Demographic and clinical features of hidradenitis suppurativa in Korea.

Hidradenitis suppurativa (HS) is a chronic, relapsing, inflammatory skin disorder. Although several epidemiological studies have been conducted in Western countries, such data regarding Asian populations are scarce. In this study, we sought to investigate the demographic and clinical features of HS in Korea. A total of 438 patients, diagnosed with HS from May 2007 to April 2017, were enrolled and the electronic medical record of each patient was reviewed. Male patients were predominant with a male : female ratio of 2.5:1. Mean age of disease onset was 23.9 years and most patients had no family history. The most frequently affected area was the buttocks, followed by axillae and groin. Acne and diabetes mellitus were the most prevalent associated diseases and no patients with inflammatory bowel diseases were observed. In the univariable analysis, male patients had severe diseases compared with females with an odds ratio (OR) of 1.790. Two or more affected body regions were associated with HS severity with an OR of 1.693. While involvement of the perineum (OR, 4.067) and buttocks (OR, 1.471) tended to be associated with increased severity of the disease, the inguinal area (OR, 0.620) showed a tendency to be inversely associated with the severity. In multivariable analysis, identified risk factors were the involvement of the perineum (OR, 3.819) and buttocks (OR, 2.288). Smoking status and high body mass index seemed to be associated with more severe diseases. Our results will provide clinical characteristics of HS patients in Asia and help to broaden understanding of HS.

Brimonidine tartrate gel plus topical steroid for the prevention of laser therapy-related postinflammatory hyperpigmentation.

Brimonidine gel, originally approved for the treatment of facial rosacea, causes direct vasoconstriction and possesses extensive utilization in dermatologic fields. A Q-switched (QS) neodymium-doped yttrium aluminum garnet (Nd:YAG) laser is generally used to treat solar lentigo (SL), often leaving unwanted postinflammatory hyperpigmentation (PIH), especially in dark-skinned individuals. A 58-year-old man with Fitzpatrick skin type IV presented to remove solar lentigines from his face. Prior to and after laser treatment, topical brimonidine gel and steroid cream were applied. In this study, we investigated whether topical application of the α-adrenergic receptor agonist brimonidine could reduce PIH after QS laser treatment of lentigine in a dark-skinned patient.

Randomized Clinical Trial to Evaluate the Efficacy and Safety of Combination Therapy with Short-Pulsed 1,064-nm Neodymium-Doped Yttrium Aluminium Garnet Laser and Amorolfine Nail Lacquer for Onychomycosis.

BACKGROUND: Onychomycosis is one of the most prevalent fungal diseases in the general population. However, treatment is of limited effectiveness and must be administered for long periods of time. Systemic antifungal agents are associated with adverse effects. OBJECTIVE: We evaluated the clinical efficacy and safety of a 1,064-nm neodymium-doped yttrium aluminium garnet (Nd:YAG) laser with amorolfine nail lacquer to treat onychomycosis. METHODS: The 128 patients were randomly divided to 2 groups: 64 in the experimental group were treated with 1,064-nm Nd:YAG laser therapy and amorolfine nail lacquer; the other 64 were in a control group treated with topical amorolfine lacquer monotherapy. The laser treatment was 4 sessions at 4-week intervals and amorolfine lacquer was applied once a week for 16 weeks. Efficacy was assessed as response rate from standardized photographs with ImagePro®Plus (Media Cybernetics, Inc., USA) analysis, microscopic examination, and subjective evaluation. RESULTS: At 16 weeks, the experimental group showed a significantly higher cumulative cure rate than the control group (71.88% vs. 20.31%, p<0.0001). Clinical therapeutic effects were linked to patient satisfaction. The percent of "very satisfied" or "satisfied" responses was higher in the test group than the control group (81.25% vs. 23.44%). The treatment regimen was well tolerated, with transient discomfort observed in the test group. CONCLUSION: The 1,064-nm Nd:YAG laser with amorolfine nail lacquer was effective and safe for treating onychomycosis. This therapy should be considered an alternative treatment, especially for patients with contraindications to systemic antifungal agents.

Vibration Anesthesia for Pain Reduction During Intralesional Steroid Injection for Keloid Treatment.

