[Autoimmune progesterone dermatitis]. / Dermatose auto-immune à la progestérone.

BACKGROUND: Autoimmune progesterone dermatitis (AIPD) is caused by an immune reaction to endogenous progesterone following exposure to exogenous progesterone, especially in oral contraceptives and intrauterine devices. Skin eruption develops cyclically during the luteal phase of the menstrual cycle when progesterone levels are elevated. The resultant clinical symptoms are frequently confused with other forms of dermatosis. We describe a young woman presenting AIPD. PATIENTS AND METHODS: A 23-year-old woman had a history of a chronic pruritic papular-vesicular eruption on the trunk, present since the onset of puberty and unsuccessfully treated with antihistamines and topical steroids. Skin lesions normally began a few days before menstruation and resolved a few days afterwards. Intradermal testing using progesterone was positive, thereby confirming the diagnosis. The patient's skin lesions improved under oral contraceptives designed to inhibit ovulation and there was no relapse during subsequent menstrual cycles. DISCUSSION: AIPD is a rare autoimmune disorder. The diagnostic criteria of AIPD include recurrent cyclical worsening of skin lesions and symptomatic improvement after inhibition of progesterone secretion by suppression of ovulation. The pathogenesis is unclear. Positive response to various tests with progesterone suggests involvement of various mechanisms such as antibodies and/or cell-mediated immune reactions. CONCLUSION: AIPD is a rare disease that can seriously affect patients' quality of life and which may even be life-threatening in certain cases.

Epidemiological and etiological study of foot mycosis in Tunisia.

BACKGROUND: Tinea pedis and onychomycosis are among the commonest fungal diseases in the world. Recently, there has been an increase in the numbers of fungal agents implicated in these conditions. OBJECTIVE: To analyze the epidemiology of fungal foot diseases and to identify associated etiological factors in outpatients attending the Department of Dermatology of Charles Nicolle Hospital in Tunis, Tunisia. PATIENTS AND METHODS: One hundred and forty eight patients were assessed for the presence of fungal foot diseases during the period between January and April 2009. The mean age was 41.5 years (range: 2-87 years) and sex ratio was 0.8. A complete dermatological examination was performed on all subjects, and specimens of the feet were taken from patients presenting signs of tinea pedis or onychomycosis for microscopy and fungal culture. RESULTS: Fungal foot infection was suspected in 71 subjects, and the diagnosis was confirmed in 67 cases (45.3%) by positive microscopy or culture. Older age and family history of mycosis were predisposing factors for foot fungal infection. The condition was caused by dermatophytes in 57.1% of cases and Candida species in 35.7%. Trichophyton rubrum and Candida parapsilosis were the predominant dermatophyte and yeast species, respectively.

[Pyoderma gangrenosum: 6 cases]. / Le pyoderma gangrenosum: à propos de 6 observations.

Pyoderma gangrenosum (PG) is an uncommon extensive cutaneous ulceration belonging to the neutrophilic disease spectrum. It is associated to a systemic disease in almost 50% of cases. The diagnosis primarily relies on clinico-pathological features and the treatment is empirical. We report a retrospective series of 6 observations of PG (4 women and 2 men, median age = 43 years) enrolled over 15 years. The diagnosis was established based on the presence of 2 major criteria and 2 minor criteria of the disease. In 3 patients, PG was associated to an already known ulcerative colitis. The treatment consisted in general corticotherapy.

[Leg ulcers are rare in Tunisian women]. / Les ulcères de jambes sont rares chez la femme tunisienne.

Numerous reports from Tunisia and Morocco have underlined the low frequency of leg ulcers in women from the Maghreb region in comparison with European women. This retrospective study describes patients hospitalized for leg ulcers in the Dermatology Department of Charles Nicolle Hospital in Tunis between January 1995 and December 2005. A total of 134 patients including 107 men and 27 women (M/F sex-ratio: 3.96) were hospitalized for leg ulcers. Venous leg ulcer was the most common accounting for 54.5% of cases overall, 57% of cases in men and 33.3% of cases in women (p = 0.028).

[Evaluation of the role of dietary intake in the occurrence of alopecia]. / Evaluation du rôle des apports alimentaires dans la survenue d'une alopécie diffuse.

