Epidemiology of adult patients with atopic dermatitis in AWARE 1: A second international survey.

Background: There are gaps in our understanding of the epidemiology of atopic dermatitis (AD) in adults. Objective: To evaluate the prevalence and severity of AD in adults from countries/regions within Asia, Eurasia, Latin America, Middle East, and Russia. Methods: This international, web-based survey was performed in Argentina, Brazil, China, Colombia, Egypt, Hong Kong, Israel, Malaysia, Mexico, Russia, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA), Singapore, Taiwan, Thailand, Turkey, and United Arab Emirates. Questionnaires were sent to adult members of online respondent panels for determination of AD and assessment of severity. A diagnosis of AD required respondents to meet the modified United Kingdom (UK) Working Party criteria and to self-report they had a physician diagnosis of AD. Severity of AD was determined using Patient-Oriented Scoring of Atopic Dermatitis (PO-SCORAD), Patient-Oriented Eczema Measure (POEM), and Patient Global Assessment (PGA). Results: Among respondents by country/region the prevalence of AD ranged from 3.4% in Israel to 33.7% in Thailand. The prevalence was generally higher in females versus males. Severity varied by scale, although regardless of scale the proportion of respondents with mild and moderate disease was higher than severe disease. PGA consistently resulted in the lowest proportion of severe AD (range 2.4% China - 10.8% Turkey) relative to PO-SCORAD (range 13.4% China - 41.6% KSA) and POEM (range 5.1% China - 16.6% Israel). Conclusions: This survey highlights the importance of AD in adults, with high prevalence and high morbidity among respondents and emphasizes that AD is not just a disease of childhood-there is disease persistence and chronicity in adults.

Humanistic and Economic Burden of Atopic Dermatitis for Adults and Adolescents in the Middle East and Africa Region.

INTRODUCTION: Atopic dermatitis (AD) is a chronic skin disease that poses a significant burden on both patients and the society. AD causes the highest loss in disability-adjusted life years compared with other skin diseases. This study aimed to estimate the economic and humanistic burden of AD in adults and adolescents in seven countries in the Middle East and Africa region (Egypt, Lebanon, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Algeria, South Africa, and United Arab Emirates). METHODS: We conducted a literature review to identify country-specific data on this disease. Subsequently, meetings were organized with experts from each country to complete the missing data. The data were aggregated and calculation models were created to estimate the value of the humanistic and economic burden of the disease in each country. Finally, we conducted meetings with local experts to validate the results, and the necessary adjustments were made. RESULTS: On average, a patient with AD loses 0.19 quality-adjusted life years (QALYs) annually owing to this disease. The average annual healthcare cost per patient is highest in the United Arab Emirates, with an estimated value of US $3569 and a population-level indirect cost of US $112.5 million. The included countries allocated a range of 0.20-0.77% of their healthcare expenditure to AD-related healthcare services and technologies. The indirect cost of AD represents approximately 67% of the total disease cost and, on average, approximately 0.043% (range 0.022-0.059%) of the gross domestic product (GDP) of each country. CONCLUSION: Although the humanistic and economic burdens differ from country to country, AD carries a significant socioeconomic burden in all countries. The quality of life is severely affected by the disease. If AD is controlled, the costs, especially indirect costs, could decrease and the disease burden could be alleviated significantly.

Atopic dermatitis is a chronic condition characterized by inflamed and itchy skin. The prevalence and symptoms of atopic dermatitis are observed to increase in dry weather. Owing to its high prevalence in children, the majority of studies on atopic dermatitis are in children. Although it is also prevalent in adults and adolescents, its burden on adults has not been sufficiently studied, especially in Africa and the Middle East. This study quantified the burden of atopic dermatitis in adults and adolescents in seven countries in the Middle East and Africa. We estimated the economic and humanistic burden of this disease. We conducted a literature review and expert interviews to determine the effects on patients and caregivers. We created mathematical models to calculate the disease burden in each country, and local experts in each country validated the data. The study results showed that atopic dermatitis significantly affects the quality of life of patients. The direct medical costs of treatment in each country were calculated. The management of atopic dermatitis consumes around 0.20­0.77% of the healthcare expenditure in a country. The indirect cost of atopic dermatitis represents 0.022­0.059% of the gross domestic product (GDP) of a country. The country-specific burden data are essential to guide decision-makers in arriving at evidence-based decisions and efficiently allocating available resources. This study focused on the significant indirect economic burden of the disease, which can sometimes be underestimated because the disease is not fatal.

