Common Cutaneous Infections: Patient Presentation, Clinical Course, and Treatment Options.

This evidence-based review highlights cutaneous infections of bacterial, viral, and fungal origin that are frequently encountered by clinicians in all fields of practice. With a focus on treatment options and management, the scope of this article is to serve as a reference for physicians, regardless of field of specialty, as they encounter these pathogens in clinical practice.

Neonatal Outcomes From Arboviruses in the Perinatal Period: A State-of-the-Art Review.

Since the 2016 Zika outbreak and the understanding of the teratogenic effect of this infection, there has been a newfound interest in arbovirus infections and their effects on pregnancy, resulting in numerous publications in the last 5 years. However, limited literature focuses on arbovirus infection in different stages of pregnancy and their effect on the neonate. There is currently no consensus management of perinatal acquisition of arboviruses, and current evidence is largely anecdotal observational reports. Teratogens can have different effects on the developing fetus depending on the time of infection, so infections during pregnancy should be analyzed by trimester. A better understanding of arbovirus infection in the perinatal period is required to assist obstetric, neonatal, and pediatric clinicians in making decisions about the management of mother and neonate. Our objective was to assess the evidence of adverse neonatal outcomes for several arboviral infections when contracted during the perinatal period to guide clinicians in managing these patients. There are 8 arboviruses for which neonatal outcomes from maternal acquisition in the perinatal period have been reported, with the most data for dengue and Chikungunya virus infections. The evidence reviewed in this article supports the adoption of preventive strategies to avoid ticks and mosquitoes close to the date of delivery. For the other arbovirus infections, further community-based cohort studies during outbreaks are required to evaluate whether these infections have a similar teratogenic impact.

Incidencia, tipología y medidas de prevención y tratamiento de las lesiones cutáneas asociadas al uso de EPI en profesionales sanitarios durante la pandemia de COVID-19 en España. Estudio colaborativo GNEAUPP-Cátedra de estudios avanzados en heridas GNEAUPP - FSJJ - Universidad de Jaén / Incidence, typology and measures of prevention and treatment of skin lesions associated with the use of personal protective equipment in health care professionals during the COVID-19 pandemic in Spain. Collaborative study GNEAUPP-Cátedra de estudios avanzados en heridas GNEAUPP - FSJJ - Universidad de Jaén

INTRODUCCIÓN: La reciente pandemia de COVID-19 ha representado la utilización por parte de los profesionales de la salud de diferentes equipos de protección individual (EPI), lo que ha dado lugar a la aparición de lesiones cutáneas asociadas a los mismos (LC-EPI). Conocer la epidemiología, las características y los factores relacionados con el uso de los diferentes tipos de EPI y la prevención y el tratamiento de las LC-EPI puede ser muy útil para comprender el alcance del problema y definir estrategias para su prevención y tratamiento en posibles pandemias futuras. MÉTODOS: Estudio transversal realizado por el Grupo Nacional para el Estudio y Asesoramiento en Úlceras por Presión y Heridas Crónicas (GNEAUPP) en el ámbito geográfico del Estado español, mediante una encuesta autoadministrada utilizando un cuestionario de Google Forms. El universo de estudio fueron profesionales de la salud, de cualquier disciplina y nivel asistencial o tipo de institución que habían estado en contacto con pacientes o sospechosos de COVID-19 y habían utilizado EPI durante la primera ola de la pandemia de COVID-19 en España. RESULTADOS: Se obtuvieron 2078 cuestionarios, el 75,5% de enfermeras, el 10,79% de técnicos en cuidados auxiliares de enfermería (TCAE) y el 6,6% de médicos. De los respondedores, el 84,7% eran mujeres y el 15,3% hombres con una edad media de 43,7 años. En el 18,2% de los casos, la institución del profesional contaba con un protocolo para la prevención de las LC-EPI, en el 10,2% el profesional no sabía si existía y en el 71,3% restante la institución no contaba con dicho protocolo. El 29,9% de los profesionales utilizaba siempre algún producto de prevención de LC-EPI y el 25,3% en ocasiones. El 52,4% de los encuestados informó haber presentado al menos una LC-EPI, de los cuales el 39% había presentado una, el 35,8% dos, el 14,3% tres, el 2,2% cuatro y el 8,6% más de cuatro. En relación con el tipo de lesiones, el 74,3% fueron definidas como lesiones por presión (LPP), el 11% como lesiones por fricción (LF), el 8,5% como lesiones combinadas o multicausales (LCMC) y el 6,1% como lesiones cutáneas asociadas a la humedad (LESCAH). La duración media de las lesiones incidentes fue de 11,6 días (9,7 días para las LPP, 10,2 días para las LF, 19,9 días para las LCMC y 19,4 días para las LESCAH). En el artículo se presenta información más detallada por tipo de dispositivo causante, tipología y gravedad de las lesiones por dispositivo, así como las medidas preventivas utilizadas