Transversal case-control study was conducted among 42 patients aged between 20 and 35 years who had diffuse alopecia. Alimentary inquiry according to the 3-day method was achieved in each case. The following nutriments were evaluated: total proteins, calcium, copper, iron, iodine, magnesium, manganese, phosphorus, potassium, selenium, zinc, omega 3 and omega 6. A control group (composed of 230 individuals), matched for age, gender and metabolic profile was established. These persons did not suffer from hair and nail disorder. The nutriments were codified according to the data of the software Food processor 8.3 version. The data were analyzed using "SPSS" 11.5 version. Comparisons of the means were performed using the Student's t test. ROC graphics allowed to determine the statistically significative limits for the comparison of both groups. On multivariate analysis, only a protein intake was directly associated to alopecia, odds ratio of 1,5 (1,06 - 2,3) p=0,02.

[Temporary tatooing: black henna or harkous?]. / Tatouage éphémère: henné noir ou harkous?

Contact sensitization to natural henna (Lawsonia inermis) long used as a skin dye in powder or paste form has rarely, if ever, been observed. Recently a number of anaphylactoid reactions to PPD contained in paints used for temporary tattoos have been described. The purpose of this article is to present 8 cases involving 4 children and 4 adults who developed contact dermatitis after temporary tattoo using "harkous" that contains no henna. The authors review the literature about temporary tattooing. "Harkous" is a mixture of nut gall and clove to which PPD is sometimes added. Many reports have described cases of contact dermatitis due to "black henna". Most of these cases have involved tourists returning from trips.

[Tuberculous lupus]. / Le lupus tuberculeux.

UNLABELLED: Cutaneous tuberculosis accounts for 2% of all extrapulmonary tuberculosis and is one of the multiple clinical presentations of extrapulmonary tuberculosis. We report a case of cutaneous tuberculosis with unusual clinical and histological presentations. CASE REPORT: We report the case of a 29-year-old woman with plurifocal tuberculous lupus. Histological examination of cutaneous lesions revealed the presence of a granuloma with caseum necrosis. Chest X-ray showed a severe pulmonary tuberculosis lesion. The Mantoux test performed by intradermal injection was positive. Skin lesion PCR and sputum culture were negative. Both skin and pulmonary lesions responded to antituberculous treatment. COMMENTARY: Lupus vulgaris is commonly presents on the head and neck. The diagnosis may be difficult when lupus vulgaris occurs at unexpected sites or in unusual clinical presentations. Caseum necrosis observed in our patient was unusual.

[Neurological abnormalities in xeroderma pigmentosum]. / Les atteintes neurologiques au cours du xeroderma pigmentosum.

INTRODUCTION: Xeroderma pigmentosum (XP) is an autosomal recessive disease characterized by abnormal sensitivity to sunlight which results in pigmentary changes, telangiectases, keratoses and eventually carcinomata. Additional neurological complications can be associated. The aim of our study was to analyze particularities of neurological abnormalities of Tunisian patients. METHOD: We conducted a retrospective study in 62 patients suffering from XP included during the period 1992-2007. Patients were aged from 1 to 64 years (mean age: 17.6 +/- 11.4 years). Thirty patients were female and 32 were male. The patients had severe (n=16), variant (n=15) and moderate (n=31) XP. RESULTS: Neurological abnormalities were observed in 21 patients (33.9%). Mental retardation was observed in 15 of the 21 patients, pyramidal syndrome in five, cerebellar syndrome in two, extrapyramidal syndrome in two, microcephalia in two, choreoatetosis in three cases and a peripheral neuropathy in eight. No neurological disorder was observed in the XP-variant patients. Neurological abnormalities were more frequent in the patients with moderate XP (n=17, 64.5%) than with severe XP (p=0.051). CONCLUSION: This difference in a group of Tunisian patients confirms the heterogeneous nature of XP and is probably due to genetic heterogeneity.

[Fast installation of blepharochalasis]. / Blépharochalasis d'installation rapide.

Blepharochalasis is characterized by recurrent painless oedema of the eyelids leading to alteration of periorbital skin with a nearly complete loss of elastic fibers. It usually affects the upper eyelids bilaterally. An 11-year-old girl suffered from recurrent erythematous swelling episodes during 3 months. The manifestations were confined to the periorbital region. She gradually noticed a bilateral loss of elasticity of the skin of the upper eyelid. The skin showed some folding and laxity. A mild aponeurotic ptosis was present. A skin biopsy showed the absence of elastic fibres. Blepharochalasis is a disease of young people. It has been divided in two hypertrophic and atrophic types. The condition typically follows recurrent painless episodes of oedema infiltrating both upper eyelids. The eyelid oedema usually resolves after several days and recures several times a year.

