A Case Series of Paederus Dermatitis: Understanding Its Varied and Diverse Clinical Presentations.

Introduction  Paederus dermatitis arises from inadvertent skin contact with insects of the genus Paederus, leading to irritant contact dermatitis. This study aims to highlight the diverse clinical presentations and the remarkable ability of the disease to mimic various dermatological conditions.  Methodology  A total of 15 patients diagnosed with Paederus dermatitis in a period of four months from August 2023 to November 2023 were included in this retrospective study. The demographic profile, detailed history, clinical presentation, and site of lesion distribution were documented.  Results  Out of 15 patients, nine were males, and eight were females. All patients exhibited a sudden onset of lesions accompanied by burning and pain, with an average duration of approximately 2.5 days. The most prevalent clinical presentation was the linear type, followed by kissing lesions, an erythematous patch with a central gray area, Nairobi eye, burnt appearance, and post-inflammatory pigmentation.  Conclusion  Paederus dermatitis is common in tropical areas like India but is prone to misdiagnosis due to its varied presentation. Increased awareness can lead to accurate diagnoses and simpler treatment plans, reducing patient confusion.

Lupus vulgaris: a narrative review.

Lupus vulgaris (LV) is a type of paucibacillary cutaneous tuberculosis that can occur due to inoculation, lymphatic, or hematogenous route. It occurs in a previously sensitized individual with high immunity to tuberculosis. LV can have different morphology of presentation, which can lead to difficulty in diagnosis. The Tuberculin test is strongly positive. Histopathology will show epithelioid granulomas in the superficial dermis and acid-fast bacilli rarely demonstrable within the granulomas. Dermoscopy will show focused linear vessels on a yellow to orange background. Culture is the gold standard for diagnosis, but its positivity rate is low. Mycobacterium tuberculosis bacilli can be detected using polymerase chain reaction from the lesions. Histopathology, tuberculin test, dermoscopy, molecular test, and culture would help diagnose LV. This review discusses the introduction, pathogenesis, clinical features, differential diagnosis, investigations, complications, and treatment of lupus vulgaris in detail. This review can help the dermatologist understand the condition better with appropriate diagnosis and therapy.

Syphilis Resurrected: Case Series of Palmoplantar Secondary Syphilis.

Introduction Syphilis is a sexually transmitted infection caused by Treponema pallidum which has protean manifestations. The cutaneous presentation of syphilis can mimic many dermatologic conditions.  Materials & methods With an aim to describe palmoplantar involvement in syphilis, a retrospective study of case series was done with 11 patients having palmoplantar skin lesions in syphilis within a period of two years. Only serologically confirmed cases were included. Results The prevalence of palmoplantar involvement in syphilis was 47.85% and all of them except one patient (congenital syphilis) were secondary syphilis. A major proportion of cases (72.8%) studied had no history or presentation of genital lesions. Biett's collar which is an indicator of palmoplantar syphilis was seen only in 45.5% of the cases. Conclusion The clinicians must be aware that palmoplantar skin lesions might be the only clinical presentation of syphilis and a high index of suspicion is needed to correctly diagnose and treat the condition in such a setting.

A study of behavioral and disease patterns among transgenders in a tertiary care center.

INTRODUCTION: Transgenders are a group whose sexual identity, orientation, and practices differ from majority of the society. AIM: The aim of the study is to highlight the presence of infectious and noninfectious dermatological and venereal diseases among transgender population. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A retrospective study was conducted on 120 transgender patients who attended DVL OPD from January 2011 to April 2015. The demographic profile, behavioral patterns, and prevalence of infectious and noninfectious dermatological and venereal diseases were studied. RESULTS: All transgenders were male to females. Almost 46.6% (56) of transgenders belonged to age group 21-30, 25% (30) to 11-20 and 30-40, and 3.4% to >40 years. Nearly 61.3% (74) completed high school, 14.7% (18) graduation, 12% (14) primary school, 9% (10) higher secondary, and 1.3% (2) were illiterate and postgraduates each. All had multiple sex partners at certain point of time, of which 25% (31) are now committed to a single partner and 15% (19) involved in commercial sex. The safe sexual practice was followed by 68% (84). Among sexual practices, oral contributed 97.3% (117), anal 92% (110.4), finger 9% (11), thigh 6% (7), and vaginal 24% (28.8). Of 120 patients, 63.3% (76) had infectious diseases, 42.5% (51) had noninfectious diseases, and 5.9% (7) had both. Nearly 76.3% (58) had infectious dermatological diseases 76.3 (58) and 23.7% (18) had venereal infections. Noninfectious dermatological diseases accounted for 96.1% (49) and venereal diseases for 4% (2). CONCLUSION: There was relatively lower prevalence of infectious venereal diseases among transgender population, attributable to the good level of awareness among them.