BACKGROUND: Patients suffer significant pain during intralesional steroid injection treatment for keloids and hypertrophic scars. Vibration anesthesia has been shown to effectively and safely alleviate pain sensations, likely by reducing pain transmission from peripheral receptors to the brain. OBJECTIVE: The objective was to evaluate the efficacy, safety, and patient satisfaction associated with vibration anesthesia for reducing pain during intralesional corticosteroid injection. METHODS: The authors recruited 40 patients with 58 keloids who were scheduled to undergo intralesional triamcinolone acetonide (TA) injections. Half of each keloid was injected with concomitant vibration anesthesia, whereas the other half was injected without vibration anesthesia. Pain experienced by patients during both procedures was assessed according to visual analog scale (VAS) score. The authors also assessed procedure safety. RESULTS: The mean VAS score during intralesional TA injection therapy without vibration was 5.88 ± 2.34. By contrast, the same patients yielded a mean VAS score during intralesional TA injection therapy with vibration of 3.28 ± 1.85; the difference between the mean scores was significant (p < .05). Thirty-nine (97.5%) patients tolerated this therapy well. CONCLUSION: Vibration anesthesia is a promising option for reducing pain during keloid treatment with intralesional steroid injection.

Analysis of Korean acne patients according to age groups based on two multicenter studies.

Along with increasing public concerns on acne and its complications, increasing treatment options seem to lead more acne patients to clinics globally, including Korea. The aim of the present study was to investigate the number and distribution of acne patients according to age group by analyzing number and age of outpatients from several general hospitals in Korea. Two retrospective multicenter studies including 14 general hospitals for a maximum of 10 years were conducted by medical chart review of acne patients. During the last 10 years, total acne patients have increased by 60% in number and patients under the age of 19 years have doubled. Adult acne patients (aged >18 years) accounted for the biggest portion in total acne patients at over 80%. Although upper grade of elementary school patients (aged 10-12 years) accounted for the biggest portion among the childhood acne patients, children under 10 years have also increased rapidly by 73% during the last 10 years. Childhood acne patients (aged <13 years) accounted for 11% of total acne patients. We found that acne patients were increasing consistently and the portion of those aged under 19 years is getting bigger. Additionally, childhood acne patients have increased remarkably.

Gain-switched 311-nm Ti:Sapphire laser might be a potential treatment modality for atopic dermatitis.

Phototherapy with 311-nm narrowband-UVB (NBUVB) is an effective adjuvant treatment modality for atopic dermatitis (AD). In this study, we evaluated the therapeutic effect of the newly developed gain-switched 311-nm Ti:Sapphire laser device using a NC/Nga mouse AD model. A total number of 50 mice were used in this study. Atopic dermatitis (AD) was induced in mice by exposure to Dermatophagoides farina. These, NC/Nga mice were then treated with conventional 311-nm NBUVB or the newly developed gain-switched 311-nm Ti:Sapphire laser. The clinical features, dermatitis severity scores, and scratching behavior were assessed. In addition, serologic analyses including inflammatory cytokines and histological analyses were performed. Gain-switched 311-nm Ti:Sapphire laser improved the AD-like skin lesions, severity, and symptoms of AD in the NC/Nga mouse model. This new laser also modulated the immune response found in the AD model, including hyper-IgE, upregulated Th2 cytokines, and the Th2-mediated allergic inflammatory reaction. Gain-switched 311-nm Ti:Sapphire laser shows therapeutic promise via an immune-modulation mechanism in an AD mouse model. These data suggest that gain-switched 311-nm Ti:Sapphire laser may be useful as a targeted phototherapy modality for AD.

