Dermal fibrosis and cutaneous necrosis after recombinant interferon-beta1a injection in a multiple sclerosis patient.

The most commonly reported side-effects of recombinant interferon-beta1a and 1b include local inflammatory injection site reactions, headache, fever, myalgia and a flu-like syndrome. In this case report, we describe the occurrence of cutaneous necrosis and dermal fibrosis following intramuscular interferon-beta1a injections in a multiple sclerosis patient.

Serum levels of vitamins A, C, and E, beta-carotene, selenium, and zinc in patients with Behçet's disease: a controlled study.

Behçet's disease is a multisystemic disease characterized by activation and remission periods. The etiopathogenesis is not exactly known; a genetic defect in the immunoregulatory system induced by infectious agents, like viruses and bacteria, is thought to cause the disease. In this study, we examine the serum levels of vitamins A, C, and E, beta-carotene, selenium, and zinc in Behçet's disease patients and investigate the relationship between these serum levels and the activation of the disease. We conclude that adding vitamin E to the treatment of Behçet's disease patients and its effects on the prognosis of the disease need to be further investigated by controlled studies.

The effect of PUVA treatment on sister chromatid exchange (SCE) values in psoriasis vulgaris patients.

BACKGROUND: Psoralen+ultraviolet A (UVA) (PUVA) is used successfully in the treatment of several skin diseases including psoriasis. PUVA has been reported to cause skin cancers, especially when used in high doses. In vivo and in vitro effects of different mutagens and carcinogens on DNA may be detected by sister chromatid exchange (SCE). OBJECTIVE: To investigate the mutagenic effects of different PUVA doses on DNA with SCE analysis. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Forty-two psoriasis patients under PUVA treatment were included in the study as the study group. The control group consisted of 22 psoriasis patients who did not receive PUVA treatment. The study group was divided into three groups according to PUVA doses. SCE/cell values were compared in the study and control groups and in the three dose-dependent groups of the study group. RESULTS: Mean SCE/cell values of the three dose-dependent patient groups were significantly higher than the control group (p<0.001), whereas there was not a statistically significant difference in themselves. CONCLUSION: PUVA treatment seemed to increase SCE values; however, there was not a correlation between PUVA doses and SCE frequencies.

Is the combination of calcipotriol and PUVA effective in vitiligo?

OBJECTIVE: The objective was to compare the effectiveness of psoralen plus ultraviolet A (PUVA) and the combination of PUVA and topical calcipotriol in the treatment of vitiligo. BACKGROUND: There are several reports on the response rate of patients with vitiligo treated with the combination of PUVA and calcipotriol or calcipotriol alone. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: Twenty-two patients with generalized vitiligo were taken into the study. PUVA treatment was applied on a twice-weekly schedule. Calcipotriol cream was applied to one of the two symmetrical lesions of each patient twice daily. RESULTS: Our results showed that the addition of topical calcipotriol to PUVA treatment did not lead to a significant increase in response rate of patients with vitiligo compared with PUVA treatment alone.

Comparison of histopathologic and clinical evaluations of pathergy test in Behçet's disease.

BACKGROUND: The pathergy test, an important test in the diagnosis of Behçet's disease, is currently applied with disposable/sharp needles and evaluated only clinically (no histopathologic evaluation). In this study, the usefulness of the pathergy test conducted intradermally and intravenously with disposable/sharp needles in the diagnosis and determination of the activation of the disease is studied in comparison with the test conducted with nondisposable/blunt needles. In addition, histopathologic evaluation of the pathergy test is compared with the clinical evaluation. METHODS: The study group consists of 43 Behçet's disease patients together with 15 patients with dermatosis as the control group. The pathergy test was applied to the Behçet's disease patients and the control group intradermally and intravenously with disposable/sharp and nondisposable/blunt needles. RESULTS: The results of the pathergy test on the patients and the control group were evaluated clinically and histopathologically. CONCLUSIONS: Clinical evaluation of the pathergy test conducted intradermally with nondisposable/blunt needles is sufficient for both the diagnosis and determination of the activation of Behçet's disease. Histopathologic evaluation of the test is not found to be more sensitive than the clinical evaluation.

Atypical acute reaction associated with radiotherapy: a case report.

Radiation therapy may cause acute and/or chronic skin reactions. In this paper a patient with contact urticaria associated with irradiation is described. We could not determine the agent behind the contact urticaria in our patient in light of the current literature. We are reporting this case because the literature neither mentioned radiotherapy as being among the agents that lead to contact urticaria nor reported contact urticaria as being among the acute reactions to radiotherapy.

Sapho syndrome associated with acne fulminans and prominent acromioclavicular joint involvement.

The clinical and radiological findings of a 33 year-old male patient with acne fulminans and associated SAPHO syndrome are described. The patient presented with prominent acromioclavicular joint involvement, unilateral sacroiliitis and subclavian vein compression which are relatively uncommon features of this syndrome.

Reticulate acropigmentation of Kitamura: two case reports.

BACKGROUND: Reticulate acropigmentation of Kitamura (RAK) is an autosomal dominantly inherited dermatosis. CASE REPORTS: Two patients are described with the clinical and histopathologic features of reticulate acropigementation of Kitamura. CONCLUSIONS: We speculate that RAK and the Dowling-Degos disease (DDD) are the same diseases.

Reticulate acropigmentation of Kitamura: a case report.

A Turkish female patient from Eastern Anatolia is described with the clinical and histopathological features of reticulate acropigmentation of Kitamura (RAK). The brother of the patient, who has similar clinical features, refuses to give a biopsy specimen. No similar lesions are noted on the other members of the patient's family. We have found the case worthwhile to report, since case reports on RAK from ethnic groups other than Japanese are still rare at present.