Wound myiasis by housefly in a patient with pemphigus vulgaris in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

Myiasis is the infestation of live vertebrates by dipterous larvae. Cutaneous myiasis is the most common form, although many organs can be infected by these larvae. Cutaneous myiasis is divided into 3 forms: localized furuncular, migratory, and wound myiasis, which have a worldwide distribution, but tropical and subtropical countries have a heavier burden of the disease. Herein, we report a case of scalp wound myiasis in a patient with pemphigus vulgaris caused by Muscidae domestica (M. domestica) in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Cases of M. domestica myiasis are limited in the literature. We would like to raise awareness regarding the possibility of cutaneous myiasis in M. domestica in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

Graham-Little Piccardi Lassueur syndrome and review of the literature.

Graham-Little Piccardi Lassueur Syndrome (GLPLS) is a rare variant of lichen planopilaris (LPP) which characterized by triad of fibrosing alopecia of the scalp, non-fibrosing alopecia of the axilla and groin, and a follicular spinous papule over the body. LPP is a rare follicular subtype of lichen planus which causes scarring alopecia of scalp, and there are three clinical subtypes of LPP including classic lichen planopilaris, frontal fibrosing alopecia, and GLPLS. Herein, we describe an adult dark-skinned Saudi male with GLPLS who has numerous body follicular papules, complete loss of axillary hair, and partial loss of groin hair in addition to patchy fibrosing alopecia of the scalp. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first reported case of GLPLS in Saudi Arabia.

Scalp roof tiles.: A new diagnostic sign in neonates with Netherton Syndrome.

CLINICAL PRESENTATION: A 2-month-old baby boy, of full-term spontaneous vaginal delivery, presented to the dermatology outpatient clinic with generalized erythroderma, which had been noted since birth. Family history was positive for similar disease in his eldest sister, who died at 6 months of age without a diagnosis. On examination, the patient looked ill with generalized erythroderma, yet there were no signs of ectropion, eclabium, or deformed ears. Diffuse scalp scaling was observed with interlocking tessellation scales over the scalp (Figure 1). Hair microscopy showed in Figure 2. All laboratory results were normal.

International inter-rater agreement in scoring acne severity utilizing cloud-based image sharing of mobile phone photographs.

BACKGROUND: Cloud-based image sharing technology allows facilitated sharing of images. Cloud-based image sharing technology has not been well-studied for acne assessments or treatment preferences, among international evaluators. We evaluated inter-rater variability of acne grading and treatment recommendations among an international group of dermatologists that assessed photographs. METHODS: This is a prospective, single visit photographic study to assess inter-rater agreement of acne photographs shared through an integrated mobile device, cloud-based, and HIPAA-compliant platform. Inter-rater agreements for global acne assessment and acne lesion counts were evaluated by the Kendall's coefficient of concordance while correlations between treatment recommendations and acne severity were calculated by Spearman's rank correlation coefficient. RESULTS: There was good agreement for the evaluation of inflammatory lesions (KCC = 0.62, P < 0.0001), noninflammatory lesions (KCC = 0.62, P < 0.0001), and the global acne grading system score (KCC = 0.69, P < 0.0001). Topical retinoid, oral antibiotic, and isotretinoin treatment preferences correlated with photographic based acne severity. CONCLUSIONS: Our study supports the use of mobile phone based photography and cloud-based image sharing for acne assessment. Cloud-based sharing may facilitate acne care and research among international collaborators.

A Q-Tip Tip: Use of a Cotton-Tipped Applicator to Desensitize Children to Intralesional Candida Antigen.

We suggest the following technique that uses readily available, inexpensive, nonthreatening cotton-tipped applicators to model Candida antigen injection.

Cutaneous wound closure materials: an overview and update.

INTRODUCTION: On a daily basis, dermasurgeons are faced with different kinds of wounds that have to be closed. With a plethora of skin closure materials currently available, choosing a solution that combines excellent and rapid cosmetic results with practicality and cost-effectiveness can be difficult, if not tricky. OBJECTIVES: We aimed to review the available skin closure materials over the past 20 years and the scientific claims behind their effectiveness in repairing various kinds of wounds. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The two authors independently searched and scrutinised the literature. The search was performed electronically using Pub Med, the Cochrane Database, Google Scholar and Ovid as search engines to find articles concerning skin closure materials written since 1990. CONCLUSION: Many factors are involved in the choice of skin closure material, including the type and place of the wound, available materials, physician expertise and preferences, and patient age and health. Evidence-based main uses of different skin closure materials are provided to help surgeons choose the appropriate material for different wounds.

