Allergic contact dermatitis of the scalp: a review of an underdiagnosed entity.

Background: It is hypothesized that scalp allergic contact dermatitis (ACD) in women is commonly mistaken for other disorders due to overlapping symptoms and unique clinical presentations. Objective: This study reviews the potential underdiagnosis and misdiagnosis of scalp ACD and explores ways to improve diagnostic accuracy. Methods: This study conducted an extensive literature review to identify diagnostic challenges, common misdiagnoses, and diagnostic approaches for scalp ACD, focusing on standard versus targeted patch testing techniques. Results: Scalp ACD, often misdiagnosed as seborrheic dermatitis due to similar symptoms, has atypical presentations such as hair thinning, hair loss, and erythematous lesions affecting neighboring regions. Trichoscopy can help distinguish scalp ACD, identifying its patchy distribution of thin white scales, in contrast to the yellow scaling of seborrheic dermatitis. Standardized patch testing further contributes to diagnostic errors, with a study reporting 83% of patients who tested negative with standardized patch tests were positive when using their personal products. Individualized patch testing is more effective in identifying causative allergens and accurately diagnosing scalp ACD. Limitations: It is a retrospective review. Conclusion: Several factors contribute to scalp ACD's misdiagnosis for conditions such as seborrheic dermatitis. The significant discrepancy in ACD detection rates between personalized and standardized patch tests in women emphasizes the importance of using patient-specific products in diagnostic testing. Incorporating scalp ACD more readily into one's differential, employing individualized patch testing with trichoscopy, and accounting for neighboring symptomatic areas are all crucial elements in improving diagnostic accuracy for scalp ACD in women.

Treatment of Nail Psoriasis.

Nail psoriasis is associated with significant disease burden, negative impact on quality of life, and potential progression to psoriatic arthritis. Initiating timely and appropriate treatment is of the utmost importance, especially because nail disease may be more resistant to therapies than cutaneous psoriasis. This article reviews available intralesional, topical, and systemic treatment options for nail psoriasis, and discusses efficacy and safety of studied agents. Also reviewed are consensus treatment guideline recommendations. An updated algorithm to aid physicians in selection of specific treatment options is provided.

Review of Teledermatology: Lessons Learned from the COVID-19 Pandemic.

Utilization of telemedicine for dermatology has greatly expanded since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, with over 500 new teledermatology studies published since 2020. An updated review on teledermatology is necessary to incorporate new findings and perspectives, and educate dermatologists on effective utilization. We discuss teledermatology in terms of diagnostic accuracy and clinical outcomes, patient and physician satisfaction, considerations for special patient populations, published practice guidelines, cost effectiveness and efficiency, as well as administrative regulations and policies. Our findings emphasize the need for dermatologist education, prioritization of reliable reimbursement systems, and technological innovations to support the continued development of teledermatology in the post-pandemic era.

Nail psoriasis and nail lichen planus: Updates on diagnosis and management.

BACKGROUND: Inflammatory diseases of the nail, including nail psoriasis and nail lichen planus, are associated with significant disease burden and have a negative impact on quality of life. Diagnosis is often delayed, especially when patients present without cutaneous findings. Therefore, recognizing clinical signs and symptoms of inflammatory nail diseases, and initiating timely and appropriate treatment, is of utmost importance. OBJECTIVE: We review recent studies on diagnostic techniques, discuss severity grading and scoring systems, and describe consensus treatment recommendations for nail psoriasis and nail lichen planus. METHODS: An updated literature review was performed using the PubMed database on studies assessing diagnostic techniques or treatment modalities for nail psoriasis and nail lichen planus. RESULTS: Recent studies on diagnostic techniques for inflammatory nail disease have focused on use of dermoscopy, capillaroscopy, and ultrasound modalities. Treatment of these conditions is dichotomized into involvement of few (≤3) or many (>3) nails. Recent psoriatic therapeutics studied for nail outcomes include brodalumab, tildrakizumab, risankizumab, deucravacitinib, and bimekizumab, while emerging treatments for nail lichen planus include JAK inhibitors and intralesional platelet rich plasma injections. CONCLUSIONS: We emphasize the need for increased awareness and expanded management strategies for inflammatory nail diseases to improve patient outcomes.

