Reflectance confocal microscopy for the early diagnosis of herpes zoster.

For herpes zoster (HZ) infection, early diagnosis and treatment are important in order to shorten the course of the disease and reduce sequelae, however, there is a lack of non-invasive diagnostic methods. Reflectance confocal microscopy (RCM) is a non-invasive technique often used to diagnose dyspigmented dermatosis, skin tumours, human papillomavirus infectious dermatosis, etc. To evaluate the clinical value of RCM for the early diagnosis of HZ. We collected RCM images from 30 HZ patients with typical vesicles in order to analyse their features. We then utilized RCM to analyse early lesions of another 12 HZ patients, who presented with localized erythema or papules, but not typical vesicles. In addition, we recruited one patient with HZ and observed the lesions over 14 days also using RCM. RCM images showed that the typical lesions of HZ mainly involved oedema of the spinous layer, intraepidermal blister formation, ballooning multinucleated giant (BMG) cells, and dermal papillary oedema. Among them, BMG cells were of specific diagnostic value. Early lesions of HZ patients without typical vesicles showed BMG cells under RCM. A few BMG cells were observed during the early stage of HZ. However, the number of BMG cells increased significantly as typical clustered blisters gradually appeared in the lesions. With the regression of the lesions, the number of BMG cells decreased gradually. RCM, with the advantages of being non-invasive, rapid, and convenient, has an important role in monitoring the evolution of HZ.

[The study of microbiota in patients with bullous lesions of the oral mucosa]. / Izuchenie mikrobioty slizistoi obolochki rta u patsientov s bulleznymi porazheniyami.

THE AIM OF THE STUDY: The study by the method of tissue polymerase chain reaction of the species composition of the microbiota of lesions of the oral mucosa in patients with bullous lesions. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Biopsy specimens of the oral mucosa of 51 patients were studied by the polymerase chain reaction method, of which 14 patients with pemphigus vulgaris, 17 patients with pemphigoid bullosa, and 20 patients with the bullous form of ruber lichen planus. 4 types of microorganisms have been identified - Fusobacterium, Streptococcus pneumoniae, Candida albicans, Ureaplasma spp. and viruses - Human Papillomavirus 16, Epstein-Barr virus and Citomegalovirus. RESULTS: In the study of the microbiota of bullous lesions, associations of microorganisms and viruses were established in a significant number of cases. Associations of Str.pneumoniae and C. albicans were quite common in patients with pemphigus vulgaris in 26.3%, pemphigoid bullosa in 20.0%, and in patients with the bullous form of ruber lichen planus in 14.3% of cases. In patients with pemphigus vulgaris, the association of Str.pneumoniae, C. albicans and EBV was noted in 31.6% of cases. In patients with the bullous form of ruber lichen planus in a high percentage of cases (28.6%), the associations of Str. pneumoniae, EBV and CMV. CONCLUSION: Identification at earlier stages of management of patients with bullous lesions Str. pneumoniae, Candida albicans, and Fusobacterium associated with herpes viruses should be regarded as one of the triggering mechanisms of an autoimmune conflict, which subsequently causes a specific clinical picture of these diseases.

Pneumothorax with Bullous Lesions as a Late Complication of Covid-19 Pneumonia: A Report on Two Clinical Cases.

BACKGROUND: Coronavirus-19 disease (COVID-19) primarily affects the respiratory tract, causing viral pneumonia with fever, hypoxemia, and cough. Commonly observed complications include acute respiratory failure, liver or kidney injury, and cardiovascular or neurologic symptoms. In some patients, inflammatory damage results in long-term complications, such as pulmonary fibrosis, chronic pulmonary thrombotic microangiopathy, or neurologic symptoms. The development of spontaneous pneumothorax is reported as a rare complication mainly in consequence to mechanic ventilation in the criticall ill. CASE REPORT: We report 2 cases of patients with COVID-19 pneumonia complicated by spontaneous pneumothorax and bullous lesions of the lung. Bilateral giant bullae were observed in 1 of the cases. This complication occurred after an initial resolvement of respiratory symptoms (day 16 and day 29 after COVID-19 treatment was started). Initially, both patients had shown a rather mild course of COVID-19 pneumonia and no mechanical ventilatory support had been necessary. Why Should an Emergency Physician Be Aware of This?: In both cases, COVID-19 caused alveolar damage and the formation of thoracic bullae with consequent spontaneous pneumothorax as a serious complication. Emergency physicans must be aware of this complication even if the initial COVID-19 symptoms have resolved. © 2021 Elsevier Inc.

