Verrulyse Methionine® as Monotherapy in Children and Adolescents With Common Warts.

BACKGROUND: Common cutaneous non-genital viral warts are a common skin infection with significant morbidity in the pediatric population. Although various therapeutics are available, many of them necessitate recurrent patient visits and may be associated with significant irritation and pain. Verrulyse Methionine® (VM), a nutritional supplement, was previously suggested as a non-invasive treatment option for the disease. OBJECTIVE: To assess the response to oral VM supplement as a monotherapy in a cohort of children and adolescents with multiple, non-genital viral warts after failing previous treatments. METHODS: We reviewed medical records of pediatric patients (<18 y/o) with viral warts treated with VM between 2010 and 2021. RESULTS: Among 25 patients with multiple verrucae vulgaris lesions who failed previous treatments, 14 (56%) had complete or almost-complete response to VM within 4 months, after an average of 18 months of active disease prior to VM treatment initiation. None of the 4 patients with verruca plana had response to VM treatment. Favourable cosmetic results were found in responders, and no adverse events were recorded. CONCLUSION: Response rates in our cohort are comparable to those reported in the literature for destructive local therapeutics for viral warts. Thus, our data suggest that VM may be considered for children with multiple verrucae vulgaris, providing a painless and non-invasive therapeutic option for this common disease.

Treatment with Methotrexate in Infants and Toddlers with Atopic Dermatitis: A Retrospective Multi-Center Study.

Atopic dermatitis (AD) is a chronic inflammatory skin disease affecting up to 20% of children. Methotrexate (MTX) is used off-label as a systemic treatment for AD patients unresponsive to topical therapies, but limited data exist regarding its safety and efficacy in children, especially in those < 4 years old. To further investigate MTX in younger patients, we screened the medical records of three referral centers between 2016 and 2022 and identified 28 infants and toddlers < 4 years old with AD treated with MTX. Mean age upon MTX initiation was 2.7 ± 1.2 years and mean investigator global assessment (IGA) score was 3.78 ± 0.4. Median duration of MTX treatment was five months. Following 12 and 24 weeks of MTX treatment, the response rate was 50% and IGA 0/1 was achieved in 14.2% and 21.4% of patients, respectively. Most treatment cessations were attributed to a lack of efficacy or parental concern. Although adverse events were reported in 57.1% of patients, MTX was discontinued due to such adverse events only in two patients (7.1%). Taken together, MTX demonstrated a high safety profile in AD patients <4 years old. MTX efficacy was moderate and presumably underestimated by parents who opted for premature treatment cessation due to concerns associated with an immunomodulatory drug.

Epidemiologic features and risk of scarring in pediatric patients with kerion celsi.

BACKGROUND: Kerion celsi represents the inflammatory extreme of tinea capitis, as a delayed hypersensitivity reaction to the causative dermatophyte. Data regarding prevalence, trends in pathogens, and risk factors for scarring are limited. OBJECTIVE: The main objective of the study is to assess clinical and epidemiologic features of children with kerion celsi and risk factors for scarring. METHODS: We reviewed medical records of pediatric patients with kerion celsi treated between January 2006 and July 2020. RESULTS: Among 80 patients, the prevalence of permanent alopecia was 27.5%. Patients with remaining alopecia presented to our clinic at a mean 1.3 months earlier than those with complete response to treatment (2.2 ± 2.1 and 3.4 ± 4.8, respectively; p < .05). Patients of Ethiopian ethnicity were more represented than in the general population; however, scarring was observed in only 11% (p = 0.08). Outcomes did not differ by pathogen, antifungal treatment prescribed, duration of treatment, or the use of prednisone or antibiotics. CONCLUSIONS: Scarring alopecia is a common complication of kerion celsi. Host innate immune response, pathogen virulence, and treatment timeline should be considered as possible variables affecting risk of scarring in the future studies.

Treating pediatric cutaneous Leishmania tropica with systemic liposomal amphotericin B: A retrospective, single-center study.

