; p<0.01, p=0.02, respectively). In terms of clinical types, for rosacea type, mean Dd and proportion with a high Dd by DME (12.4±3.5, 84.6%, respectively) were significantly greater than those determined by SSSB (3.6±1.2, 23.1%; p=0.04, p=0.04, respectively). In terms of distribution pattern, for the diffuse pattern, mean Dd and the proportion with a high Dd by DME (17.5±3.7, 100%, respectively) were significantly higher than those determined by SSSB (6.0±2.7, 26.7%; p<0.01, p<0.01, respectively). CONCLUSION: The results of our study revealed that DME is a more sensitive method for detecting Demodex than SSSB, especially in patients with diffuse pattern and suspected rosacea type. Further research is needed to confirm this finding.

Photodynamic Therapy for Bowen's Disease of the Vulva Area.

Bowen's disease is a squamous cell carcinoma in situ and has the potential to progress to a squamous cell carcinoma. The authors treated two female patients (a 39-year-old and a 41-year-old) with Bowen's disease in the vulva area using topical photodynamic therapy (PDT), involving the use of 5-aminolaevulinic acid and a light-emitting diode device. The light was administered at an intensity of 80 mW/cm(2) for a dose of 120 J/cm(2) biweekly for 6 cycles. The 39-year-old patient showed excellent clinical improvement, but the other patient achieved only a partial response. Even though one patient underwent a total excision 1 year later due to recurrence, both patients were satisfied with the cosmetic outcomes of this therapy and the partial improvement over time. The common side effect of PDT was a stinging sensation. PDT provides a relatively effective and useful alternative treatment for Bowen's disease in the vulva area.

Treatment of Dowling-Degos disease with fractional Er:YAG laser.

Dowling-Degos disease (DDD) is a rare, benign, autosomal dominant disorder characterized by reticulated pigmentation on flexural areas. Recently, a report of successful Er:YAG ablative laser treatment without any adverse effects was issued. A 49-year-old Korean woman presented with numerous small, hyperpigmented macules in a reticular pattern on her face, axillae, and inguinal folds of several years duration. Histologic examination revealed acanthosis with thin elongated rete ridges, basal branching, and widening. She was diagnosed as having DDD and was treated successfully without any adverse effects using a fractional 2,940-nm Er:YAG ablative laser (LOTUSII, Laseroptek, Sungnam, Korea). Er:YAG ablative laser treatment could be an effective treatment modality for DDD, but in Asians, who have darker skins than Caucasians, or in patients with skin lesions on the face, post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation could be problematic after treatment. Fractional Er:YAG ablative laser treatment should be viewed as an alternative therapeutic option for DDD.

Eccrine angiomatous hamartoma mimicking a traumatic hemorrhage.

Eccrine angiomatous hamartoma (EAH) is a rare benign disease that is characterized by an abnormal proliferation of eccrine glands and vascular elements. It is generally congenital, but it can appear before puberty. It usually presents as a single plaque or nodule, but multiple patch-like lesions are also possible. EAH is mostly asymptomatic, but it is sometimes associated with pain or hyperhidrosis. It generally does not require aggressive treatment, but the lesion can be excised due to pain, enlargement and cosmetic reasons. A 3-week-old Korean female presented with a hemorrhagic skin lesion on the right foot since birth. There was no specific birth history. The lesion first appeared on the third toe of the right foot and quickly spread to almost half of the right foot. Histopathology examination revealed acanthosis in the epidermis and a proliferation of eccrine ducts, glands and capillaries. The eccrine glands were immunohistochemically-positive for carcinoembryonic antigen.

The neumann type of pemphigus vegetans treated with combination of dapsone and steroid.

Pemphigus vegetans is a rare variant of pemphigus vulgaris and is characterized by vegetating lesions in the inguinal folds and mouth and by the presence of autoantibodies against desmoglein 3. Two clinical subtypes of pemphigus vegetans exist, which are initially characterized by flaccid bullae and erosions (the Neumann subtype) or pustules (the Hallopeau subtype). Both subtypes subsequently develop into hyperpigmented vegetative plaques with pustules and hypertrophic granulation tissue at the periphery of the lesions. Oral administration of corticosteroids alone does not always induce disease remission in patients with pemphigus vegetans. We report here on a 63-year-old woman with pemphigs vegetans. She had a 2-year history of vegetating, papillomatous plaques on the inguinal folds and erosions of the oral mucosa. The enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay was positive for anti-desmoglein 3, but it was negative for anti-desmoglein 1. She was initially treated with systemic steroid, but no improvement was observed. The patient was then successfully treated with a combination of systemic steroid and dapsone with a good clinical response.