Low utilization of confirmatory testing for tinea capitis by pediatricians at an academic center in New York, United States, 2005-2021.

We retrospectively reviewed physician diagnostic and treatment practices for pediatric tinea capitis at an academic institution over 16 years, in assessing adherence with published guidelines. We demonstrate the need to increase utilization of confirmatory testing and systemic therapy, and call for directed pediatrician education towards these goals.

Bullous Lichen Planus of the Nails: A Case Report and Review of the Literature.

Lichen planus is a chronic inflammatory disorder that may affect the skin, nails, and/or oral mucosa. Bullous lichen planus is a rare variant of lichen planus, which is even less common in the nails. We present a case of nail bullous lichen planus, in a 48-year-old male presenting with a 10-month history of onychodystrophy of all ten fingernails. A longitudinal excision of the left thumbnail was performed, with histopathology consistent with lichen planus with focal transition to bullous lichen planus. He was treated with intralesional triamcinolone injections to the fingernails monthly, with improvements noted after three treatments. Our patient's nail bullous lichen planus manifested with longitudinal ridging, white-yellow discoloration, onycholysis, subungual hyperkeratosis, and v-shaped nicking. Histopathological findings included classical lichen planus changes, as well as formation of subepidermal bullae, colloid bodies, and extensive inflammatory infiltrate. Increased awareness and high index of suspicion for this condition are necessary, given the often late diagnosis reported in previously published cases.

Nail Unit Arteriovenous Hemangioma Presenting as Longitudinal Erythronychia.

Introduction: Localized longitudinal erythronychia is defined as a single nail with a longitudinal red band extending the length of a nail plate. It has a broad differential of benign and malignant etiologies, and is rarely due to benign vascular proliferations. Case Presentation: We present a unique case of nail unit arteriovenous hemangioma presenting as longitudinal erythronychia of the left thumbnail in a 76-year-old male. The band was 6 mm and encompassed over 40% of the surface area of the nail plate. Dermoscopy showed red bands that were regular in terms of color, but not thickness or spacing. Due to concern for an amelanotic melanoma, a longitudinal excision was performed. Histopathology was consistent with a diagnosis of nail unit arteriovenous hemangioma. Conclusion: Arteriovenous hemangiomas were rarely present in the nail unit. They can be present as a blue or red nodule/macule, or as longitudinal erythronychia. Diagnosis often requires an excisional biopsy, with histopathology notable for a proliferation of multiple thick- and thin-walled vascular structures lined by a flattened endothelium. Our case emphasizes the need to consider vascular proliferations, such as arteriovenous hemangioma, in the differential diagnosis of longitudinal erythronychia.

Isolation of Terbinafine-Resistant Trichophyton rubrum from Onychomycosis Patients Who Failed Treatment at an Academic Center in New York, United States.

Onychomycosis is a common nail infection. Terbinafine-resistant dermatophyte infections pose an emerging global public health concern, but few cases have been described in the United States. We retrospectively reviewed and characterized clinical, histopathological, and mycological features of patients with mycologically confirmed onychomycosis who failed oral terbinafine treatment for onychomycosis at a U.S. academic nail referral center and ascertained for terbinafine-resistant isolates. During 1 June 2022-31 January 2023 at Weill Cornell Medicine in New York City, USA, 96 patients with mycologically confirmed onychomycosis were treated with oral terbinafine. Among 64 patients with adequate follow-up, 36 had clinical or complete cure. Of 28 patients who failed treatment, 17 underwent terbinafine resistance testing. Trichophyton rubrum with terbinafine resistance-conferring mutations was isolated from two patients. Overall, terbinafine failures for onychomycosis were relatively common, with some cases associated with terbinafine-resistant T. rubrum infections. These findings underscore the need for a clinical awareness of this emerging problem and public health efforts to monitor and prevent spread. We highlight the importance of diagnostic testing and species identification for onychomycosis patients and the increasingly important role of fungal identification and susceptibility testing to guide therapy.

