Nekam's disease.

Keratosis lichenoides chronica also known as Nekam's disease is a rare mucocutaneous disorder, characterized clinically by asymptomatic violaceous keratotic papules arranged in linear, reticular, or plaque form usually on the trunk and extremities and histologically by interface dermatitis. The disease is considered rare with only 128 cases being reported in the literature till date and very few from India. We report a case of a 40-year-old man who presented with constellation of features of lichen planus, seborrheic dermatitis, and apthous ulcers, which upon workup was found to be Nekam's disease.

Evaluation of Clinical Significance of Dermoscopy in Alopecia Areata.

BACKGROUND: Alopecia areata (AA) is a common, chronic inflammatory disease characterized by nonscarring hair loss on the scalp or any hair-bearing area of the body. Recently, dermoscopy, a noninvasive diagnostic procedure, has been employed for the diagnosis of AA. AIM: To evaluate various dermoscopic patterns in AA and correlate these patterns with the disease activity and severity. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Dermoscopy was performed on AA patients using DL1 dermoscope (magnification ×10 was used). The dermoscopic patterns recorded were analyzed to identify any correlation with the disease activity and severity. RESULTS: A total of fifty patients of AA were recruited in the study. Female outnumbered males with the ratio being 1.173:1. Mean age of the patients was 25.06 years. Mean duration of disease was 14 months. The most common site involved was scalp (80%) and type noted was patchy (84%). Various dermoscopic patterns noted were yellow dots (YD) (88%), short vellus hair (66%), black dots (BD) (58%), broken hairs (BHs) (56%), tapering hair (TH) (26%), Coudability hairs (14%), pigtail hair (14%), and Pohl-Pinkus constrictions (2%). Statistically significant correlation was observed between BD, BHs, THs, and disease activity. No significant correlation was found between severity and any of the dermoscopic features. CONCLUSION: The most common dermoscopic pattern in our study was YD. Presence of BDs, BHs, and THs indicate active disease. Dermoscopic patterns were not affected by severity of the disease.

Congenital candidiasis.

Congenital candidiasis (CC) is a rare disease with less than 100 cases being reported in the literature. It presents within six days of life with manifestations ranging from localized skin disease to systemic involvement in the form of respiratory distress, sepsis, and death. We report a neonate who presented with diffuse pustular eruption on erythematous background involving face, trunk, and palms within 24 h after birth. Candida albicans was identified in 10% potassium hydroxide (KOH) smear and culture from the pustules. Intravenous fluconazole and topical ketoconazole were given and the condition improved completely in two weeks. CC is rare and needs to be differentiated from other conditions presenting with pustular lesions at birth in order to avoid complications. Early diagnosis and prompt treatment of this condition is important as untreated cases carry a mortality rate of 8-40%.