Topical and Systemic Therapies in Melasma: A Systematic Review.

Introduction: Melasma is an acquired disorder, which presents with well-demarcated, brown-colored hyperpigmented macules, commonly involving the sun-exposed areas such as the face. It is a chronic and distressing condition, affecting the patients' quality of life, and has been conventionally treated with "first-line" agents including hydroquinone (HQ) alone or as a part of a triple combination cream (TCC), while "second-line" options include chemical peels, and third line options include laser therapy. Materials and Methods: A systematic search was performed for all topical and systemic treatments for melasma up till May 4, 2021, using the PubMed and EMBASE databases, according to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) protocol. The search terms "melasma" and "treatment" were used to search for the relevant articles on both these databases, and a total of 4020 articles were identified. After removing the duplicate entries and screening the titles, abstracts, and full-text articles, we identified 174 randomized controlled trials (RCTs) or controlled clinical trials. Results: Based on our review, HQ, TCCs, sunscreens, kojic acid (KA), and azelaic acid receive grade A recommendation. Further large-scale studies are required to clearly establish the efficacy of topical vitamin C, resorcinol, and topical tranexamic acid (TXA). Several newer topical agents may play a role only as an add-on or second-line drugs or as maintenance therapy. Oral TXA has a strong recommendation, provided there are no contraindications. Procyanidins, Polypodium leucotomos (PL), and even synbiotics may be taken as adjuncts. Discussion: Several newer topical and systemic agents with multimodal mechanisms of action have now become available, and the balance seems to be tipping in favor of these innovative modalities. However, it is worth mentioning that the choice of agent should be individualized and subject to availability in a particular country.

Current understanding of frictional dermatoses: A review.

Human skin is continually exposed to internal and external forces, dynamic as well as static. The skin is normally flexible and can resist mechanical trauma due to friction, pressure, vibration, suction and laceration to a considerable degree. However, an excess of these forces can abnormally affect the structure and function of the skin, setting the stage for the development of a skin disorder. Repetitive trauma can cause lichenification, hyperpigmentation, erythema, scaling, fissuring, blisters, ulceration and chronic alterations. Frictional dermatoses is an under-recognised entity with no clear-cut definition and encompasses a variety of terms such as frictional dermatitis, frictional melanosis, frictional pigmentary dermatoses and certain other named entities, many of which are confusing. The authors propose to define frictional dermatoses as 'a group of disorders caused by repetitive trauma to the skin as a result of friction of varied aetiology which can have a wide range of cutaneous manifestations depending on the type of insult.' The exact prevalence of frictional dermatoses as a separate entity is unknown. Authors who conducted this review include a group of dermatologists and post graduate students from various institutions. Literature was reviewed through PubMed, Medscape, Medline, ResearchGate and Google Scholar using the terms 'frictional dermatitis,' 'friction and skin,' 'dermatoses and culture,' 'clothing dermatitis,' 'friction melanosis,' 'PPE induced dermatoses in COVID-19 era,' etc. A total of 122 articles were reviewed and 100 articles among them were shortlisted and included in the study, after removing duplications. The review was followed up with further deliberation which resulted in the formulation of a new definition and classification of frictional dermatoses taking into account the morphology, histopathological characteristics, anatomical region affected and the major predisposing factors. The rising incidence of mechanical dermatoses in the COVID-19 era was also emphasised.

Acute and Chronic Paronychia Revisited: A Narrative Review.

Paronychia refers to the inflammation of the tissue which immediately surrounds the nail and it can be acute (<6 weeks duration) or chronic (>6 weeks duration). Disruption of the protective barrier between the nail plate and the adjacent nail fold preceded by infectious or noninfectious etiologies results in the development of paronychia. A combination of general protective measures, and medical and/or surgical interventions are required for management. This review explores the pathogenesis, clinical features, differential diagnosis, medical, and surgical management of paronychia. For the purpose of this review, we searched the PubMed, Cochrane, and Scopus databases using the following keywords, titles, and medical subject headings (MeSH): acute paronychia, chronic paronychia, and paronychial surgeries. Relevant review articles, original articles, and case reports/series published till February 2020 were included in this study.

Sexually transmitted infections in the elderly: A 6-year retrospective study in a tertiary care hospital in New Delhi.

BACKGROUND: Worldwide, a steady rise in the incidence of sexually transmitted infections (STIs) in the elderly has been reported and is attributed to aging, unsafe sexual practices, and delayed health-care seeking behavior, leading to a delayed diagnosis and persistence of infection in the community. The aim of this study was to assess the demographic profile, risk factors, and clinical pattern of geriatric STIs. AIMS: The aim of the study was to assess the demographic profile, risk factors, and clinical pattern of STIs among patients aged ≥60 years presenting to the STI clinic in the dermatology outpatient department at a large tertiary care hospital in New Delhi, over a period of 6 years. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This was a retrospective observational study. Data collection was done for all patients of 60 years and above age group who visited the STI clinic in the dermatology outpatient department, over a period of past 6 years, with symptoms/signs suggestive of an STI, irrespective of whether the final evaluation demonstrated an STI. RESULTS: A total number of 123 patients above 60 years of age presented to the STI clinic between 2013 and 2018. The cases presenting annually demonstrated a rising trend and increased from 17 cases in 2013 to 33 in 2018. The most common complaints were ulcers over the genitalia and genital discharge noted in 28.4% of cases each. The most common syndromic diagnosis was vaginal discharge in 25% of cases. Other STDs diagnosed were candidial balanoposthitis in 19.5%, herpes genitalis and genital warts in 16.2% each, and genital scabies in 6.5% cases. LIMITATIONS: The limitations included a small sample size, retrospective analysis, and categorization of the STDs as syndromes, following standard guidelines developed by the National Aids Control Organization (NACO) and the WHO. CONCLUSION: It is necessary to destigmatize STDs among the elderly, encourage inclusion in screening programs, and offer prompt diagnosis and treatment.

