Persistent nodular contact dermatitis to gold: case report of two cases.

Metallic gold has long been regarded as a relatively safe and inert material when in contact with the skin and mucosal membranes, with only sporadic reports of allergic contact dermatitis. We report two cases, where persistent nodules developed at sites of gold piercing with gold jewelry with positive patch test reactions to gold.

Zosteriform cutaneous metastases: a case report and brief review of literature.

A 56-year-old woman presented with painful erythematous, papulo-nodular lesions on the left side of the trunk in a dermatomal distribution of two-weeks duration. She had earlier undergone surgery for breast carcinoma and was receiving palliative chemo-radiotherapy, when seen by us. A diagnosis of zosteriform cutaneous metastases was made and biopsy was done from the representative lesion which showed chords and sheets of malignant cells. Majority of these cases in the past have been misdiagnosed as herpes zoster and were treated with antiviral drugs. Metastatic diseases should be considered in the differential diagnosis of zosteriform rash in elderly.

Conjugal leprosy: A rarity.

Leprosy is a chronic infectious disease but conjugal leprosy in India is a rarity. Various hypotheses have been postulated to explain this rare phenomenon. Here we describe a family in South India, three members of which have been confirmed to be suffering from leprosy.

Giant granular cell tumor of the vulva.

A 55-year-old lady presented with a large skin colored growth on her vulva since the age of 15 years, which gradually increased to the present state, with the development of a new lesion on her left thigh. There were no systemic symptoms. Biopsy followed by immunohistochemistry showed features consistent with a granular cell tumor.

Diffuse cutaneous leishmaniasis in HIV.

Cutaneous leishmaniasis is caused by the intracellular protozoan parasite belonging to the genus leishmania and is characterized by a myriad of clinical lesions including papules, nodules, and ulcers. Diffuse cutaneous forms of leishmaniasis are rare. We report a rare case from South India of diffuse cutaneous leishmaniasis masquerading as lepromatous leprosy in the context of HIV infection.

Chronic idiopathic urticaria: comparison of clinical features with positive autologous serum skin test.

BACKGROUND: Chronic idiopathic urticaria (CIU), in its extremely severe form, can pose a therapeutic challenge to the treating physician. It has been noted that in one third of such patients, autoantibodies against the IgE receptor are seen and such patients have more severe and unremitting urticaria. AIM: To compare clinical features of autoimmune urticaria with those of other CIU patients. METHODS: We conducted a prospective study in an attempt to correlate the clinical features with autoantibodies, indirectly detected via the autologous serum skin test (ASST), which is the simplest and the best in vivo clinical test for detection of basophil histamine-releasing activity. DISCUSSION: Out of 100 patients with chronic idiopathic urticaria, 34 showed a positive reaction to the autologous serum skin test and it was found that the frequency and severity of attacks was higher in these patients. CONCLUSION: ASST may be used as a simple and cost-effective test for the classification of chronic urticaria, which has proven to be a therapeutic challenge to the treating physician.

Nasal NK/T cell lymphoma presenting as a lethal midline granuloma.

Nasal NK/T cell lymphomas are aggressive, locally destructive, midfacial, necrotizing lesions. The nonspecific clinical symptoms constitute a major stumbling block in the early diagnosis and management of these lymphomas. We report here a case of probable nasal NK/T cell lymphoma in an apparently healthy male that progressed rapidly in a short span of time and was managed subsequently with chemotherapy and external beam irradiation with which the lesion regressed.