INTRODUCTION: The recent COVID-19 pandemic has represented the use by health care professionals (HCP) of different personal protective equipment (PPE), resulting in the appearance of skin injuries associated with PPE (PPE-SI). Knowing the epidemiology, characteristics and factors related to the use of different types of PPE and the prevention and treatment of PPE-SI can be very useful to understand the scope of the problem and to define strategies for its prevention and treatment in possible future pandemics. METHODS: To this end, the GNEAUPP proposed the performance of a cross-sectional study, in the geographical area of the Spanish state, by means of a self-administered survey using a Google forms questionnaire. The study universe was HCP, from any discipline and from any level of care or type of institution with patients who have been in contact with COVID-19 patients or COVID-19 suspects and have used PPE during the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic in Spain. MAIN RESULTS: We obtained 2078 questionnaires, 75.5% from nurses, 10.79% from nurse aids, and 6.6% from physicians. Of these, 84.7% were women and 15.3% were men with an average age of 43.7 years. In 18.2% of the cases the institution of the professional had a protocol for the prevention of PPE-SI, in 10.2% the professional did not know if it existed or not and in the remaining 71.3% the institution did not have such a protocol. 29.9% of the professionals always used some prevention product and 25.3% sometimes. 52.4% of respondents reported having submitted at least one PPE-SI, of which 39% had submitted one, 35.8% two, 14.3% three, 2.2% four and 8.6% more than four. In relation to PPE-SI, 74.3% were defined as pressure injuries (PI), 11% were friction injuries (FI), 8.5% were combined or multicausal injuries (CMCI) and 6.1% were skin injuries associated with moisture (MASI). The mean duration of incident injuries was 11.6 days (9.7 days for PI, 10.2 days for FI, 19.9 days for CMCI and 19.4 days for MASI). More detailed Information is presented in the paper by type of device causing, typology and severity of injuries per device as well as preventive measures used

Approach to the Patient with a Skin and Soft Tissue Infection.

The diagnosis of a skin and soft tissue infection (SSTI) requires careful attention to a patient's history, physical examination, and diagnostic test results. We review for many bacterial, viral, fungal, and parasitic pathogens that cause SSTIs the clues for reaching a diagnosis, including reported past medical history, hobbies and behaviors, travel, insect bites, exposure to other people and to animals, environmental exposures to water, soil, or sand, as well as the anatomic site of skin lesions, their morphology on examination, and their evolution over time. Laboratory and radiographic tests are discussed that may be used to confirm a specific diagnosis.

Evidence of SARS-CoV-2 RNA in an Oropharyngeal Swab Specimen, Milan, Italy, Early December 2019.

We identified severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 RNA in an oropharyngeal swab specimen collected from a child with suspected measles in early December 2019, ≈3 months before the first identified coronavirus disease case in Italy. This finding expands our knowledge on timing and mapping of novel coronavirus transmission pathways.

COVID-19: An overview for dermatologists.

