Colloid milium: a rare cutaneous deposition disease.

Colloid milium is a rare degenerative skin disorder known by the development of small translucent, yellowish brown pappular nodules or plaques, generally located in sun exposed areas. Clinically they are of two types, adult and juvenile type. We present a case of adult type Colloid milium in a 60 years old female patient with clinical and histological findings unmistakable of the condition. She was treated with IPL. (Intense Pulsed Light) laser following unsatisfactory response with dermabrasion.

Miltefosine in cutaneous leishmaniasis.

OBJECTIVE: To determine the efficacy of oral Miltefosine in patients with cutaneous leishmaniasis and its comparison with the most effective standard treatment, pentavalent antimony compound. DESIGN: A non-randomized, open label comparative clinical trial. PLACE AND DURATION OF STUDY: Dermatology Department, Military Hospital, Rawalpindi, Pakistan from March to October 2005. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Thirty patients, 12 years of age or older clinically and histopathologically diagnosed as cutaneous leishmaniasis were selected. Fifteen patients received orally administered Miltefosine 2.5mg/kg/day for 28 days and remaining 15 received injectable pentavalent antimony 20mg/kg/day for 28 days. Pre-treatment complete physical examination was done along with necessary laboratory investigations in all cases. These were repeated again after 2 weeks and at the end of treatment to note any deviation from the normal limits. Groups were almost matched in terms of age, weight, parasitological score. The efficacy was evaluated by ulcer size, before therapy, at 2 weeks and 4 weeks. Patients were followed-up at 3 and 6 months. Efficacy of two groups was statistically compared by calculating p-value by z-test. RESULTS: All patients completed the study without any serious complication. Lesions improved significantly and only scarring and post-inflammatory pigmentation was left. At 3 months, cure rate was 93% in group A and it was 73.33% in group B while at the end of 6 months, it was 86% and 66.6% respectively. This difference between efficacies of two groups was not found to be statistically significant (p-value>0.5). CONCLUSION: Miltefosine appears to be a safe and effective alternative to currently used therapies. The striking advantage of Miltefosine is its oral administration and it may also be helpful in regions where parasites are resistant to current agents.

Unilateral Blaschkoid lichen planus involving the entire half of the body, a unique presentation.

A large number of congenital as well as acquired skin disorders assume a characteristic morphological pattern following the Blaschko lines. Lichen planus (LP) is an acquired inflammatory disorder that can come with different faces. Linear lesions are frequently seen but cases of zonal (zosteriform) or whorled appearance have rarely been described in the literature. We describe an even rarer presentation in a 30-years-old man who had unilateral pruritic violaceous lesions over right half of body characteristically following lines of Blaschko with clinical and histological morphology typical of LP.