Dactylitis and Ungual Tuberculosis: An Atypical Presentation of the Disease.

Introduction: Tuberculosis is a common infection caused by Mycobacterium tuberculosis in developing countries. Among the extrapulmonary forms of tuberculosis, cutaneous tuberculosis is rare, and even dermatologists are less familiar with its ungual manifestations. Case Presentation: We present an exuberant case of ungual tuberculosis in a patient with no personal or family history of immunosuppression, which is the first manifestation of the disseminated form of the disease. Conclusion: In our patient, the initial manifestation was related to the nail, probably originating from the progression of bone TB focus, which further progressed with respiratory symptoms and involvement of other organs. We believe this is the first case in which the ungual presentation allowed the diagnosis of disseminated tuberculosis.

Topical delivery of triamcinolone via skin pretreated with ablative radiofrequency: a new method in hypertrophic scar treatment.

BACKGROUND: Epidermal permeability alterations induced by ablative fractional resurfacing and low-frequency ultrasound technology may offer drug delivery for the treatment of hypertrophic scars through transepidermal drug delivery (TED). This technology can improve treatment efficacy and minimize side effects. OBJECTIVE: To evaluate clinical response and side effects of TED technology in hypertrophic scars in the body and on the face using ablative fractional radiofrequency (RF) associated with low-frequency acoustic pressure ultrasound (US). METHODS: Four patients with hypertrophic scars were treated with triamcinolone using fractional ablative RF and US. The treatment procedure comprised three steps: (i) ablative fractional RF for skin perforation; (ii) topical application of triamcinolone acetonide 20 mg/ml on the perforated skin; and (iii) acoustic pressure wave US applied to enhance triamcinolone penetration into the skin. RESULTS: Complete resolution was seen after one session in patients with scars on the nose and mandibular area. The scar on the neck showed complete resolution after four sessions. The scar on the knee showed a marked improvement after four sessions. Mild and homogeneous atrophy was observed in hypertrophic scars on the neck. CONCLUSION: Ablative fractional RF associated with acoustic pressure US is a new technology aiming to increase drug delivery into skin. This new method can improve the efficacy of steroids in hypertrophic scar treatment, minimizing the risks of localized atrophy and irregular appearance of the treated lesion.