[Mucosal leishmaniasis by contiguity with a skin lesion: another case report from Tunisia]. / Leishmaniose muqueuse par contiguïté d'une localisation cutanée: à propos d'une nouvelle observation tunisienne.

Three clinical forms of cutaneous leishmaniasis can be found in Tunisia, i.e. the sporadic form due to Leishmania infantum in the North, the zoonotic epidemic form due to Leishmania major in the center and Southwest, and the chronic cutaneous form due to Leishmania tropica in the South. Unlike cutaneous forms, mucosal involvement is uncommon. The purpose of this report is to describe another case of mucosal leishmaniasis due to contiguity with a skin lesion in a 54-years-old woman. The patient responded well to treatment with meglumine antimoniate.

[Skin diseases in the elderly: a multicentre Tunisian study]. / Pathologie cutanée chez le sujet âgé Etude multicentrique tunisienne.

INTRODUCTION: With progressive aging of populations, geriatric health care has become a major international issue for health authorities. However, little data is available about geriatric skin diseases. The aim of this study is to determine the pattern of skin disorders among elderly patients seen in private and public skin outpatient clinics in Tunis. PATIENTS AND METHODS: We performed a prospective, multicentre and descriptive study of all new skin diseases diagnosed in dermatological outpatients aged over 65 years. This study lasted one year (June 1999 to July 2000) and evaluated the activity of eleven Tunisian dermatologists in private or public practice, who collated all cases of skin diseases diagnosed in their practices. RESULTS: A total of 1518 patients with 1550 new diagnoses were examined. Mean age was 72.6 years with a sex M/F -ratio of 1.41. Fungal infections were the most common conditions (16.9%), followed by tumors 12.8% (benign 63.3%), eczema (11.9%), keratinization anomalies (8.7%), bacterial infections (8.7%), viral infections (6.8%) and pruritus (6.4%). Fungal infections were mainly represented by toe-web intertrigo and onychomycosis. Basal cell carcinoma and epidermoid cysts were the most common malignant and benign tumors respectively. DISCUSSION: This study reflects the frequency of mycoses, benign tumors and eczema in elderly patients. This is consistent with the results of other studies of the literature showing eczema as the predominant skin disease. The high prevalence of mycosis in our study may be explained by climatic conditions (heat, moisture). Pruritus seems to be frequent in geriatric patients. Skin disorders are an important source of morbidity in elderly patients.

[Sweet's syndrome: report of 5 cases]. / Le syndrome de Sweet: a propos de 5 observations.

Sweet's syndrome is an acute febrile neutrophilic dermatoses. Cutaneous signs are the main manifestations. The objective of this study is to deal with the epidemiological and clinical aspects of the disease and its treatment. It is a retrospective study over a period of 5 years (2000- 2004). We have included all the patients with characteristic clinical, biological and histological features. Five patients had been identified. They were all females. Their mean age was 42, 2 years. All patients had typical clinical, histological and biological features. Crohn disease was associated in one case. Sweet's syndrome responds rapidly to systemic therapy with corticosteroids and/or nonsteridal anti-inflammatory agents. Sweet's syndrome is a rare disease which occurs mainly in middle-aged women. This was found in our study. Corticosteroids are the standard therapy. Several diseases, particularly neoplasms and inflammatory diseases, can bee associated with Sweet's syndrome and condition the prognosis.

Dyskeratosis follicularis disease: case reports and review of the literature.

BACKGROUND: Dyskeratosis follicularis (Darier's disease) is rare autosomal dominant disease characterized by the loss of adhesion between epidermal cells and by abnormal keratinization. METHODS: We performed a retrospective study of all the patients diagnosed with Darier's disease at the Department of Dermatology of Charles Nicolle Hospital of Tunis, between 1971 and 2002. RESULTS: During the observation period, we identified 12 patients with Darier's disease; five males and seven females with a mean age of 17.36 years. No family history was found in eight patients. Skin lesions in the form of keratotic papules were noted in seborrhoeic areas, essentially the face (nine patients), chest and scalp. Seven patients had nail lesions. UV light exposure exacerbated the disease symptoms in seven cases. The patients were treated with topical and systemic retinoids (six cases). CONCLUSION: Although Darier's disease has a chronic course, most patients manage to lead a relatively normal life. Treatment is usually unsatisfactory despite much progress in understanding of the underlying abnormalities in Darier's disease.