Leishmania tropica (L. tropica) cutaneous leishmaniasis (CL) is associated with high morbidity and low response rate to therapy, especially in pediatric patients. Intravenous (IV) liposomal amphotericin B (LAmB) has been used off-label as a treatment for L. tropica CL for many years. However, data regarding its efficacy and safety in children is lacking. In order to evaluate the efficacy and safety of IV LAmB for treating pediatric patients with L. tropica, we retrospectively reviewed electronic medical records of 24 children who were diagnosed with L. tropica CL and treated with IV LAmB during 2014-2020, at a tertiary medical center in Israel. Fourteen (58%) completed the treatment protocol and 10 (42%) experienced an infusion-related adverse event (IRAE) leading to treatment termination. Complete response was noted in 6/14 (43%) patients, while 8/14 (57%) failed to respond. Lower response rate was noted in lesions involving the mid-facial area. The relatively low response rate is speculated to result from a low dose of LAmB, short follow-up period, and difficult to treat anatomic locations. The observation of a lower response rate for mid-facial lesions should be validated in larger cohorts. The highrisk of IRAE should be considered in physician decisions regarding this treatment.

Low-Dose Acitretin for Secondary Prevention of Keratinocyte Carcinomas in Solid-Organ Transplant Recipients.

BACKGROUND: Keratinocyte carcinomas, particularly squamous cell carcinoma (SCC), occur more frequently and aggressively in solid-organ transplant recipients (SOTRs) than in the general population. Systemic retinoids are effective in secondary prevention of keratinocyte carcinomas in this population, but their use is limited by adverse effects including a rebound effect in cases of treatment discontinuation. OBJECTIVE: Our aim was to determine whether low-dose acitretin is efficient in the secondary prevention of keratinocyte carcinomas in SOTRs. METHODS: This retrospective case-crossover study was conducted at a specialized dermatology clinic for SOTRs in a large transplantation center in 2010-2017. Patients with at least 1 previous keratinocyte carcinoma who were treated with acitretin 10 mg/day for 2 years were included. The main outcome was the difference in the number of new keratinocyte carcinomas diagnosed during treatment compared to during the 2-year pretreatment period. RESULTS: The cohort included 34 SOTRs. A significant reduction in the mean number of new keratinocyte carcinomas during treatment relative to the pretreatment period was observed (1.7 vs. 3.6, -53% p = 0.002). Similar results were noted on analysis by tumor type, for both SCC and basal cell carcinoma. CONCLUSION: This study of SOTRs demonstrated positive results for low-dose acitretin as a chemoprevention of keratinocyte carcinomas in this population.

Cutaneous Leishmaniasis Treated with Miltefosine: A Case Series of 10 Paediatric Patients.

Cutaneous leishmaniasis poses a therapeutic challenge in the paediatric population. The aim of this study was to assess the efficacy and safety of miltefosine treatment for Old World cutaneous leishmaniasis in paediatric patients. A multicentre retrospective review of 10 children (≤ 18 years of age) with cutaneous leishmaniasis treated with miltefosine in Israel was performed. Mean ± standard deviation age at diagnosis was 9.1 ± 5.0 years. The Leishmania species diagnosed was L. tropica in 8 cases and Leishmania major in 2 cases. Mean ± standard deviation duration of treatment was 44.8 ± 20.6 days, with a mean follow-up period of 12.1 ± 17.1 months. Complete response was noted in 8 (80%) patients. Treatment failure was noted in 2 (20%) cases. Side-effects related to the medication were minimal. In conclusion, oral miltefosine may be an effective and safe treatment for Old World cutaneous leishmaniasis caused by Leishmania tropica or Leishmania major in children. However, further studies are warranted to draw a definite conclusion.

Cutaneous Leishmaniasis Treated with Miltefosine: A Case Series of 10 Paediatric Patients.

Cutaneous leishmaniasis poses a therapeutic challenge in the paediatric population. The aim of this study was to assess the efficacy and safety of miltefosine treatment for Old World cutaneous leishmaniasis in paediatric patients. A multicentre retrospective review of 10 children (≤ 18 years of age) with cutaneous leishmaniasis treated with miltefosine in Israel was performed. Mean ± standard deviation age at diagnosis was 9.1 ± 5.0 years. The Leishmania species diagnosed was L. tropica in 8 cases and Leishmania major in 2 cases. Mean ± standard deviation duration of treatment was 44.8 ± 20.6 days, with a mean follow-up period of 12.1 ± 17.1 months. Complete response was noted in 8 (80%) patients. Treatment failure was noted in 2 (20%) cases. Side-effects related to the medication were minimal. In conclusion, oral miltefosine may be an effective and safe treatment for Old World cutaneous leishmaniasis caused by Leishmania tropica or Leishmania major in children. However, further studies are warranted to draw a definite conclusion.