Approach to inherited hypertrichosis: A brief review.

Hypertrichosis refers to the growth of hair, of an excessive amount and thickness, on any part of the body. It must be distinguished from hirsutism which is characterized by excess growth of hair in androgen-dependent areas on the upper lip, chin, chest, linea alba, thigh and axilla. Hypertrichosis may be localized or generalized, and congenital or acquired. Excess hair growth has a psychological impact on the child as well as the parents due to the cosmetic disfigurement it produces. Current treatment options are limited and not wholly satisfactory. Treatment should be customized according to the area, nature and amount of hair growth, age of the patient and personal preferences. In addition, when hypertrichosis occurs as a component of a syndrome, multidisciplinary management is required to address the associated systemic features. A detailed review of inherited generalized hypertrichosis is presented here with emphasis on clinical clues to identifying complex syndromes with multisystem involvement.

Idiopathic guttate hypomelanosis: Presentation and Management.

Idiopathic guttate hypomelanosis (IGH) is a benign, typically asymptomatic, acquired leukoderma characteristically affecting mature individuals. Although the etiopathogenesis is unclear, chronic sun exposure and senile degeneration are important triggers. Researchers have been engaged in a continuous effort to unveil the gray areas encompassing different aspects of IGH pathogenesis. IGH is a clinical diagnosis; however, histopathology and dermoscopy may aid in quetionable cases. Patients often seek cosmetic treatment. There has been no standard therapy for this condition. Newer treatment modalities range from topical agents to procedure-based therapies and have enhanced the therapeutic armamentarium. Here we discuss the pathogenesis, presentation, and management of IGH.

Dermoscopy Saga - A Tale of 5 Centuries.

The origin of dermoscopy can be traced back to the middle of the modern age and Borel's discovery (1655 - 1656) laid the foundation stone with important contributions from Ernst Karl Abbe, Unna, Muller, Saphier and others. However, the work done by Dr. Ronald Mackie (1971) for the early detection of melanoma marks the peak. The entire journey of evolution was eventful. This article is a brief overview on the history of dermoscopy and the contribution of various scientists leading to emergence of dermoscopy as an independent, dynamic field today.

Noninvasive diagnostic techniques of port wine stain.

Port-wine stain (PWS) is a benign capillary malformation that most commonly occurs in the head and neck. It is present at birth and progresses over time. It is formed by progressive dilatation of post-capillary venules and is associated with hypertrophy and nodularity with increasing age, leading to cosmetic disfigurement and psychological aggravation. It is caused by genetic mosaicism in GNAQ and GNA11 genes. Histopathology is the gold standard for assessment of PWS but it is invasive and may cause scarring. Inadequate characterization of the lesions may predispose to inadequate treatment protocols as well as higher treatment dosages. Clinical evaluation of treatment efficacy is subjective and may not be a representative of actual results. Therefore, an objective visualization modality is required. With evolving technology, numerous optical instruments have been developed for objective evaluation and visualization of subsurface structures. These include VISIA-CR™ system, videodermoscopy, high-frequency ultrasound (HFUS), laser speckle contrast imaging (LSCI), reflectance spectrophotometers and tristimulus colorimeter, laser Doppler flowmetry (LDF), cross-polarized diffuse reflectance imaging system (CDR), reflectance confocal microscopy (RCM), optical coherence tomography (OCT), and spatial frequency domain imaging (SFDI). These semi-quantitative modes of diagnosis are complementary to each other. Some can be used in the clinical setting while others, due to high instrument cost, are limited to the research settings. In this review, we bring to you a brief overview of noninvasive diagnostic modalities in PWS.

Trichoscopic Findings in Normal Hair and Scalp in Children Under 17 Years.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of the study is to establish normal values of measurable parameters, set the standard, and provide a framework for future reference. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A total of 750 children of Malayalam speaking ethnicity with no hair or scalp diseases in anamnesis and clinical examination were included in the study. Children were divided into six age groups (neonates, infants, 1-5, 6-10, 11-14, and 15-17 years), and trichoscopy was performed in frontal, left and right temporal, vertex, crown, and occiput using Wi-Fi cordless digital dermoscope. Hair shaft, follicular opening, and perifollicular and interfollicular area were evaluated and analyzed with SPSS software. RESULTS: Among the parameters analyzed, we observed that with 0.95 probability (95%), the terminal: vellus ratios are (26,29), (22,25), (22,26), (29,33), (25,29), and (19,24) in neonates; (11,14), (7,11), (9,13), (13,17), (12,16), and (7,12) in infants; (16,17), (10,11), (10,11), (16,18), (15,16), and (14,15) in 1-5 years; (17,18), (11), (11), (19,21), (23), and (16,17) in 6-10 years; (17,18), (9,10), (10), (19,20), (18,19), and (16,17) in 11-14 years; and (14,15), (8-9), (8,9), (15,16), (14, 16), and (13,14) in 15-17 years. Likewise, we have documented the various trichoscopic findings of different age groups. CONCLUSION: We propose the summary of trichoscopic patterns of different age groups with normal hair and scalp to accurately identify the abnormal.