Position Statement on Atopic Dermatitis in Sub-Saharan Africa: current status and roadmap.

BACKGROUND: The first International Society of Atopic Dermatitis (ISAD) global meeting dedicated to atopic dermatitis (AD) in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) was held in Geneva, Switzerland in April 2019. A total of 30 participants were present at the meeting, including those from 17 SSA countries, representatives of the World Health Organization (WHO), the International Foundation for Dermatology (IFD) (a committee of the International League of Dermatological Societies, ILDS www.ilds.org), the Fondation pour la Dermatite Atopique, as well as specialists in telemedicine, artificial intelligence and therapeutic patient education (TPE). RESULTS: AD is one of the most prevalent chronic inflammatory skin diseases in SSA. Besides neglected tropical diseases (NTDs) with a dermatological presentation, AD requires closer attention from the WHO and national Departments of Health. CONCLUSIONS: A roadmap has been defined with top priorities such as access to essential medicines and devices for AD care, in particular emollients, better education of primary healthcare workers for adequate triage (e.g. better educational materials for skin diseases in pigmented skin generally and AD in particular, especially targeted to Africa), involvement of traditional healers and to a certain extent also patient education, bearing in mind the barriers to effective healthcare faced in SSA countries such as travel distances to health facilities, limited resources and the lack of dermatological expertise. In addition, several initiatives concerning AD research in SSA were discussed and should be implemented in close collaboration with the WHO and assessed at follow-up meetings, in particular, at the next ISAD meeting in Seoul, South Korea and African Society of Dermatology and Venereology (ASDV) meeting in Nairobi, Kenya, both in 2020.

[Vitiligo occurring on dermal melanocytosis (nevus of Ota) in a dark-skinned patient]. / Vitiligo dévéloppé sur une mélanocytose dermique (nævus de Ota) chez une patiente à peau foncée.

BACKGROUND: Nevus of Ota is a rare disease most frequently found in Asians. It presents clinically as a bluish gray hyperpigmentation of one side of the face. Transformation into melanoma and glaucoma are the main risks. The appearance of vitiligo lesions with poliosis within a nevus of Ota is exceptional. PATIENTS AND METHODS: A 22-year-old female patient with a nevus of Ota consulted for depigmentation of the eyelashes. Physical examination revealed hyperpigmentation in the right orbitofrontal part of her face, achromic macules and eyelash poliosis. A diagnosis was made of vitiligo developing on a nevus of Ota. Ophthalmologic examination showed hyperpigmentation of the sclera. Regular dermatologic and ophthalmologic follow-up was instituted. DISCUSSION: Vitiligo is a condition characterized by the development of depigmented lesions secondary to chronic degradation of the melanocytes of the epidermis and the follicles. Its occurrence on congenital nevus and melanoma has already been reported. However, its appearance in dermal melanocytosis is very rare. Since the first observation of this association in 1979, only 4 other cases have been reported. The pathogenic mechanisms of this association are still poorly understood. Histopathological examination generally shows a loss of epidermal melanocytes, especially in the basal layer, while dermal melanocytes remain unaffected. In this context, vitiligo developed on dermal melanosis appears to result from the difference between the properties of normal (epidermal) melanocytes and ectopic (dermal) melanocytes. CONCLUSION: Association of vitiligo with nevus of Ota is rare. Herein, we report a new case in a dark-skinned subject.

[Blastic plasmacytoid dendritic cell neoplasm revealed by ecchymotic lesions on the face]. / Tumeur à cellules plasmocytoïdes dendritiques blastiques révélée par des lésions ecchymotiques du visage.

