Systemic Sarcoidosis Presenting in a Scar.

While most forms of sarcoidosis of the skin do not require treatment, 40% of patients initially diagnosed with cutaneous sarcoidosis are found to have an asymptomatic disease involving other organ systems. It is the involvement of the lungs, heart, eyes, and nervous system which most often contributes to morbidity/mortality. An early and accurate diagnosis of sarcoidosis is difficult because patients may be asymptomatic, initial presentations may vary, and there is no single reliable diagnostic test except biopsy. We present a case of scar sarcoidosis which led to the diagnosis of stage II pulmonary sarcoidosis in a woman in her 50s. Her scar sarcoidosis presented as well-circumscribed, reddish-brown macules surrounding an atrophic scar from a prior skin graft on the right leg. Biopsy revealed scattered, well-formed, non-necrotizing granulomas of the dermis composed of epithelioid histiocytes and multinucleated giant cells, surrounded by a sparse infiltrate of lymphocytes and histiocytes. A CT chest demonstrated extensive hilar lymphadenopathy, leading to a diagnosis of stage II pulmonary sarcoidosis with cutaneous involvement. This case illustrates the interesting presentation of scar sarcoidosis and underscores the importance of a broad differential including sarcoidosis for skin changes around scars and underscores the need for early biopsy. Prompt cutaneous diagnosis leads to earlier systemic evaluation, therapeutics, and better outcomes.

Comparing acne follow-up: teledermatology versus outpatient dermatology visits.

The application of teledermatology for evaluating acne patients has yielded comparable therapeutic outcomes with traditional face-to-face evaluation, but follow-up compliance between these modalities is not well-studied. Our objective is to compare the rate and duration of follow-up between acne patients initially evaluated by teledermatology versus in-person outpatient consultation. Electronic medical review of acne patients, 18-35 years-old seen via teledermatology and face-to-face evaluation at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center between 2010-2018 was performed. Teledermatology patients were less likely to follow-up in the first 90 days (13.0% versus 31.0%, P<0.001) compared to patients seen face-to-face with overall follow-up rates of 22% among both modalities. The median time to follow-up was 45.5 days (IQR: 13/57) in the teledermatology group compared to 64 days (IQR: 56/77) in the face-to-face group (P<0.001). Teledermatology patients were more likely to be treated with oral antibiotics (43.0% versus 28.5%) or oral spironolactone (18.5% versus 12.5%) compared to patients seen face-to-face (P<0.001). Teledermatology poses a promising solution to extend dermatologic care with earlier access to follow-up. Our data demonstrates a need to improve teledermatology follow-up education to improve follow-up care.

Vitamin and Mineral Deficiencies in Patients With Telogen Effluvium: A Retrospective Cross-Sectional Study.

Telogen effluvium is one of the most common forms of non-scarring alopecia for which patients present to a dermatologist. It is a challenging disorder to treat and study, primarily owing to its multifactorial etiology which includes both physiologic and non-physiologic factors. Nutritional deficiency has been purported to contribute to hair shedding, and a patient's clinical history usually aids in directing laboratory evaluation. Many prior studies have either supported or failed to find a correlation between telogen effluvium and deficiencies in vitamins and minerals, in particular, vitamin D, ferritin, vitamin B12, folate, and zinc. We performed a retrospective cross-sectional study of patients with telogen effluvium in the greater Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania area, and measured the rates of these deficiencies. Our results demonstrate that the prevalence of vitamin D, ferritin, and zinc deficiencies is non-trivial and therefore justifies including these laboratory studies in initial clinical evaluation.

J Drugs Dermatol. 2016;15(10):1235-1237.