RESUMEN
BACKGROUND: Both vitiligo and psoriasis are chronic inflammatory autoimmune diseases with genetic elements. OBJECTIVE: To estimate the frequencies of psoriasis in vitiligo patients and vice versa and to compare them with healthy controls. PATIENTS AND METHODS: A total of 1000 subjects were included, 250 of them had vitiligo, 250 had psoriasis, and 500 were healthy controls. Measurement of the frequencies of vitiligo in psoriatic patients and psoriasis in vitiligo patients was carried out. Thereafter the frequencies of both diseases were assessed in healthy controls. The frequency of vitiligo among psoriatic patients was compared with that of vitiligo in healthy controls. A similar comparison was done between the frequency of psoriasis among vitiligo patients with that in healthy controls. Other comparisons were performed between the frequency of family history of psoriasis among vitiligo patients with that in healthy controls and between the frequency of family history of vitiligo in psoriatic patients with that in healthy controls. RESULTS: The frequency of psoriasis among vitiligo patients was 15 (6%) and among healthy controls was 2 (0.4%); there is a statistically significant difference (P=0.001). The frequency of vitiligo among psoriatic patients was 5 (2%) and among healthy controls was 3 (0.6%); no statistically significant difference was found (P=0.16). The family history of psoriasis among vitiligo patients was 23 (9.2%) and among healthy controls was 20 (4%); there is a significant association (P=0.043). The family history of vitiligo among psoriatic patients was 24 (9.6%) and among healthy controls was 40 (8%); the difference is statistically significant (P=0.042). CONCLUSION: The present work has confirmed the close relationship between vitiligo and psoriasis.
RESUMEN
Objective. To assess the efficacy of a low-dose oral isotretinoin in the treatment of plane warts. Patients and Methods. Thirty-one patients with recalcitrant facial plane warts were enrolled. A cumulative dose of 30 mg/kg for two months of treatment was calculated; this was equal to a mean of 0.5 mg/kg/day. Each patient was seen every two weeks during the treatment period. Response to treatment was either complete or no response. Patients with complete response were followed up monthly for four months to record the relapse rate. Results. Twenty-six patients completed the study; their ages range from 5 to 35 with a mean ± SD 15.28 ± 8.51 years. Fifteen (57.69%) patients were females and eleven (42.30%) were males. Nineteen (73.07%) patients showed complete response and seven (26.92%) patients showed no response at the end of two months of therapy. The difference was statistically significant; P value <0.0001. Fifteen (78.94%) out of nineteen patients, who had complete response, were still free from warts at the end of four-month followup. Conclusion. Oral isotretinoin is effective in the treatment of recalcitrant facial plane warts.