BACKGROUND: Cutaneous CD4+CD56+ malignant tumor proliferation was previously called "CD4/CD56 hematodermic neoplasm". However, the most recent studies have shown that the disease develops from plasmacytoid dendritic cells and the tumor has been renamed "Blastic Plasmacytoid Dendritic Cell Neoplasm" (BPDCN). It is an aggressive disease with a poor prognosis and behaves like acute leukemia in the short to moderate term. PATIENTS AND METHODS: A 65-year-old man with no particular history consulted for a left laterocervical lesion of ecchymotic aspect that had appeared one year earlier. Topical corticosteroid therapy had been unsuccessful. Examination of biopsies with lymphocyte typing enabled a diagnosis of BPDCN to be made. At the histopathological level, biopsy showed an infiltrate comprising medium to large cells. Immunohistochemical examination was remarkable for the absence of expression of markers of T- and B-cell lines. However, these tumor cells expressed CD4, CD56 and TCL1. Staging of the disease was normal. Treatment with chemotherapy was initiated in collaboration with a team of hematologists. Autologous bone marrow transplant was then performed. DISCUSSION: BPDCN is a rare malignant blood dyscrasia. It is distinguished by inaugural skin involvement, with systemic manifestations occurring much later. Histopathological examination of a skin biopsy with immunostaining establishes the diagnosis. In terms of phenotype, the tumor population is highly characteristic. The cells are negative for antigens of T- and B- cell lines. However, these cells express CD4, CD56 and TCL1, which are markers of plasmacytoid dendritic cells. The disease carries a poor prognosis and evolves in the short to middle term in the same way as acute leukemia. First-line treatment consists of the chemotherapy regimens used in aggressive lymphoma or acute leukemia. A bone marrow graft is sometimes performed at the time of initial relapse. Average survival is 12 months for chemotherapy alone and 30 months for transplant after first relapse. Early bone marrow transplantation has been shown to improve survival.

[Bifocal Buruli ulcer: multiple cephalic lesions after initiation of medical treatment]. / Ulcère de Buruli à début bifocal: multiples lésions céphaliques après instauration du traitement médical.

BACKGROUND: Buruli ulcer (BU) denotes a cutaneous infection by Mycobacterium ulcerans endemic in certain tropical and subtropical regions. Treatment may be either medical and surgical or else purely medical for early lesions. The literature contains reports of several cases of transient aggravation of BU following initiation of medical treatment. We report a case observed in the Ivory Coast, one of the areas with the highest prevalence of BU worldwide. The distinguishing features of our case are the early onset of this paradoxical reaction and the multiple cephalic site of lesions. PATIENTS AND METHODS: A 4-year-old child with no prior medical history was referred for two painless ulcerative cutaneous nodules. Incubation of samples from the edges of these lesions revealed the presence of acid-alcohol resistant bacilli (AARB), which were shown by PCR to be M. ulcerans, the causative agent in BU. Treatment consisted of levofloxacin (100mg/d) and rifampicin (150mg/d) for 8weeks. After 7days of medical treatment, seven painless nodules appeared on the patient's scalp. Further PCR for these lesions confirmed the presence of M. ulcerans. The same medical therapy was maintained and after 54days of treatment, all lesions had been healed. DISCUSSION: The originality of this case rests on two features: the bifocal aspect of the lesions, which is uncommon, and the early development of cephalic predominance that occurred after the start of drug treatment. While cases of lesions secondary to initiation of medical therapy have already been described, such lesions generally occurred after at least 2months of treatment and did not involve the head.

[Newborns dermatitis: about 116 cases collected in a university hospital in abidjan]. / Les dermatoses neonatales : a propos de 116 cas colliges dans un hopital universitaire d'abidjan.