The humanistic and economic burden of atopic dermatitis among adults and adolescents in Saudi Arabia.

Aims: Atopic dermatitis (AD) is a chronic skin disease that creates a significant burden to patients and society. There is scarcity in local data about the burden of AD in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA). We aimed to fill in this gap and quantify the humanistic and economic burden of AD among adults and adolescents in KSA.Materials and methods: A literature search and local expert interviews were conducted to assess the disease burden. Prevalence values were estimated through the literature. International data about health-related quality of life lost owing to AD was adjusted to age and prevalence in KSA. Direct and indirect costs were calculated using a bottom-up approach. Resource utilization data were collected from local dermatologists through online interviews, and indirect costs were based on absenteeism and presenteeism estimates. Validation meetings were conducted with local experts to adjust the final estimates.Results: The age-standardized health loss per patient due to AD is 0.187 quality-adjusted life-years (QALYs) annually, aggregating to 64 thousand lost QALYs in KSA. The annual average direct cost for a patient with AD was 2924 Saudi Riyal (SAR; 780 USD), totaling 373 million SAR in KSA (99.5 million USD). This value represents 0.2% of the annual health expenditure in KSA. The total productivity loss due to AD was 1.36 billion SAR (363.7 million USD). Overall, the economic burden of AD consumes up to 0.059% of the national gross domestic product.Limitations: Local quality of life and productivity lost data were not available for KSA, so global averages were used, assuming these numbers also apply to KSA.Conclusion: Indirect costs represent a large proportion of AD burden in KSA. The disease has a substantial effect on patient quality of life and social well-being. Alleviating the burden might result in significant savings in resources to society.

Atopic dermatitis is one of the most common skin diseases. Mild cases of the disease cause inflamed and itchy skin, while severe cases may cause painful episodes of itching and cracked skin. Patients with atopic dermatitis and their families suffer lower quality of life as the severity of the disease increases. In countries with hot weather like Saudi Arabia, skin is more susceptible to become dry, so the disease is very prevalent. Therefore, the disease poses a significant quality of life burden as well as an economic burden due to the direct costs of treatment and the indirect costs that arise because patients become non-productive or absent from work or school. Our study aimed to quantify the economic and quality of life burden of atopic dermatitis in Saudi Arabia to understand it's real burden and help decision makers quantify its impact on the patients and society. We conducted a literature search and interviewed local experts to determine estimates of costs and quality of life effects. The results of this study should help in prioritizing treatment disease areas in Saudi Arabia and other countries with similar circumstances.

Management of Atopic Dermatitis in Adults in Saudi Arabia: Consensus Recommendations from the Dermatological Expert Group.

Background: Atopic dermatitis (AD) is a long-term, pruritic, recurrent, systemic, inflammatory skin disorder. In the Middle East region, the burden of AD is understudied, and there is a dearth of AD guideline documents for practitioners. Methods: An expert panel meeting, encompassing 12 dermatologists from the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA), was congregated to develop evidence- and experience-based consensus recommendations for AD management, especially in adults in KSA. They completed a questionnaire with seven clinical statements, and a consensus was defined when the responses of ≥75% of participants coincided. Results: The expert recommendations were as follows: American Association of Dermatology guidelines are to be followed for defining AD; Eczema Area and Severity Index or SCORing atopic dermatitis index may be used to quantify the disease severity; Dermatology Life Quality Index may be used to determine the impact of AD on patients' quality of life; Atopic Dermatitis Control Tool may be used to assess long-term disease control in AD patients; and the European guidelines are to be followed for the management of AD. In AD patients who are inadequately controlled with topical or systemic therapies, the preferred systemic agent for use either alone or in combination with topical treatments is dupilumab, cyclosporine, methotrexate, phototherapy, or other available systemic treatments that may include mycophenolate mofetil or oral corticosteroids. Conclusion: These expert recommendations assist physicians by providing a reference framework for optimal care of adult AD patients.

Effectiveness and Safety of Secukinumab for Psoriasis in a Real-World Clinical Setting in the Asia-Pacific and Middle East Regions: Results from the REALIA Study.