Numerous unexplained pneumonia cases were reported to the World Health Organization (WHO) by Wuhan, China, in December 2020. Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2), a zoonotic pathogen, came into sight, spreading coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) all over the globe. Association of cutaneous signs and symptoms with COVID-19 is being studied worldwide, principally, to determine if these dermatoses can help in early recognition of SARS-CoV-2 infection. These dermatological manifestations can range from erythematous rash, urticaria to livedo reticularis, and acrocyanosis in patients of all age groups. Correspondingly, dermatologists treating COVID-19 patients, suffering from inflammatory dermatoses, with biologics or immunomodulators should exert caution and use specific protocols to adjust the doses of these medications. Prevention of person-to-person transmission of COVID-19 is being promoted universally, with the use of personal protective equipment (PPE), hand washes, and hand sanitizers around the clock. However, an array of cutaneous adverse effects such as contact dermatitis, irritant contact dermatitis, friction blisters, contact urticaria, acne, and infections are associated with the use of PPE. Extra-pulmonary manifestations of COVID-19 are still emerging in the community, and physicians and researchers are working together globally to strengthen the clinical management of these patients. Cases of COVID-19 continue to rise across the world, and an unprecedented approach has been taken to develop effective vaccines and therapeutic strategies against existing and forthcoming mutagenic strains of SARS-CoV-2.

Cutaneous Manifestations of COVID-19: An Evidence-Based Review.

BACKGROUND: The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has affected 18 million people and killed over 690,000 patients. Although this virus primarily causes respiratory symptoms, an increasing number of cutaneous manifestations associated with this disease have been reported. OBJECTIVE: The aim of this review was to collate and categorize the dermatologic findings reported in patients with COVID-19 and identify specific lesions that may facilitate diagnosis and prognostication. METHODS: An evidence-based review of the PubMed database was conducted on 14 May, 2020 using the search terms "Covid-19 skin," "Covid-19 rash," "Covid-19 exanthem," and "Covid-19 chilblains." Peer-reviewed publications containing original COVID-19 patient cases and a discussion of the associated cutaneous findings were included in the analysis. RESULTS: The literature search identified 115 records, of which 34 publications describing 996 patients with dermatologic conditions were included. Case reports (n = 15), case series (n = 13), and observational prospective studies (n = 4) were the most common publication types. Acral lesions resembling pseudo-chilblains were the most frequent lesion identified (40.4% of cases), appearing in young adults (mean age, 23.2 years) after the onset of extracutaneous COVID-19 symptoms (55/100 patients). Erythematous maculopapular rashes affected 21.3% of patients, most frequently impacting middle-aged adults (mean age, 53.2 years) and occurring at the same time as non-cutaneous symptoms (110/187 patients). Vesicular rashes affected 13.0% of patients, appearing in middle-aged adults (mean age, 48.3 years) after the onset of other symptoms (52/84 patients). Urticarial rashes affected 10.9% of patients, appearing in adults (mean age, 38.3 years) and occurring at the same time as non-cutaneous symptoms (46/78 patients). Vascular rashes resembling livedo or purpura were uncommon (4% of cases), appearing in elderly patients (mean age, 77.5 years) and occurring at the same time as non-cutaneous COVID-19 symptoms (18/29 patients). Erythema multiforme-like eruptions, although infrequent (3.7% of cases), affected mostly children (mean age, 12.2 years). CONCLUSIONS: Vesicular rashes may suggest an initial diagnosis of COVID-19, acral lesions may be most appropriate for epidemiological uses, and vascular rashes may be a useful prognostic marker for severe disease. As a potential correlate to disease severity, prognosis, or infectibility, it is critical that all healthcare professionals be well versed in these increasingly common cutaneous manifestations of COVID-19.

Human genetic dissection of papillomavirus-driven diseases: new insight into their pathogenesis.