AIMS: To determine the epidemiological profile of newborn dermatitis and to describe the different clinical aspects of the observed neonatal dermatitis. PROCEDURE: The study took place at the University Hospital of Cocody (Abidjan). The study was cross-sectional, descriptive and analytical, carried out on the basis of prospective recruitment. The study included newborns who were seen in outpatient or inpatient settings by 4 april 2018 to 23 August 2018 and in whom the pediatrician had observed cutaneous and/or mucosal lesions. The diagnosis was made with the collaboration of a dermatologist. RESULTS: During the study period, 116 newborns were identified. The age of the patients seen in pediatrics with dermatitis varied from 1 to 28 days, with a mean of 16.86 ± 8.4 days. The median age was 19 days. The most representative age range (32.8%) was 24-28 days. The sex ratio (M/F) was 1. In almost 2/3 of the cases, the children were born at term, 29.3% were premature and 5.2% were born after term. In almost 2/3 of the cases (63.8%), the newborns had a birth weight of more than 2500 g. Only 3.4% of newborns seen in pediatric consultations were referred for a dermatitis. The age of the lesions at the time of consultation varied from 1 to 26 days, with a mean of 06.19 days ± 5.13. In more than half (53.5%) of the cases, the lesions had evolved for less than 5 days. Transient dermatitis was more frequent (51.7%), followed by infectious dermatitis (32.8%). Transient dermatitis of the newborn was dominated by sweaty miliaria (40%). Infectious dermatitis were mainly represented by mycotic (68.4%) and bacterial (31.9%) infections. Bacterial dermatitis were composed of neonatal impetigo (83.3%) and folliculitis (16.7%). In almost half of the cases (46.1%) the mycotic dermatitis were represented by candidosis intertrigo and in 38.5% of the cases there was oral candidiasis. The other neonatal dermatitis observed were dominated by diaper rash (64.3%) (Photo 2) and congenital nevi (21.5%). More than half (57.1%) of the cases of toxic erythema neonatorum occurred between days 6 and 10 of life. Nearly half (41.6%) of the cases of sudoral miliaria occurred between birth and day 5 of life. More than half (57.1%) of the cases of sebaceous hyperplasia occurred before the 5th day of life. All cases of neonatal scaling and mongoloid spots were already present between birth and day 5 of life. The mean age of patients with transient dermatitis was 14.31 days compared with 19.41 days for those with the other dermatitis. The difference in age was statistically significant (p < 0.05). The transient dermatitis predominated in male neonates while the other dermatitis predominated in females, however the difference observed at the level of sex was not statistically significant (p > 0.05). CONCLUSION: The diagnosis of neonatal dermatitis is not always obvious, especially on black skin where few publications have been published.

OBJECTIFS: Déterminer le profil épidémiologique des dermatoses du nouveau-né et de décrire les différents aspects cliniques des dermatoses néonatales observées. MATÉRIEL ET MÉTHODES: L'étude s'est déroulée au Centre hospitalier universitaire de Cocody (Abidjan). L'étude était transversale, à visée descriptive et analytique, réalisée sur la base d'un recrutement prospectif. Ont été inclus, les nouveau-nés ayant été vus en consultation externe ou en hospitalisationdu 4 avril 2018 au 23 août 2018 chez qui le médecin pédiatre avait observé des lésions cutanées et/ou muqueuses.Ensuite,le diagnostic était posé par le dermatologue référant de l'étude. RÉSULTATS: Pendant la période d'étude, 116 nouveau-nés ont été recensés. La moyenne d'âge était 16,86 ± 8,4 jours avec un âge médian de 19 jours. Lesex ratio (H/F) était de 1. Dans plus de la moitié (53,5%) des cas, les lésions évoluaient depuis moins de 5 jours. Une dermatose transitoire était diagnostiquée dans plus de la moitié des cas (51,7%) et dans près du tiers des cas (32,6%) une dermatose infectieuse. Les dermatoses transitoires du nouveau-né étaient dominées par la miliaire sudorale (40%), l'érythème toxique (23%), la desquamation néonatale (10,7%) et l'hyperplasie néonatale (10,7%).Les taches mongoloïdes représentaient3,3% des cas. Les dermatoses infectieuses étaient essentiellement représentées par des infections mycosiques (68,4%) et bactériennes (31,6%). Les autres dermatoses néonatales observées étaient dominées par dermite du siège (64,3%) et les nœvi congénitaux (21,5%). Plus de la moitié (57,1%) des cas d'érythème toxique néonatal survenaient entre le 6e et le 10e jour de vie. L'âge moyen des patients présentant une dermatose transitoire était de 14,31 jours contre 19,41 jours pour ceux présentant les autres dermatoses. La différence observée au niveau de l'âge était statistiquement significative (p < 0,05). CONCLUSION: Les dermatoses néonatales sont multiples et variées. Certaines sont transitoires, ne nécessitant pas toujours de prise en charge thérapeutique. Leur diagnostic n'est pas toujours évident pour le pédiatre d'où la nécessité d'une étroite collaboration entre pédiatres et dermatologues afin d'améliorer la démarche diagnostique et parfois thérapeutique.

[Necrotizing fasciitis of the breast and HIV infection. A case report]. / Fasciite nécrosante du sein: une observation chez une personne vivant avec le VIH en Côte d'Ivoire.