Computed tomography features of COVID-19 in children: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: There are few reports on the chest computed tomography (CT) imaging features of children with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), and most reports involve small sample sizes. OBJECTIVES: To systematically analyze the chest CT imaging features of children with COVID-19 and provide references for clinical practice. DATA SOURCES: We searched PubMed, Web of Science, and Embase; data published by Johns Hopkins University; and Chinese databases CNKI, Wanfang, and Chongqing Weipu. METHODS: Reports on chest CT imaging features of children with COVID-19 from January 1, 2020 to August 10, 2020, were analyzed retrospectively and a meta-analysis carried out using Stata12.0 software. RESULTS: Thirty-seven articles (1747 children) were included in this study. The heterogeneity of meta-analysis results ranged from 0% to 90.5%. The overall rate of abnormal lung CT findings was 63.2% (95% confidence interval [CI]: 55.8%-70.6%), with a rate of 61.0% (95% CI: 50.8%-71.2%) in China and 67.8% (95% CI: 57.1%-78.4%) in the rest of the world in the subgroup analysis. The incidence of ground-glass opacities was 39.5% (95% CI: 30.7%-48.3%), multiple lung lobe lesions was 65.1% (95% CI: 55.1%-67.9%), and bilateral lung lesions was 61.5% (95% CI: 58.8%-72.2%). Other imaging features included nodules (25.7%), patchy shadows (36.8%), halo sign (24.8%), consolidation (24.1%), air bronchogram signs (11.2%), cord-like shadows (9.7%), crazy-paving pattern (6.1%), and pleural effusion (9.1%). Two articles reported 3 cases of white lung, another reported 2 cases of pneumothorax, and another 1 case of bullae. CONCLUSIONS: The lung CT results of children with COVID-19 are usually normal or slightly atypical. The lung lesions of COVID-19 pediatric patients mostly involve both lungs or multiple lobes, and the common manifestations are patchy shadows, ground-glass opacities, consolidation, partial air bronchogram signs, nodules, and halo signs; white lung, pleural effusion, and paving stone signs are rare. Therefore, chest CT has limited value as a screening tool for children with COVID-19 and can only be used as an auxiliary assessment tool.

Eruptions and related clinical course among 296 hospitalized adults with confirmed COVID-19.

BACKGROUND: Limited information exists on mucocutaneous disease and its relation to course of COVID-19. OBJECTIVE: To estimate prevalence of mucocutaneous findings, characterize morphologic patterns, and describe relationship to course in hospitalized adults with COVID-19. METHODS: Prospective cohort study at 2 tertiary hospitals (Northwell Health) between May 11, 2020 and June 15, 2020. RESULTS: Among 296 hospitalized adults with COVID-19, 35 (11.8%) had at least 1 disease-related eruption. Patterns included ulcer (13/35, 37.1%), purpura (9/35, 25.7%), necrosis (5/35, 14.3%), nonspecific erythema (4/35, 11.4%), morbilliform eruption (4/35, 11.4%), pernio-like lesions (4/35, 11.4%), and vesicles (1/35, 2.9%). Patterns also showed anatomic site specificity. A greater proportion of patients with mucocutaneous findings used mechanical ventilation (61% vs 30%), used vasopressors (77% vs 33%), initiated dialysis (31% vs 9%), had thrombosis (17% vs 11%), and had in-hospital mortality (34% vs 12%) compared with those without mucocutaneous findings. Patients with mucocutaneous disease were more likely to use mechanical ventilation (adjusted prevalence ratio, 1.98; 95% confidence interval, 1.37-2.86); P < .001). Differences for other outcomes were attenuated after covariate adjustment and did not reach statistical significance. LIMITATIONS: Skin biopsies were not performed. CONCLUSIONS: Distinct mucocutaneous patterns were identified in hospitalized adults with COVID-19. Mucocutaneous disease may be linked to more severe clinical course.

Skin manifestations in patients hospitalized with confirmed COVID-19 disease: a cross-sectional study in a tertiary hospital.

BACKGROUND: COVID-19 cutaneous manifestations have been recently described and classified in five different clinical patterns, including acral erythema-edema (pseudo-chilblain), maculopapular exanthemas, vesicular eruptions, urticarial lesions, and livedo or necrosis. OBJECTIVES: The objective of this study was to examine the skin of hospitalized patients with a confirmed diagnosis of COVID-19 disease and describe the real prevalence of skin manifestations. METHODS: A cross-sectional study, which included hospitalized patients in Cruces University Hospital from April 14-30, 2020, with a laboratory-confirmed diagnosis of COVID-19 (with polymerase chain reaction and/or serology tests), was conducted. Entire body surface examination was performed by experienced dermatologists to search for cutaneous manifestations related to COVID-19 disease. RESULTS: From a sample of 75 patients, 14 (18.7%) developed cutaneous manifestations possibly related to COVID-19. We found six patients with acral erythema-edema (pseudo-chilblain) (42.8%), four patients with maculopapular exanthemas (28.6%), two patients with urticarial lesions (14.3%), one patient with livedo reticularis-like lesions (7.15%), and one patient with vesicular eruption (7.15%). CONCLUSIONS: Our study provides a more plausible relationship between the main cutaneous patterns and COVID-19 in hospitalized patients as all of them had a confirmatory laboratory test. Skin manifestations are frequent but mild with spontaneous resolution. These findings are nonspecific and can be similar to other viral infections and adverse drug reactions in hospitalized patients.

