[Dermatologic aspects of anorexia and bulimia nervosa]. / Dermatologische Aspekte bei Anorexia und Bulimia nervosa.

Anorexia and bulimia nervosa are common in western civilized countries. They are frequently associated with disorders of the skin. Up to now, no dermatological studies of large numbers of patients with eating disorders have been published. We examined 145 patients with eating disorders (65 anorexia nervosa, 80 bulimia nervosa) regarding skin alterations. Simultaneously we controlled the moisture content and the superficial lipids of the skin. Several symptoms relevant to dermatology were found. In detail we report on: xerosis, hair changes, nail disorders, pathognomonic hand lesions, sialadenosis, lesions of the oral mucosa and the teeth, peripheral oedema, acrocyanosis, petechiae and artefacts.

[Acne fulminans following use of anabolic steroids]. / Acne fulminans nach Anabolikaeinnahme.

The main stimulant for the use of anabolic agents by competitive athletes is their effect on the quantity, structure, and power of the muscles, although an actual increase in efficiency is most doubtful. This effect has to be purchased with a number of possible side effects including acne or acneiform lesions - an interesting aspect from the dermatologic point of view, since androgens may have an etiopathogenetic significance in this disease. We report on a 23-year-old male patient (competitive javelin thrower) who developed acne fulminans while using anabolics and vitamin B preparations. The temporal correlation between the onset of the skin lesions and the intake of the drugs suggests that the drugs - either alone or in combination - may be responsible for the skin eruptions. We discuss the case in detail referring to the literature.

[Buschke-Ollendorff syndrome]. / Buschke-Ollendorff-Syndrom.

Buschke-Ollendorff syndrome means the coincidence of dermatofibrosis lenticularis disseminata and focal sclerotic bone dysplasia (osteopoikilosis). Referring to the case of a 5-year-old patient, we give as survey of this disease.

[Type I allergy to rubber gloves containing latex]. / Typ-I-Allergie gegen Latex-haltige Gummihandschuhe.

We report on a 23-year-old female patient showing anaphylactoid mucosal reactions when handling Latex rubber gloves. Usually, type I intolerance against rubber gloves is due to allergy against Latex mediated by IgE. In addition, we discuss some general allergologic problems regarding the handling of rubber gloves.

[Congenital telangiectatic erythema (Bloom syndrome)]. / Kongenitales teleangiektatisches Erythem (Bloom-Syndrom).

"Congenital telangiectatic erythema" (Bloom's syndrome) is very rare; it is linked to a group of hereditary diseases and a common feature is cellular hypersensitivity to a variety of physical or chemical agents. The mode of transmission is autosomal-recessive. Characteristic criteria for Bloom syndrome are: consanguinity of the parents; androtropia; low birth weight, short stature (proportional); and persistent telangiectatic erythema in sun-exposed areas, sometimes with blistering. The syndrome is also associated with a facultative lack of antibodies. Of great importance is the high leukaemia morbidity among individuals with this syndrome; chromosomal aberrations and breakages play a significant role. Histological changes comprise an increase in dilated vessels in the upper dermis and damage and loss of elastic fibers. We give a review of Bloom's syndrome and present a case report.

[Therapy of venous leg ulcer]. / Therapie des Ulkus cruris venosum.

The socio-medical importance of venous leg ulcers is clear, considering that 2% of adults are suffering from. Hospitalization-time is twice as long than the average. The ratio female: male is about 2-3:1. 90% are venous leg ulcers. There is agreement to treat venous leg ulcers by compressive dressings basically. External local therapy can optimize the wound-healing. Contact dermatitis in about 80% of patients demand the use of 'inert' dressings, i.e. polyurethane foam dressings (e.g. Lyomousse).

[Testing of cellular immune reactivity in melanoma patients with diphenylcyclopropenone in comparison to dinitrochlorobenzol]. / Testung der zellulären Immunreaktivität bei Melanompatienten mit Diphenylcyclopropenon (DPCP) im Vergleich mit Dinitrochlorobenzol (DNCB).

Ten patients with malignant melanoma were simultaneously sensitized with dinitrochlorobenzol (DNCB) and diphenylcyclopropenon (DPCP) (500 micrograms each). Fourteen days after sensitization the patients were challenged with 0.04-25 micrograms doses of DNCB and DPCP. The reactions of all of the subjects tested were the same for DNCB as for DPCP. The results were statistically significant. To achieve a skin reaction of the same intensity, the necessary doses of DPCP were much lower than those of DNCB.

[Decrease in immunoreactivity in melanoma. Analysis of DNCB tests in the literature]. / Abnehmende Immunreaktivität beim Melanom. Analyse der DNCB-Tests der Literatur.

It is generally accepted that cell mediated immunity is impaired in melanoma patients. Several studies, however, could not confirm this thesis, especially in early malignancy. Therefore, it was the aim of our study to evaluate the results of the DNCB skin tests in melanoma patients of the literature. DNCB sensitization lineally decreased with increasing tumor progression. The difference of the sensitization rates between controls and stage I patients and between melanoma stage I and stage II was significant (p less than 0.001). The difference between stage II patients and stage III melanoma was apparent; statistical analysis, however, could not be done, because the results of three out of six evaluated studies where contradictory. The results confirm the thesis of impaired delayed type immunity in the course of tumor progression and support the therapeutic approaches of immune modulation in tumor patients: BCG vaccination, DNCB sensitization, interferon application.

[Acute febrile neutrophilic dermatosis (Sweet syndrome). Phototherapy of persistent, postlesional erythemas]. / Akute febrile neutrophile Dermatose (Sweet-Syndrom). Phototherapie persistierender, postläsionaler Erytheme.

We report a 31-year-old male patient suffering from Sweet's syndrome. The particularities of the case are the long period between onset of the disease and establishment of the diagnosis-the cutaneous lesions having persisted all the time, and the marked persistence of postlesional erythemas showing positive improvement by means of selective ultraviolet phototherapy (SUP).