Necrotizing fasciitis is a severe soft tissue infection caused by flesh-eating bacteria. It usually occurs on the lower limbs. The purpose of this report is to describe a case involving Streptococcus pyogenes on the breast of a 22-year-old African woman with HIV.

[About a case of Mycobacterium ulcerans infection with cold abscess]. / A propos d'un cas d'infection due a Mycobacterium ulcerans se présentant sous la forme d'un abcès froid.

Buruli ulcer is still a public health problem in Côte d'Ivoire. Its physiopathology is poorly described and suggests a new clinical form. We report a clinical case in a 18-year-old patient who had a cold abscess on the right elbow. The histopathology test revealed a Mycobacterium ulcerans infection. The treatment consisted in antimycobacterial therapy and surgical care. The clinical healing was observed during 4 months of hospitalization. This form of Mycobacterium ulcerans with cold abscess, the first case described so far, requires great vigilance in clinical detection of cases and underlines the importance to intensify microbiological research mainly in endemic areas.

[Cutaneous histoplasmosis due to Histoplasma capsulatum variety duboisii in an immune competent child. About one case in Abidjan, Côte d'Ivoire]. / Histoplasmose due à Histoplasma capsulatum var. duboisii à localisation cutanée chez un enfant immunocomp tent. A propos d'un cas à Abidjan, Côte d'Ivoire.

Histoplasmosis is a subcutaneous mycosis caused by dimorphic fungus which is to be found in two types: the capsulatum and duboisii types. The capsulatum type has had an increasing incidence with the HIV-AIDS epidemics but it is not demonstrated that the duboisii one has had the same upward incidence. Signs in children and immunocompetent patient are rarely described during this disease. The diagnosis is often late in the child as it looks like Molluscum contagiosum lesions. We report a case of skin histoplasmosis of duboisii type non associated with HIV infection in a child. Diagnosis has been confirmed by a histopathological test of a nodule biopsy. Medical treatment was successfully based on itraconazol.

[An uncommon localization of pyoderma gangrenosum on the penis of an HIV infected patient in the Ivory Coast]. / L'atteinte du pénis, une localisation rare du pyoderma gangrenosum: à propos d'un cas chez un patient immunodéprimé par le VIH en Côte d'Ivoire.

Pyoderma gangrenosum is an uncommon chronic ulcerative dermatosis with unknown aetiology and with a pathology which is still obscure. In 15-45% of cases, it is related to intestinal chronic inflammatory disease (MICI), to a systemic disease that it can sometimes reveals or to an immunodeficiency This disease starts whether with a pustule, a bubble or a nodule which leads during its evolvement to a superficial ulceration with clear edges. Its diagnosis is easy and is mainly clinical. It is a disease which is localized preferably in lower limbs. Treatment is mainly based on oral route corticotherapy. We report a case of gangrenosum pyoderma localized on the penis in a 43-year-old HIV infected patient. It is an uncommon localization, misleading and delicate. We have treated successfully this patient by oral corticotherapy combined with local antiseptic treatments for 6 months.

[Inconsolable crying revealing primary erythermalgia in a 6-month-old infant]. / Crises de pleurs inconsolables révélatrices d'une érythermalgie primitive chez un nourrisson de 6 mois.

Erythermalgia is a peripheral vascular disease triggered by exposure to heat. The primary infantile form is rare. No cases have been described in infants. We report a case in a 6-month-old child revealed by crying bouts associated with erythema of the lower limbs. A 6-month-old child was brought in for consultation for daily crying bouts, occurring six times a day, associated with erythema of the lower limbs. Blood count, abdominal ultrasound and endoscopy were normal, excluding gastroesophageal reflux and intussusception. Attacks disappeared during winter but recurred at high temperatures. The diagnosis was primary infant erythemalgia. Treatment with analgesics and ice packs was established. Erythermalgia is a rare peripheral vascular disease characterized by paroxysmal pain triggered by heat and relieved by cold. The primary form occurs in childhood but has never been reported in infants. The pathophysiology is based on an alteration of sodium channels inducing neuropathy in small-caliber fibers. Genetic mutations have been found in the SNC9 gene on chromosome 2q, with autosomal dominant transmission. Support of this condition is difficult due to resistance to conventional analgesics. The prognosis is sometimes poor with a significant death rate in the pediatric population.