INTRODUCTION: Secukinumab has demonstrated sustained long-term efficacy with a favourable safety profile in various manifestations of psoriatic disease. We investigated effectiveness and safety of secukinumab, other biologics and conventional systemic therapies in patients with chronic plaque psoriasis in a real-world setting. METHODS: REALIA was a non-interventional, multicentre, prospective, parallel group study. Eligible patients were ≥ 18 years old with chronic plaque psoriasis commencing a new treatment with a biologic agent or conventional systemic therapies. RESULTS: At baseline, 541 patients were divided into three cohorts based on treatment initiated: conventional systemics (173), secukinumab (184) and other biologics (184). A significantly higher proportion of patients achieved almost clear to clear skin based on physician's judgement in secukinumab versus conventional systemics at month 3 (64.7% versus 22.8%, P < 0.001) and month 6 (61.8% versus 20.8%, P < 0.001). At month 12, clear to almost clear skin was achieved by 52.1% of the patients in secukinumab versus 35.8% in conventional systemics (P = 0.066). The proportion of patients achieving Psoriasis Area Severity Index (PASI) 90 on conventional systemics, secukinumab and other biologics was 18.8%, 59.7% and 40.0% at month 3 and 35.3%, 60.8% and 50.0% at month 12, respectively. Secukinumab patients showed significantly higher change in PASI total score from baseline versus conventional systemics at month 3 {least squares [LS] mean [standard error (SE)]: -14.49 [0.648] versus -8.48 [1.149], P < 0.001} and numerically higher [LS mean (SE): -13.60 (0.475) versus -10.84 (1.733), P = 0.122] at month 12. The proportion of patients with Dermatology Life Quality Index 0/1 score on conventional systemics, secukinumab and other biologics was 22.6%, 65.0% and 41.6% at month 3 and 32.0%, 63.5% and 41.3% at month 12, respectively. Safety profile was comparable across cohorts. CONCLUSIONS: Secukinumab is effective and well tolerated in patients with chronic plaque psoriasis in a real-world setting in an Asia-Pacific and Middle East population, and these results are in agreement with clinical outcomes of secukinumab reported in randomised clinical trials. TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER: 170803-001645.

Axonal sensorimotor polyneuropathy after starting guselkumab.

Guselkumab is an IL-23 inhibitor that binds to the p19 subunit of IL-23 that is highly efficacious and well tolerated for the treatment of moderate-to-severe plaque psoriasis. We report a 20-year-old male who developed sensorimotor axonal polyneuropathy starting treatment with guselkumab, confirmed by neurological examination and serial neurophysiologic studies. His symptoms improved within 5 months of stopping the treatment. The neurophysiologic studies also showed improvement but with continued neuropathy and re-innervation changes on electromyography after about 10 months of stopping treatment. The time line of symptoms and a positive de-challenge are strong but not definitive evidence of guselkumab as a cause.

Saudi consensus statement on biologic treatment of chronic plaque psoriasis (2020).

Psoriasis is a common chronic and complex inflammatory skin disease that affects over 125 million people worldwide. Management of psoriasis in daily clinical practice in Saudi Arabia is variable. Local preferences for management differ, which may have a bearing on the treatment selection. Biologic therapy is now a well-established strategy for managing moderate-to-severe plaque psoriasis. There is a clear need for national consensus statements due to the extended role and high availability of literature on these agents. As a result of an initiative of the Ministry of Health, a multidisciplinary expert panel of dermatologists and pharmacists with practical experience in the clinical management of psoriasis were invited to be part of a work group to update the previous practical guidelines on the biologic treatment of psoriasis published in the Journal of Dermatological Treatment, 2014. The overall aim of this consensus document is to deliver evidence-based recommendations on the use, screening, and monitoring of biologic therapy in patients with moderate-to-severe plaque psoriasis. These recommendations also address the use of biologic therapy in special patient populations. They were developed after rigorous evaluation of existing international guidelines as well as the latest emerging evidence. Updates of the present consensus document will be provided as needed to incorporate new data or agents.

Rituximab/IVIG in pemphigus - a 10-year study with a long follow-up.

BACKGROUND: Pemphigus is a chronic potentially life-threatening autoimmune blistering disease affecting the skin and/or mucous membranes. Rituximab is being increasingly used and found efficacious in the treatment of pemphigus. OBJECTIVE: To present the Middle-Eastern experience with the use of rituximab in pemphigus. METHODS: A retrospective analysis of patient files was conducted which revealed 23 patients of pemphigus who were treated with rituximab (either alone or with IVIG) in the dermatology department of a tertiary care hospital from July 2004 to December 2014. RESULTS: The mean time to disease control was 8 weeks (median 5 weeks and range 2-30 weeks). 90.9% attained early study end point with the first cycle of rituximab. The remaining 9.1% needed an additional course of rituximab + IVIG to attain disease control. 90.5% of our patients attained complete remission during the study period. The average time to attain complete remission on minimal treatment was 25.4 weeks and partial remission on minimal treatment was attained after a mean period of 18.3 weeks. Rituximab was well tolerated by our patients and the rate of adverse-effects in our cohort was comparable to the previous reports. CONCLUSIONS: Rituximab is an effective and safe treatment for pemphigus and should be considered earlier in the algorithm of pemphigus treatment.