Safety of current systemic therapies for nail psoriasis.

INTRODUCTION: A discussion of safety of systemic treatments for nail psoriasis is lacking, particularly in reference to approval of new therapies assessed for nail outcomes. A review of safety profiles for agents commonly utilized for treatment of nail psoriasis is warranted to help inform treatment choices. The PubMed database was searched on 5 April 20235 April 2023, with articles discussing safety of nail psoriasis systemic therapies identified and reviewed. AREAS COVERED: Systemic treatments for nail psoriasis include biologic therapies (tumor necrosis factor-alpha inhibitors, interleukin-17 inhibitors, interleukin-23 inhibitors, interleukin-12/23 inhibitors), small molecule inhibitors (apremilast, tofacitinib), and oral systemic immunomodulators (methotrexate, cyclosporine, acitretin), each with unique safety profiles and considerations. Herein, we discuss adverse events, contraindications, drug-drug interactions, screening/monitoring guidelines, as well as utilization for special populations, including pregnant, older, and pediatric patients. EXPERT OPINION: The advent of targeted therapies, including biologic treatments and small molecule inhibitors, has revolutionized outcomes for nail psoriasis patients, but warrant review and monitoring for potential adverse events. Oral systemic immunomodulators have demonstrated moderate efficacy for nail psoriasis treatment, but are notable for frequent contraindications and drug-drug interactions. Further study of these agents and their use in special populations is needed to elucidate safety profiles for long-term use.

Prognostic Optical Coherence Tomography Biomarkers in Neovascular Age-Related Macular Degeneration.

Optical coherence tomography has revolutionized the diagnosis and management of neovascular age-related macular degeneration. OCT-derived biomarkers have the potential to further guide therapeutic advancements with anti-vascular endothelial growth factor; however, the clinical convergence between these two tools remains suboptimal. Therefore, the aim of this review of literature was to examine the current data on OCT biomarkers and their prognostic value. Thirteen biomarkers were analyzed, and retinal fluid had the strongest-reported impact on clinical outcomes, including visual acuity, clinic visits, and anti-VEGF treatment regimens. In particular, intra-retinal fluid was shown to be associated with poor visual outcomes. Consistencies in the literature with regard to these OCT prognostic biomarkers can lead to patient-specific clinical decision making, such as early-initiated treatment and proactive monitoring. An integrated analysis of all OCT components in combination with new efforts toward automated analysis with artificial intelligence has the potential to further improve the role of OCT in nAMD therapy.

Efficacy and Safety of Nail Psoriasis Targeted Therapies: A Systematic Review.

INTRODUCTION: Nail changes are frequent clinical findings in patients with cutaneous psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis, often causing significant impairments in quality of life. Numerous targeted therapies have been previously studied for treatment of nail psoriasis, however, newer agents have not been captured in prior systematic reviews. With over 25 new studies published since 2020, the landscape of nail psoriasis systemic treatments is rapidly evolving, warranting analysis of recently approved therapies. METHODS: An updated systematic review of all PubMed and OVID database studies assessing efficacy and safety of targeted therapies for nail psoriasis was performed, with the goal of incorporating clinical data of recent trials and newer agents, namely brodalumab, risankizumab, and tildrakizumab. Eligibility criteria included clinical human studies reporting at least one of the nail psoriasis clinical appearance outcomes (Nail Psoriasis Severity Index, modified Nail Psoriasis Severity Index). RESULTS: A total of 68 studies on 15 nail psoriasis targeted therapeutic agents were included. Biological agents and small molecule inhibitors included TNF-alpha inhibitors (adalimumab, infliximab, etanercept, certolizumab, golimumab), IL-17 inhibitors (ixekizumab, brodalumab, secukinumab), IL-12/23 inhibitors (ustekinumab), IL-23 inhibitors (guselkumab, risankizumab, tildrakizumab), PDE-4 inhibitors (apremilast), and JAK inhibitors (tofacitinib). These agents all demonstrated statistically significant improvements in nail outcome scores, compared with placebo or with baseline values, at weeks 10-16 and weeks 20-26, with some studies assessing efficacy up to week 60. Safety data for these agents were acceptable and consistent with known safety profiles within these timepoints, with nasopharyngitis, upper respiratory tract infections, injection site reactions, headache, and diarrhea being the most reported adverse events. Specifically, the newer agents, brodalumab, risankizumab, and tildrakizumab, showed promising outcomes for treatment of nail psoriasis on the basis of current data. CONCLUSION: Numerous targeted therapies have shown significant efficacy in improving nail findings in patients with psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis. Data from head-to-head trials have shown greater efficacy of ixekizumab over adalimumab and ustekinumab, as well as brodalumab over ustekinumab, while prior meta-analyses have demonstrated superiority of ixekizumab and tofacitinib to other included agents at various assessed timepoints. Further studies on the long-term efficacy and safety of these agents, as well as randomized controlled trials involving comparison with placebo arms, are needed to fully analyze differences in efficacy of newer agents compared with previously established therapies.