Investigating skin penetration depth and shape following needle-free injection at different pressures: A cadaveric study.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: The effectiveness of needle-free injection devices in neocollagenesis for treating extended skin planes is an area of active research. It is anticipated that needle-free injection systems will not only be used to inject vaccines or insulin, but will also greatly aid skin rejuvenation when used to inject aesthetic materials such as hyaluronic acid, botulinum toxin, and placental extracts. There has not been any specific research to date examining how materials penetrate the skin when a needle-free injection device is used. In this study, we investigated how material infiltrates the skin when it is injected into a cadaver using a needle-free device. STUDY DESIGN/MATERIALS AND METHODS: Using a needle-free injector (INNOJECTOR™; Amore Pacific, Seoul, Korea), 0.2 ml of 5% methylene blue (MB) or latex was injected into cheeks of human cadavers. The device has a nozzle diameter of 100 µm and produces a jet with velocity of 180 m/s. This jet penetrates the skin and delivers medicine intradermally via liquid propelled by compressed gasses. Materials were injected at pressures of 6 or 8.5 bars, and the injection areas were excised after the procedure. The excised areas were observed visually and with a phototrichogram to investigate the size, infiltration depth, and shape of the hole created on the skin. A small part of the area that was excised was magnified and stained with H&E (×40) for histological examination. RESULTS: We characterized the shape, size, and depth of skin infiltration following injection of 5% MB or latex into cadaver cheeks using a needle-free injection device at various pressure settings. Under visual inspection, the injection at 6 bars created semi-circle-shaped hole that penetrated half the depth of the excised tissue, while injection at 8.5 bars created a cylinder-shaped hole that spanned the entire depth of the excised tissue. More specific measurements were collected using phototrichogram imaging. The shape of the injection entry point was consistently spherical regardless of the amount of pressure used. When injecting 5% MB at 6 bars, the depth of infiltration reached 2.323 mm, while that at 8.5 bars reached 8.906 mm. The area of the hole created by the 5% MB injection was 0.797 mm(2) at 6 bars and 0.242 mm(2) at 8.5 bars. Latex injections reached a depth of 3.480 mm at 6 bars and 7.558 mm at 8.5 bars, and the areas were measured at 1.043 mm(2) (6 bars) and 0.355 mm(2) (8.5 bars). Histological examination showed that the injection penetrated as deep as the superficial musculoaponeurotic system at 6 bars and the masseter muscle at 8.5 bars. CONCLUSION: When injecting material into the skin using a pneumatic needle-free injector, higher-pressure injections result in a hole with smaller area than lower-pressure injections. The depth and shape of skin penetration vary according to the amount of pressure applied. For materials of low density and viscosity, there is a greater difference in penetration depth according to the degree of pressure. Lasers Surg. Med. 48:624-628, 2016. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Effect of a 308-nm excimer laser on atopic dermatitis-like skin lesions in NC/Nga mice.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: Atopic dermatitis (AD) is a common inflammatory skin disease that can affect all age groups. It has a relapsing course, which dramatically affects the quality of life of patients. A 308-nm excimer laser has been reported to be a safe and effective treatment for inflammatory skin diseases, although the range of potential application has not been fully explored. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the therapeutic effects of a 308-nm laser on AD-like skin lesions in NC/Nga mice. STUDY DESIGN/MATERIALS AND METHODS: Dermatophagoides farinae-exposed NC/Nga mice with a clinical score of 12 were treated with either a 308-nm excimer laser or narrowband-UVB (NB-UVB). The effects of the 308-nm excimer laser were evaluated by dermatitis scores, skin histology, skin barrier function, and immunological parameters, including IgE and Th2-mediated cytokines. RESULTS: The 308-nm excimer laser significantly reduced the severity of skin lesions and decreased the total serum levels of IgE and Th2-mediated cytokines. The excimer laser also significantly reduced the inflammatory cellular infiltrate into AD-induced skin lesions. Moreover, treatment with the 308-nm excimer laser led to recovery of skin barrier function in AD-induced skin lesions. CONCLUSION: The 308-nm excimer laser can be considered a valid and safe therapeutic option for the treatment of localized AD. Lasers Surg. Med. 48:629-637, 2016. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Long-chain polynucleotide filler for skin rejuvenation: efficacy and complications in five patients.

Aging well has become the new target of preventative medicine, and aesthetic dermatology can contribute to this request. The polynucleotide (PN) containing products not only fill the space, but improve tissue regeneration, resulting in more natural tissue regeneration. Five Korean women received four times injections of long-chain PN filler in two-week intervals for skin rejuvenation. About 0.05 mL of material was injected in 40 points of one-side cheek. The pore and skin thickness were markedly improved in the patients in their 30s, whereas skin tone, melanin, wrinkles, and sagging were noticeably improved for patients in their 40s. There are no serious side effects. In conclusion, intradermal long-chain PN filler injection seems to be an effective and safe treatment for skin rejuvenation.

Delayed immunologic complications due to injectable fillers by unlicensed practitioners: our experiences and a review of the literature.

For a number of years, there have been unauthorized practitioners who have been illegally injecting substances. In this series of cases, delayed type hypersensitivity reactions occurred after having unknown material fillers injected by unlicensed practitioners. When injecting an unknown material, there can be a severe immune reaction due to the unknown number of antigens in the material, and therefore may act as a much stronger superantigen than conventional filler materials. It appears that the adverse effects in these cases are more severe and have tendency to break out after a longer period of time in comparison with those caused by approved fillers, likely due to operative technique and use of unverified materials. It is important to recognize the danger of such illegal procedures and to increase awareness of the public, as this has evolved into a significant public health issue.