Spontaneous pneumothorax and subpleural bullae in a patient with COVID-19: a 92-day observation.

This report describes a patient with COVID-19 who developed spontaneous pneumothorax and subpleural bullae during the course of the infection. Consecutive chest computed tomography images indicated that COVID-19-associated pneumonia had damaged the subpleural alveoli and distal bronchus. Coughing might have induced a sudden increase in intra-alveolar pressure, leading to the rupture of the subpleural alveoli and distal bronchus and resulting in spontaneous pneumothorax and subpleural bullae. At the 92-day follow-up, the pneumothorax and subpleural bullae had completely resolved, which indicated that these complications had self-limiting features.

Clinical and histological characterization of vesicular COVID-19 rashes: a prospective study in a tertiary care hospital.

COVID-19 is an infectious disease caused by severe acute respiratory coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). Vesicular skin rashes have been reported as associated with COVID-19, but there is little information about this cutaneous manifestation. We designed a prospective observational study of patients diagnosed with COVID-19 who had vesicular lesions. Clinical characterization of skin findings was conducted by dermatologists. When possible, histological analysis and detection of SARS-CoV-2 in the content of the vesicles was performed. In total, 24 patients were included. A disseminated pattern was found in 18 patients (75%), and a localized pattern was found in 6 (25%). Median duration of the skin rash was 10 days. Of the 24 patients, 19 (79.2%) developed the skin rash after the onset of COVID-19 symptoms. Histological examination in two patients was consistent with viral infection, SARS-CoV-2 was not detected in four patients. This single-centre study shows the clinical characteristics of vesicular skin rashes in patients with COVID-19.

An unusual presentation of early congenital syphilis with annular configuration of blisters resembling "string-of-pearls".

Skin lesions in early congenital syphilis can show considerable variability. A 35-day-old infant presented with rhinitis, desquamation of palms and soles, pseudoparalysis of the right upper limb, and annular lesions with peripheral blistering over the chest and abdomen, resembling a "string-of-pearls." A diagnosis of congenital syphilis was made on the basis of radiologic evaluation and reactive Venereal Disease Research Laboratory (VDRL) in both mother and child. We report this case to highlight the unusual presentation of congenital syphilis with annular configuration of blisters, mimicking a "string-of-pearls."

Bee products and the treatment of blister-like lesions around the mouth, skin and genitalia caused by herpes viruses-A systematic review.

OBJECTIVES: To assess the value of bee products with respect to antiviral efficacy against herpes viruses. DESIGN: A systematic review was done using the JUSTfind System of the Justus-Liebig-University Gießen and Scopus. RESULTS: Three trials on honey and 6 trials on propolis were conducted. Each trial provided evidence that these two bee products are interesting alternatives to acyclovir, especially propolis, which was found to be superior to acyclovir in 4 trials. CONCLUSIONS: The evidence from these trials suggests that propolis is the best of all natural possibilities in the treatment of herpetic skin lesions, especially those related to HSV-1. Future studies should analyse if propolis could be an adjunct to treatment with acyclovir. For lesions in the oral cavity, honey could be an interesting alternative.

Characterization of skin blister fluids from children with Epstein-Barr virus-associated lymphoproliferative disease.

Epstein-Barr virus (EBV)-associated T- or natural killer (NK)-cell lymphoproliferative disease (LPD) is a heterogeneous group of disorders characterized by chronic proliferation of EBV-infected lymphocytes. Patients may present with severe skin manifestations, including hypersensitivity to mosquito bites (HMB) and hydroa vacciniforme (HV)-like eruption, which are characterized by blister formation and necrotic ulceration. Skin biopsy specimens show inflammatory reactions comprising EBV-infected lymphocytes. However, blister fluids have not been fully assessed in patients with this disease. Blister fluids were collected from three patients with EBV-associated LPD: two with HMB and one with HV. Immunophenotyping of blister lymphocytes and measurement of tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α in blister fluids were performed. The patients with HMB and HV exhibited markedly increased percentages of NK and γδ T cells, respectively, in both peripheral blood and blister fluids. These NK and γδ T cells strongly expressed the activation marker human leukocyte antigen-DR and were considered to be cellular targets of EBV infections. TNF-α was highly elevated in all blister fluids. Severe local skin reactions of EBV-associated LPD may be associated with infiltrating EBV-infected lymphocytes and a high TNF-α concentration in blister fluids.