Progressive facial hemiatrophy with associated osseous lesions.

Progressive facial hemiatrophy (PFH) is a rare condition characterized by the slow, progressive appearance of a unilateral facial atrophy that affects the skin, subcutaneous tissue, muscle and bone. We report the case of a 60-year-old female patient whose cutaneous symptoms commenced in 1987 in the form of a purplish erythema on the left side of her face and neck, which subsequently remitted giving rise to an indurated region in the left maxillary region. Since 1995 until the present day, she has developed facial hemiatrophy on the left side accompanied by progressive osseous reabsorption of the upper maxilla and left mandible with atrophy of soft tissue. The association of the onset of PFH with progressive osteolysis of the maxilla has not been previously reported in an adult patient.

Antigliadin antibodies associated with chronic mucocutaneous candidiasis.

Chronic mucocutaneous candidiasis (CMC) is a primary immunodeficiency disease clinically characterized by Candida infection of the skin, mucous membranes, or nails that is refractory to traditional treatment. We present a typical case of a 13-year-old boy with an onset of illness at 1 month of age in the form of oral thrush. At age 2-3 years the patient began to have external otitis caused by Candida albicans and recurrent upper respiratory tract infections. Analytical studies detected iron deficiency and circulating antigliadin antibodies. Immunologic findings excluded other possible immunodeficiencies. Significant clinical improvement was produced by therapy with orally administered fluconazole. The significance of antigliadin antibodies is discussed.