Hidradenitis Suppurativa in Down Syndrome: A Case Series.

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES: Many dermatologic and systemic diseases have been reported in association with hidradenitis suppurativa, but its association with Down syndrome is rarely mentioned in the literature. The objective of the current study was to assess the frequency of hidradenitis suppurativa in patients with Down syndrome who visited our clinic over 4 years. METHODS: We recorded the presenting complaints and dermatologic problems of patients with Down syndrome who visited our clinic from January 2011 to December 2014. Medical photographs were taken. Patients with hidradenitis suppurativa were assessed according to severity and treated with topical and systemic medications. RESULTS: Twenty-nine new patients with Down syndrome visited our clinic during this period. Eleven had hidradenitis suppurativa. Disease severity included Hurley stages I and II. CONCLUSION: The presence of hidradenitis suppurativa in 38% of patients with Down syndrome is far higher than would be expected by chance alone.

Experience and challenges for biologic use in the treatment of moderate-to-severe psoriasis in Africa and the Middle East region.

The incidence of psoriasis in Africa and the Middle East (AfME) is high as in other regions and represents a significant problem for both dermatologists and patients. Psoriasis co-morbidities such as obesity, cardiovascular disease and psoriatic arthritis (PsA) are also particularly common in these regions and may be under-recognized and under-treated. Despite this, regional guidelines to aid physicians on the appropriate use of biologic agents in their clinical practice are limited. A group of expert dermatologists from across the AfME region were surveyed to help establish best practice across the region, alongside supporting data from the literature. Although biologics have significantly improved patient outcomes since their introduction, the results of this survey identified several unmet needs, including the lack of consensus regarding their use in clinical practice. Discrepancy also exists among AfME physicians concerning the clinical relevance of immunogenicity to biologics, despite increasing data across inflammatory diseases. Significant treatment and management of challenges for psoriasis patients remain, and a move towards individualized, tailored care may help to address these issues. The development of specific local guidelines for the treatment of both psoriasis and PsA could also be a step towards understanding the distinct patient profiles in these regions.

Saudi practical guidelines on biologic treatment of psoriasis.

The current treatment of psoriasis patients with biologic agents in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) is mainly based on clinical experience. Although there are published international guidelines for treatment with biologics, such as the European S3 guidelines (a joint project of the European Dermatology Forum, the European Academy of Dermatology and Venereology, and the International Psoriasis Council), many nations have found it beneficial to develop country-based guidelines that incorporate specific regional aspects of therapy (legal and practical). With the expanded role of biologic agents in the treatment of psoriasis in Saudi Arabia, a need for local Saudi guidelines has become evident. Here we present a practical approach to the evidence-based clinical administration of biologics for professionals who treat patients with psoriasis.

Pseudo-Kaposi sarcoma worsening after leg vein harvest for coronary artery bypass grafting.

Acroangiodermatitis (AAD) (synonym, pseudo-Kaposi sarcoma) is a term that encompasses 2 different conditions: (1) AAD of Mali, which refers to skin lesions that mainly develop bilaterally on the lower extremities of patients with chronic venous insufficiency and is an extreme form of stasis dermatitis and (2) Stewart-Bluefarb syndrome, which consists of an arteriovenous malformation that mainly affects the limbs of young patients unilaterally. We present a case of a 68-year-old lady with progressive skin lesions on both lower limbs (right > left) as a result of chronic venous insufficiency that became worse after the leg-vein harvest for coronary artery bypass grafting was taken from the right leg. Up to our knowledge this is the first case of its kind to be reported.

Radiation- and chemotherapy-induced permanent alopecia: case series.

