Erythema elevatum diutinum in a patient with well-controlled Crohn disease.

Erythema elevatum diutinum is a rare, chronic cutaneous leukocytoclastic vasculitis, with prominent fibrosis at its later stage. In this article, we report a case of erythema elevatum diutinum in a 23-year-old woman with well-controlled Crohn disease. To our knowledge, erythema elevatum diutinum has been reported in only three other cases of Crohn disease, in which eruptions of erythema elevatum diutinum were associated with features of active Crohn. Our patient was in clinical remission at the time of erythema elevatum diutinum onset, making this report significant not only for its uncommon presentation, but more importantly, to aid readers. diagnosis and clinical management of similar cases.

Systemic Biologic Management of Atopic Dermatitis.

Dupilumab and tralokinumab are currently the only FDA-approved biologic therapies for the treatment of moderate-to-severe atopic dermatitis. Tralokinumab is approved for patients greater than 18 years old, and dupilumab is approved for patients as young as 6 months old. Both medications are effective in clinical trials at improving atopic dermatitis. With a good safety profile and low-risk adverse events, dupilumab and tralokinumab are generally excellent treatment options for patients with severe or refractory atopic dermatitis.

Differentiating hidradenitis suppurativa flare from infection in the emergency department and recommendations for transitioning care to the outpatient setting.

Hidradenitis suppurativa is a painful and often progressive inflammatory skin condition that presents with papules, nodules, abscesses, and tunnels in the axillary, inframammary and anogenital regions. HS can be difficult to differentiate from a skin infection, such as a bacterial abscess. However, differentiation between the two is important as management of hidradenitis suppurativa often requires long-term follow-up and specialist care. Emergency physicians should be aware of how to differentiate acute hidradenitis suppurativa flares from similarly presenting conditions, particularly skin and soft tissue infection, when encountered in the emergency department and what steps should be taken to adequately bridge care to the outpatient setting.

Myelodysplasia cutis masquerading as granulomatous dermatitis.

Myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS) are a group of clonal hematopoietic neoplasms resulting from mutations in stem cells. They carry a risk of transformation to acute myeloid leukemia. Cutaneous manifestations of MDS, including myelodysplasia cutis or infiltration by MDS tumor cells, are rare, but significantly associated with increased risk of progression to high-grade myeloid tumors. The clinical and histopathologic differential diagnosis for myelodysplasia cutis includes interstitial granulomatous dermatitis (IGD), a reactive granulomatous dermatitis (RGD) associated with systemic diseases including rheumatologic diseases, and hematologic malignancy like MDS. We report a patient with MDS who presented with myelodysplasia cutis masquerading as IGD both in a clinical and histopathological manner.

Alpha-gal syndrome: A review for the dermatologist.

Alpha-gal syndrome (AGS) is an allergy to "red meat" and other mammalian products due to immunoglobulin E (IgE) antibodies against the sugar moiety galactose-alpha-1,3-galactose (alpha-gal), which is acquired following tick bites. Clinically, AGS presents with urticaria, abdominal pain, nausea, and occasionally anaphylaxis, and has wide inter- and intra-personal variability. Because symptom onset is generally delayed by 2 to 6 hours after meat consumption, AGS can be easily confused with other causes of urticaria and anaphylaxis, such as chronic spontaneous urticaria (CSU) and mast cell activation syndrome (MCAS). Diagnosis relies on a combination of clinical history, positive alpha-gal IgE blood testing and improvement on a mammalian-restricted diet. Management of the syndrome centers primarily on avoidance of mammalian meats (and occasionally dairy and other products) as well as acute management of allergic symptoms. Counseling about tick avoidance measures is also important as AGS will wane over time in many patients.

Assessing the Risk of Hypoglycemia Secondary to Propranolol Therapy for the Treatment of Supraventricular Tachycardia in Infants.

Supraventricular tachycardia (SVT) is the most common arrhythmia among infants. Prevention of SVT is frequently managed through propranolol therapy. Hypoglycemia is a known adverse effect of propranolol therapy, but little research has been done on the incidence and risk of hypoglycemia in treatment of SVT in infants with propranolol. This study attempts to offer insight into the risk of hypoglycemia associated with propranolol therapy when treating infantile SVT to help inform future glucose screening guidelines. We conducted a retrospective chart review of infants treated with propranolol in our hospital system. Inclusion criteria were infants < 1 year of age who received propranolol for the treatment of SVT. A total of 63 patients were identified. Data was collected on sex, age, race, diagnosis, gestational age, nutrition source (Total Parenteral Nutrition (TPN) vs oral), weight (kg), weight for length (kg/cm), propranolol dose (mg/kg/day), comorbidities, and whether or not a hypoglycemic event was identified (< 60 mg/dL). Hypoglycemic events were identified in 9/63 (14.3%) patients. Of the patients with hypoglycemic events, 9/9 (88.9%) had comorbid conditions. Patients with hypoglycemic events had significantly lower weight and propranolol dose than those without hypoglycemic events. Weight for length also tended to increase risk for hypoglycemic events. The high incidence of comorbid conditions in the patients who had hypoglycemic events suggests that hypoglycemic monitoring may only be necessary in patients with conditions predisposing to hypoglycemia.

Methotrexate Monitoring in Dermatology- A Retrospective Cohort Study.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: There are currently no evidence-based recommendations to guide lab monitoring in the first 90 days of methotrexate treatment. The purpose of this study was to determine whether certain monitoring practices or baseline patient characteristics were associated with increased risk of developing clinically meaningful lab abnormalities during the course of methotrexate treatment. PATIENTS AND METHODS: This retrospective cohort study analyzed 243 dermatologically managed patients taking methotrexate at the University of Virginia Health System. Odds ratios were used to analyze the risk of these patients developing lab abnormalities that result in a change in clinical management, referred to as clinically relevant events. Chi-square analysis was used to determine the optimal timing of methotrexate lab monitoring. RESULTS: A diagnosis of congestive heart failure (P=0.03), chronic kidney disease (P=0.03), and an initial low platelet count (P=0.008) increased the odds of developing a clinically relevant event at some point during methotrexate therapy. In the first 15 days following methotrexate initiation, only 1/114 (0.9%) lab draws resulted in discontinuation of the medicine, 1/114 (0.9%) resulted in maintenance of a stable dose, and 2/114 (1.8%) resulted in repeat laboratory testing. CONCLUSION: In the absence of concerning baseline patient characteristics, dermatologists may consider postponing initial lab monitoring until 15 days post methotrexate initiation.J Drugs Dermatol. 2021;20(3):320-325. doi:10.36849/JDD.5790.