Women in Dermatology Leadership: Results from a Nationwide Survey.

BACKGROUND: Significant progress has been made in the representation of women at various fronts in dermatology. Nonetheless, women fall far behind their male counterparts when it comes to leadership roles as indicated by recent research data. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This was a cross-sectional study amongst 180 dermatologists. Anonymous surveys were sent to 300 dermatologists across India, in March 2021, consisting of 14 questions, discussed and made by the two authors, the senior author having held leadership positions in dermatology. RESULTS: Amongst the 180 respondents, 79% were female, and 21% were male. Significant attrition of women dermatologists in academic institutions, with increasing experience in the field was observed. A higher percentage of men had been in a leadership position as compared to women. (P > .05). The majority of the female respondents agreed that women had to struggle more than men to be accepted as leaders. (P < 0.05) Most women reduced their working hours to cater to household responsibilities, and almost 70% of the women agreed to having experienced burnout as a result of low job satisfaction or an absence of work-life balance (P < 0.05). More women agreed to having faced discrimination at the workplace (P < 0.05). CONCLUSION: Gender-based gaps in dermatology leadership still exist with regard to the number of women occupying higher academic ranks. Possible solutions include gender sensitization, creating a room for equivalent leadership opportunities, mentorship and family support, which may help tip the balance in favor of gender parity in dermatology.

Future therapies in melasma: What lies ahead?

Melasma is a common, acquired, symmetrical hypermelanosis. It negatively impacts the patient's quality of life and responds poorly to treatment. Although earlier classified as epidermal and dermal, melasma is now thought to be a complex interaction between epidermal melanocytes, keratinocytes, dermal fibroblasts, mast cells, and vascular endothelial cells. Factors influencing melasma may include inflammation, reactive oxygen species, ultraviolet radiation, genetic factors, and hormones. With a better understanding of the pathogenesis of melasma and the realization that targeting melanin synthesis alone is not very effective, treatments focussing on newly implicated factors have been developed. These include agents targeting hyperactive melanocytes, melanosomal transfer to keratinocytes, defective skin barrier, the mast cells, vasculature, and estrogen receptors as well as drugs with anti-inflammatory and antioxidant activity. Many of these newer agents are botanicals with multimodal mechanisms of action that offer a better safety profile when compared with the conventional drugs. There has also been a focus on oral agents such as tranexamic acid, flutamide, and ascorbic acid. It has been suggested that the "triple therapy of the future" may be a combination of hydroquinone, an antiestrogen and a vascular endothelial growth factor inhibitor, as the "ideal" skin-lightening agent.

A cross-sectional study of the histopathology and immunology of alopecia areata: Unearthing the role of the Janus kinase-signal transducer and activator of transcription pathway.

BACKGROUND: Alopecia areata is an autoimmune disease that occurs as a result of the loss of the inherent immune privilege of the hair follicle. It has been recently demonstrated that the interferon-γ/interleukin-15 feedback loop that signals via the Janus kinase-signal transducer and activator of transcription pathway is critical to the breakdown of this immune privilege. AIMS: To evaluate the immunological distribution of CD4+ T-cells, CD8+ T-cells, phosphorylated signal transducer and activator of transcription 1 and study its relation with the clinical and histopathological findings of the disease. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A total of 30 patients of alopecia areata were included in the study. Following a detailed history and clinical examination, a scalp biopsy was performed. Histopathology was studied and immunohistochemistry was done to demonstrate the positivity and distribution of CD4+ T-cells, CD8+ T-cells and phosphorylated signal transducer and activator of transcription 1. RESULTS: The follicular count, number of anagen and terminal hair were found to be decreased, whereas the catagen, telogen and vellus hair were found to be increased in number. A peribulbar CD4+ T-cell infiltrate was seen in 70% cases, whereas a CD8+ T-cell infiltrate was seen in 83.3% cases. An intrabulbar CD4+ T-cell infiltrate was seen in 26.7% cases, whereas a CD8+ T-cell infiltrate was seen in 70% cases. Among the 25 hair follicles dermal papilla identified, 36.8% cases were found to be positive for phospho-signal transducer and activation of transcription-1. LIMITATIONS: The drawbacks of our study included a small sample size and the use of only vertical sectioning for the scalp biopsy samples. CONCLUSION: Phosphorylated signal transducer and activator of transcription 1 positivity as an indicator of signalling via the Janus kinase-1/2 pathway was seen in 36.8% of our cases highlighting the integral role of this pathway in the pathogenesis of alopecia areata.