Human papillomaviruses (HPVs) infect mucosal or cutaneous stratified epithelia. There are 5 genera and more than 200 types of HPV, each with a specific tropism and virulence. HPV infections are typically asymptomatic or result in benign tumors, which may be disseminated or persistent in rare cases, but a few oncogenic HPVs can cause cancers. This review deals with the human genetic and immunological basis of interindividual clinical variability in the course of HPV infections of the skin and mucosae. Typical epidermodysplasia verruciformis (EV) is characterized by ß-HPV-driven flat wart-like and pityriasis-like cutaneous lesions and non-melanoma skin cancers in patients with inborn errors of EVER1-EVER2-CIB1-dependent skin-intrinsic immunity. Atypical EV is associated with other infectious diseases in patients with inborn errors of T cells. Severe cutaneous or anogenital warts, including anogenital cancers, are also driven by certain α-, γ-, µ or ν-HPVs in patients with inborn errors of T lymphocytes and antigen-presenting cells. The genetic basis of HPV diseases at other mucosal sites, such as oral multifocal epithelial hyperplasia or juvenile recurrent respiratory papillomatosis (JRRP), remains poorly understood. The human genetic dissection of HPV-driven lesions will clarify the molecular and cellular basis of protective immunity to HPVs, and should lead to novel diagnostic, preventive, and curative approaches in patients.

Efficacy of extracorporeal shockwave therapy in the treatment of postherpetic neuralgia: A pilot study.

Established conventional treatments for postherpetic neuralgia (PHN) and postherpetic itch (PHI) are difficult and often disappointing. In this study, the authors investigated the effect and mechanisms of extracorporeal shockwave therapy (ESWT) on pain and itch associated with PHN and PHI.Thirteen patients, 50 to 80 years of age, with symptoms associated with PHN or PHI (duration of persistent pain >3 months) and complaints of pain or itch rated >4 on a numerical rating scale (NRS), were included. ESWT was administered using a shockwave device (Piezo Shockwave, Richard Wolf GmbH, Knittlingen, Germany) to skin areas affected by pain or itch. An energy flux density of 0.09 to 0.16 mJ/mm at a frequency of 5 Hz and 2000 impulses was administered at 3-day intervals for 6 sessions. The NRS, 5D-Itch Scale, and Patients Global Impression of Change (PGIC) scale were used to evaluate the efficacy of ESWT.NRS scores of pain and itch and 5D-Itch Scale scores decreased significantly compared with before treatment and at the end of the treatment sessions (P < .0001, P = .001, P = .0002, respectively). There was a statistically significant difference between PGIC scores, which were checked every 2 sessions (P < .0001).ESWT is a noninvasive modality that significantly reduced PHN-associated pain and itch.

Dermatological manifestations in patients with human T-cell lymphotropic virus at a reference service in Amazon.

INTRODUCTION: Individuals infected with the human T-cell lymphotropic virus type 1 (HTLV-1) commonly present skin lesions, which may be a warning sign for the diagnosis of infection. This study describes the most prevalent skin manifestations in HTLV carriers attended at the clinic of Núcleo de Medicina Tropical (NMT) of the Universidade Federal do Pará (UFPA) in Belém, Pará, Brazil. METHODS: This is a study of a series of cases of patients infected with human T-cell lymphotropic virus types 1 and 2 (HTLV-1/2) treated at NMT UFPA between 1999 and 2016. A descriptive analysis of data was applied. RESULTS: Among 788 surveyed medical records in the service, 15.10% (n = 119) were referred to the dermatology clinic. From the series of cases that presented with skin lesions, 66.39% were female and 33.61% were male, and the average age of this group was 48 years. There was a predominance of patients with noninfectious inflammatory manifestations (64.2%), followed by infectious ones (24.6%), and 1.58% with lymphoproliferative diseases. As for the group of lesions, 45.26% of the erythematous-squamous type were observed, followed by dyschromia (24.21%), and eczematous (14.74%). One patient with a diagnosis of adult T-cell leukemia/lymphoma, another with parapsoriasis, and four with infective dermatitis are highlighted. CONCLUSION: Skin disorders in the HLTV positive patient are important causes of referral to the dermatologist with etiological and skin lesions groups diversity. In the series of cases studied, lymphoproliferatives diseases and infective dermatitis associated with HTLV-1 were presented as a challenge for the diagnosis and clinical management of these patients.

