Linear porokeratosis: a case report and review of the literature.

Linear porokeratosis refers to 1 of 5 variants of porokeratosis. Porokeratosis is a keratinization disorder of multiple etiologies including genetic aberrancy, trauma, and infection. We review a case of a 35-year-old man with a chronic history of linear porokeratosis and conduct a review of porokeratosis subtypes, etiology, histology, pathology, differential diagnosis, and treatment.

A refractory fixed drug reaction to a dye used in an oral contraceptive.

A young woman presented with a classic fixed drug eruption (FDE) after taking the inactive green pills of her oral contraceptives (OCs). The patient's history was unique in that the FDE did not occur every time she took the inactive pills but was refractory, occurring every third month within hours after she took the green pills. After discontinuing the green pills but continuing the active oral contraceptive pills, the patient has not experienced a recurrence of the rash in more than 2 years. This case report reviews the unusual phenomenon of refractory periods in FDEs and highlights the importance of understanding this phenomenon in the diagnosis of drug eruptions.

Papular pityriasis rosea.

Pityriasis rosea (PR) is a seasonal papulosquamous disorder that can be easily confused with a wide variety of similar appearing cutaneous disorders. This is particularly evident in its atypical papular form. We present a case report of atypical papular PR, along with a discussion of clinical presentation, histologic criteria, proposed etiology, and treatment options. Papular PR is atypical, presenting in a minority of patients, and may pose a diagnostic challenge. Being familiar with these atypical characteristics will facilitate accurate and timely diagnosis.