BACKGROUND: Radiation- and chemotherapy-induced alopecia is mostly temporary. However, permanent scalp alopecia is reported, albeit infrequently. OBJECTIVE: The objective of this observational case series was to determine the kind and doses of chemotherapeutic agents and radiation in inducing permanent alopecia of the scalp. METHODS AND RESULTS: Eleven patients referred to our department over a period of 3 years for permanent alopecia after chemotherapy/radiotherapy or combination therapy were included. A detailed medical and therapeutic history was obtained from each patient and from medical records. Photography was done, and the scalp biopsies were taken. Patients were divided into three groups according to the type of therapy. The first group received conditioning chemotherapy prior to bone marrow transplantation. The second group had radiation for brain tumors, and the third group received both. CONCLUSION: A comprehensive multicenter and multidisciplinary study is required to determine the definite causative agents, doses, and other cofactors that induce permanent alopecia following chemotherapy/radiotherapy, as well as the means to avoid this distressing outcome in surviving patients.

Interferon-induced vitiligo in hepatitis C patients: a case series.

BACKGROUND: Vitiligo is an autoimmune disease characterized by depigmented patches and macules. It is associated with many autoimmune diseases, the most common of which is thyroid disease. The association between Interferon (IFN) therapy and vitiligo is rarely reported in the literature, despite its common usage in hepatitis B viral infection, hepatitis C viral infection (HCV), hematological malignancies and melanoma. CASE: We are reporting eight cases of vitiligo that appeared after treating HCV with IFN. CONCLUSION: Interferon unmasks vitiligo in susceptible individuals.

Squamous cell carcinoma of the lip after allogeneic hemopoietic stem cell transplantation.

Allogeneic hemopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) has been considered a curative treatment option for many hematological and non-hematological disorders. Despite the use of advanced methods of tissue typing and new therapies, graft versus host disease (GVHD) remains a major obstacle. Secondary malignancies are also among the most serious long-term complications after HSCT including leukemia, lymphomas, and to a lesser extent, solid tumors. The most commonly observed solid tumor is squamous cell carcinoma (SCC). We report two cases of SCC of the lower lip diagnosed several years after HSCT. Both cases were complicated with GVHD prior to the development of SCC and had a successful outcome with minimal surgical intervention.

Multifocal scalp abscess with subcutaneous fat necrosis and scarring alopecia as a complication of scalp mesotherapy.

Over the past several years, there has been a growing interest in the treatment method termed mesotherapy. Marketed for nonsurgical fat melting, skin rejuvenation, and hair regrowth, this technique has become increasingly popular and, in the public's view, it is considered to be a relatively benign intervention method. Mesotherapy was introduced over 50 years ago by M. Pistor, a French physician who utilized this technique initially as a novel analgesic therapeutic method for a variety of rheumatologic disorders. Since its introduction, the basic principal of locally injecting subcutaneous doses of varying chemicals has been expanded and is now utilized for the aforementioned cosmetic concerns. With its increased popularity, there has been an increase in the number of reported side effects resulting from mesotherapeutic intervention. We report multifocal scalp abscesses with subcutaneous fat necrosis as a direct result of mesotherapy; therefore, requiring extensive surgical repair.

Skin-homing CD8+ T lymphocytes show preferential growth in vitro and suppress CD4+ T-cell proliferation in patients with early stages of cutaneous T-cell lymphoma.

A total of 27 T-lymphocyte cell strains were established from skin biopsies of 24 patients with various stages of cutaneous T-cell lymphoma (CTCL) by addition of the T-cell growth factors interleukin (IL)-2 and IL-4. Cellular proliferation and phenotypic changes were measured over 3 months in culture, and T-cell clones were studied using T-cell receptor-? re-arrangement techniques. An average outgrowth of 134 million T-lymphocytes from a 4-mm skin biopsy was observed over 2 months. Initially, most T-cells expressed the CD4+ phenotype. In 17 cell strains from patients with early CTCL a statistically significant predominance of CD8+ T-lymphocytes developed over 8-weeks' culture, indicating that CD8+ T-cells controlled the growth of CD4+ T cells, whereas CD4+ T-cells were predominant in cell strains from advanced CTCL (p <0.05). TCR-? re-arrangement studies revealed, on average, 12 T-cell clones per cell strain, which was reduced over time to 6 T-cell clones per cell strain. Lymphocytes from peripheral blood could kill lymphocytes from an autologous cell strain, suggesting the presence of autoreactive cytotoxic T-cells. Our study suggests how skin-homing CD8+ T-lymphocytes from patients with early stage CTCL can suppress the in vitro growth of skin-homing CD4+ T-lymphocytes, indicating immune surveillance.