Infective dermatitis associated with HTLV-1 infection in a girl from Trinidad: Case report and review of literature.

Infective dermatitis (ID) associated with Human T-cell leukemia virus type-1 (HTLV-1) is a rare form of severe superinfected eczema seen mostly in the Caribbean islands and Latin America. Although rapid response to antibiotic treatment is observed, patients should be monitored for development of complications associated with this retroviral infection, including T-cell leukemia/lymphoma (ATLL) and HTLV-1 associated myelopathy/tropical spastic paraparesis (HAM/TSP). Infective dermatitis is rarely seen in the United States and therefore may be under-recognized by physicians unfamiliar with this condition. Herein, we present an additional case report of an ID associated with HTLV-1 in an 11-year-old girl from Trinidad.

Spatio-temporal dynamics and aetiology of proliferative leg skin lesions in wild British finches.

Proliferative leg skin lesions have been described in wild finches in Europe although there have been no large-scale studies of their aetiology or epizootiology to date. Firstly, disease surveillance, utilising public reporting of observations of live wild finches was conducted in Great Britain (GB) and showed proliferative leg skin lesions in chaffinches (Fringilla coelebs) to be widespread. Seasonal variation was observed, with a peak during the winter months. Secondly, pathological investigations were performed on a sample of 39 chaffinches, four bullfinches (Pyrrhula pyrrhula), one greenfinch (Chloris chloris) and one goldfinch (Carduelis carduelis) with proliferative leg skin lesions and detected Cnemidocoptes sp. mites in 91% (41/45) of affected finches and from all species examined. Fringilla coelebs papillomavirus (FcPV1) PCR was positive in 74% (23/31) of birds tested: a 394 base pair sequence was derived from 20 of these birds, from all examined species, with 100% identity to reference genomes. Both mites and FcPV1 DNA were detected in 71% (20/28) of birds tested for both pathogens. Histopathological examination of lesions did not discriminate the relative importance of mite or FcPV1 infection as their cause. Development of techniques to localise FcPV1 within lesions is required to elucidate the pathological significance of FcPV1 DNA detection.

A Case-Control Study in Primary Care Settings on the Roles of Dermatoscopy in Infectious Diseases Affecting the Skin, Part 1: Viral and Bacterial Infections.

We aimed to investigate roles of dermatoscopy in skin infections, with Part 1 of our report covering viral and bacterial infections. A case-control study was conducted on the medical records of all patients with skin infections who had had dermatoscopy performed over a period of 3 months. Our control participants were all patients with skin infections in two 3-month periods, and sex-pair-matched patients with the same infections, who had not undergone dermatoscopy. Records of 523 study subjects were analyzed. Our first new finding was that dermatoscopy brought forward the diagnosis of herpes zoster by 1.62 days (95% confidence interval [CI] 0.29 to 0.34 days; z-score -2.18). Second, dermatoscopy facilitated the diagnosis of genital (P<.01) and small extragenital risk ratio [RR] 1.28, 95% CI 1.03 to 1.59) viral warts. Third, patients with genital herpes and/or genital warts and/or genital molluscum contagiosum diagnosed by clinical examination and dermatoscopy were significantly more willing to pay US$300 to investigate for other sexually transmitted infections (STIs) (RR 2.52, 95% CI 1.32 to 3.18), and bring partners for investigation (RR 1.32, 95% CI 1.12 to 1.55), compared to patients diagnosed by clinical examination alone. We performed dermatoscope-guided laser ablation on viral warts, and dermatoscopy-guided excisional biopsy to confirm molluscum contagiosum. We conclude that dermatoscopy contributes to the diagnosis of some viral and bacterial infections. In addition, it may modify the help-seeking behaviour of patients with STIs.

