Combination of Medical and Surgical Treatment in Scleromyxedema.

Scleromyxedema is an uncommon and progressive fibromucinous disorder characterized by disseminated papular eruption with histological features of dermal mucin deposition. The skin changes associated with this disease are highly visible and they tend to affect the patient's quality of life. We report a case of a 50-year-old male patient that presented a 3-year-old history of disseminated asymptomatic firm papules-associated systemic symptoms. Medical treatment with oral corticosteroid and thalidomide was indicated and surgical treatment on residual facial folds was performed, with an excellent outcome.

Subclinical Onychomycosis in Apparently Healthy Adults.

INTRODUCTION: Onychomycosis is a frequent chronic nail infection, with a worldwide prevalence of 5.5% making it the most common nail disease, and its incidence increases with age. Clinically, it causes discoloration and thickening of the nail plate and may be accompanied by onycholysis. However, little is known of the subclinical infection. METHODS: We studied adult male and female outpatients auto-referred as healthy and that had healthy appearing toenails. Nail distal clippings were obtained from the right first toenail. This sample was stained with PAS and observed by an expert dermatopathologist searching for fungal structures. RESULTS: A total of 32 samples were included: 8 from men (25%) and 24 from women (75%), with ages ranging from 27 to 66 years (mean age of 43 years). Twenty-four patients did not present any histopathological finding suggestive of infection (75%), while 7 patients had a single finding (spores or hyphae) (21.8%), and 1 patient had both findings (3.12%). DISCUSSION/CONCLUSION: We found 4 patients with yeasts, 3 with hyphae, and 1 patient with a combined infection with both yeasts and hyphae (3.1%). These add up to 25% of the clinically apparent healthy nails. Our results show that we still have much to learn from the initial stages of onychomycosis and that our population probably has higher incidence of this nail disease, so we must be alert to subtle nail changes. As our participants signed an informed consent, we will contact those that resulted positive for follow up consultations.

The great imitator with no diagnostic test: pyoderma gangrenosum.

Pyoderma gangrenosum is a rare, neutrophil-mediated, auto-inflammatory dermatosis that wound care specialists must be prepared to recognise. This condition has clinical features analogous to infectious processes. There is no specific diagnostic test and the diagnosis is usually obtained from exclusion. Its early recognition and proper management with prompt initiation of immunosuppressive therapy are essential to improve the quality of life and the prognosis of patients.

Tio2-dopamine complex implanted unilaterally in the caudate nucleus improves motor activity and behavior function of rats with induced hemiparkinsonism.

Parkinson's disease (PD) is characterized by malfunction of dopaminergic systems, and the current symptomatic treatment is to replace lost dopamine. For investigating mechanisms of pathogenesis and alternative treatments to compensate lack of dopamine (DA) activity in PD, the 6-hydroxydopamine (6-OHDA)-lesioned rat model of PD has been useful, these animals display apomorphine-induced contralateral rotational behavior, when they are examined after lesion. The purpose of this study was to assess Titania-dopamine (TiO2-DA) complexes implanted on the caudate nucleus for diminishing motor behavior alterations of the 6-OHDA rat model. Rats with 6-OHDA unilateral lesions received TiO2 alone or TiO2-DA implants, and were tested for open field (OF) gross motor crossing and rearing behaviors, and apomorphine-induced rotation (G) behavior. TiO2 complex have no effects on rearing OF and G behaviors, and a significant reducing effect on crossing motor behavior of normal rats compared to control non-treated rats throughout 56 days of observation. Interestingly, TiO2-DA treatment significant recovered motor crossing and rearing behaviors in 6-OHDA-lesioned rats, and diminished the G behaviors during 56 days of examination. Additionally, in the 6-OHDA-lesioned rats TiO2 treatment had a moderate recovering effect only on crossing behavior compared to lesioned non treated rats. Our results suggest that continuous release of dopamine in the caudate nucleus from TiO2-DA complex is capable of reversing gross motor deficits observed in the 6-OHDA-lesioned rat model of PD. Thistype of delivery system of DA represents a promising therapy for PD in humans.