Prostate sarcoma.

Introduction: This report is intended to provide insight into the presentation, diagnosis, and treatment of prostatic sarcomas. A literature review is included to compare variables in demographics, histology, prognosis, and treatment strategies among previously reported incidences. Case presentation: In this case, we have a 72-year-old man who initially presented with symptomatic nephrolithiasis that led to further workup. Magnetic resonance imaging revealed an enlarged, heterogeneous prostate with a dominant mass in the left lobe. A biopsy of the prostate revealed a high-grade, undifferentiated sarcoma in the left lobe along with concomitant adenocarcinoma in the right lobe. Conclusions: The patient underwent a radical prostatectomy, which according to existing literature remains the most effective treatment strategy. Staging is the most important prognostic indicator, making this cancer particularly dangerous as presenting symptoms are highly variable among patients.

Impact of Irradiation on the Adhesive Performance of Resin-Based Dental Biomaterials: A Systematic Review of Laboratory Studies.

Head and neck cancers are a significant global health burden, with radiation therapy being a frequently utilized treatment. The aim of this systematic review was to provide a critical appraisal of laboratory studies that assessed the effect of irradiation on the adhesive performance of resin-based biomaterials. The analysis included 23 laboratory studies obtained from five databases, with most studies using human enamel, dentin, or both, and bonding procedures involving the fabrication of direct restorations, standardized specimens, bonding of orthodontic brackets, and luting of endodontic fiber posts. The protocols used for irradiation varied, with most studies exposing specimens made from extracted teeth to irradiation using cabinet irradiators to simulate treatment of head and neck cancer. The findings indicate that irradiation reduces the bond strength of dental adhesives and resin-based composites on flat, ground enamel and dentin specimens, with different adhesives and timing of irradiation having a significant impact on adhesive performance. Irradiation also increased microleakage in most studies. The effect of irradiation on marginal adaptation of direct resin-based composite restorations was inconclusive. This systematic review indicates that irradiation has detrimental effects on the adhesive performance of resin-based biomaterials and highlights the need for further clinical and laboratory studies evaluating the performance of adhesive materials and approaches to improve it.

Blue Nail Discoloration: Literature Review and Diagnostic Algorithms.

Blue nail discoloration is a distinctive clinical presentation, and diagnosis is challenging given the broad differential diagnosis. A comprehensive review of the literature describing blue discoloration of one or multiple nails was performed using the PubMed, Embase, Scopus, and Web of Science databases. A total of 245 publications were included and grouped based on involvement of a single nail (monodactylic) or multiple nails (polydactylic). Monodactylic blue discoloration was associated with tumors or benign nevi, most commonly glomus tumors, followed by blue nevi and less commonly melanomas. Polydactylic blue discoloration was frequently associated with medications (such as minocycline, zidovudine, and hydroxyurea), toxic and exogenous exposures (such as silver), and other medical conditions (such as HIV/AIDS and systemic lupus erythematous). Patients presenting with blue nail discoloration warrant a thorough history, physical examination, and workup to rule out malignancy, systemic disease, or toxic exposure. We present diagnostic algorithms for monodactylic and polydactylic blue nail discoloration to guide workup and treatment plans.