Cutaneous infections in the mature patient.

Dermatologists must be familiar with the peculiarities of the micro-organisms that may affect the elderly, in order to optimize the diagnosis and treatment of infections, which may affect their skin, especially because the world population is rapidly aging. It is estimated that there will be 434 million individuals over 80 years of age in 2050. Since the elderly population is rapidly increasing and their infections are usually more severe and different from those observed in younger adults, it leads to a statistical increase of the rates regarding hospitalization and mortality caused by infectious diseases among people over 85 years. Other health issues may be involved in the older population. These include nutritional alterations, as malnutrition or obesity, which can aggravate the infections. Also the usual signs and symptoms of infection are subtle or uncharacteristic in elderly patients, and frequently, they are unable to report their symptoms, which can delay the diagnosis. Among the many infections that may affect the elderly we reviewed the most frequent and those that are different in this age group, as herpes zoster, cytomegalovirus, herpes simplex, bacterial skin infections, erysipelas, celullitis, impetigo, folliculitis, furunculosis and carbunculosis, secondary infections, intertrigo (body folds), fungal infection, and scabies.

Zika Virus: Cutaneous Manifestations in 3 Patients. / Virus Zika: manifestaciones cutáneas en 3 pacientes.

Zika virus infection should be suspected in travelers or immigrants with the signs or symptoms of a viral infection (rash, fever, joint pains, conjunctivitis, headache, etc.) and a compatible epidemiological history. Although cutaneous manifestations are among the most common clinical signs of Zika, they are not specific and very few images are available. We present 3 patients (2 travelers and 1 immigrant) in whom a rash was the presenting manifestation of Zika virus infection. Prompt diagnosis optimizes outcomes in these patients, improves the management of severe disease, and minimizes the risk of local transmission by Aedes albopictus, now a potential local vector for the virus due to its presence in areas along Spain's Mediterranean coast.

Mouse papillomavirus infection persists in mucosal tissues of an immunocompetent mouse strain and progresses to cancer.

Mouse papillomavirus has shown broad tissue tropism in nude mice. Previous studies have tested cutaneous infections in different immunocompromised and immunocompetent mouse strains. In the current study, we examined mucosal infection in several immunocompetent and immunocompromised mouse strains. Viral DNA was monitored periodically by Q-PCR of lavage samples. Immunohistochemistry and in situ hybridization were used to determine viral capsid protein and viral DNA respectively. All athymic nude mouse strains showed active infections at both cutaneous and mucosal sites. Interestingly, NOD/SCID mice, which have a deficiency in T, B, and NK cells, showed minimal disease at cutaneous sites but developed persistent infection at the mucosal sites including those of the anogenital region and the oral cavity. Three strains of immunocompetent mice supported mucosal infections. Infections of the lower genital tract in heterozygous (immunocompetent) mice of the NU/J strain progressed to high grade dysplasia and to carcinoma in situ. Anti-MmuPV1 neutralizing antibodies were detected in the sera of all immunocompetent animals. Our findings demonstrate that the mucosae may be the preferred sites for this virus in mice. The mouse model is expected to be a valuable model for the study of mucosal papillomavirus disease, progression, and host immune control.

Skin innate immune response to flaviviral infection.

Skin is a complex organ and the largest interface of the human body exposed to numerous stress and pathogens. Skin is composed of different cell types that together perform essential functions such as pathogen sensing, barrier maintenance and immunity, at once providing the first line of defense against microbial infections and ensuring skin homeostasis. Being inoculated directly through the epidermis and the dermis during a vector blood meal, emerging Dengue, Zika and West Nile mosquito-borne viruses lead to the initiation of the innate immune response in resident skin cells and to the activation of dendritic cells, which migrate to the draining lymph node to elicit an adaptive response. This literature review aims to describe the inflammatory response and the innate immune signalization pathways involved in human skin cells during Dengue, Zika and West Nile virus infections.