Profile of mycosis fungoides in 43 Saudi patients.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Mycosis fungoides (MF) is a rare disease; and to our knowledge, there are no reports on its profile in Arabs. The objective of this study was to preliminarily analyze the clinical characteristics of MF patients seen in our institution. DESIGN AND SETTING: Retrospective review of 140 patients with pathologic or clinical diagnosis or differential diagnosis of MF for the period 2000-2006. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Pathology reports with diagnosis or differential diagnosis of MF were retrieved and suspected cases were identified and reviewed. For pathologically confirmed cases, sociodemographic, clinical, laboratory, and radiological details were collected. Details of staging, treatment modalities, and disease status at the last follow-up were retrieved. RESULTS: A total of 43 pathologically confirmed MF patients (skin phototypes IV and V) with a mean age at diagnosis of 33.5 years were reviewed. This comprised 29 males (M:F ratio, 2:1), and the majority (86%) of patients had early-stage (I and II) MF. Twenty-one (48.8%) patients had classic MF; 18 (41.8%), hypopigmented MF; and 4 (9.3%), other variants. The male-to-female ratio was higher in the hypopigmented (3.5:1) than in the classic variant (1.6:1). The mean age at diagnosis was lower in the hypopigmented compared to the classic variant (25 versus 38.8 years, P=.019). The mean duration of follow-up was 27.6 months (range, 1-98 months). At the final assessment, 4 (9.5%) patients recovered; whereas 35 (83.3%) had MF skin disease; 1 had (2.4%) extracutaneous disease; and 2 (4.8%) died of MF. CONCLUSIONS: MF tends to affect younger Saudi patients. The hypopigmented variant constitutes a significant proportion of MF cases, especially in younger patients.

A myxoid neurothekeoma of the nose.

Neurothekeoma is a rare neoplasm assigned to the broad category of benign peripheral nerve sheath tumors. Its cell of origin is still unknown, but most ultrastructural and immunohistochemical studies have favoured the Schwann cell perineurium or fibroblast. Neurothekeoma most commonly presents in females, especially in the second and third decades of life. Typically it presents as an asymptomatic solitary, firm, flesh-coloured or hyperpigmented slow-growing papule or nodule that involves the skin and superficial subcutis. It usually involves the face, neck, arm or shoulder but can also involve extracutaneous sites. Neurothekeoma occurs in myxoid (classic), cellular and intermediate (mixed) variants. Here, we report a 45-year-old male patient presenting with a nodule on the nose that was found to be a myxoid variant of neurothekeoma. It was treated with a simple shave excision followed by removal of the lobulated deeper part by forceps. He had no recurrence after three years of follow-up. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first case of a myxoid neurothekeoma of the nose to be reported in the Middle East.

Quality of life in saudi vitiligo patients.

BACKGROUND: Vitiligo has a devastating psychosocial effect. The cultural traditions of Saudi society are quite different compared with the western world. Hence, a quality of life study using a different questionnaire suitable to the cultural traditions of the society is necessary to measure qualify of life in vitiligo patients. OBJECTIVE: This study was conducted to assess the quality of life (QOL) in Saudi vitiligo patients and their family. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A prospective cross-sectional study at National Center for Vitiligo and Psoriasis, Saudi Arabia. A validated Arabic questionnaire of 41 questions was developed and utilized specifically for this study. Arabic language instrument was distributed to 260 vitiligo patients. Scores were compared in relation to demographic, clinical, and social variables in 4 dimensions of scale (relationship with colleagues, family relationship, social relationship, and self respect). RESULTS: Overall score QOL was 17.1. Mean score for males was 11.1, whereas that for females was 23.9 (P < 0.05). Females scored significantly higher in all the 4 dimensions. Patients with exposed disease lesions scored significantly higher than those with unexposed lesions 5 vs 3.4 (P < 0.05). CONCLUSION: The overall score of QOL in vitiligo is relatively high, indicating a negative impact of the disease on QOL. QOL in women is significantly more affected than in men.

Cutaneous presentation of kwashiorkor due to infantile Crohn's disease.

Kwashiorkor is one of the severe forms of protein-energy malnutrition. Many characteristic dermatoses can be seen in children suffering from kwashiorkor, and some are pathognomonic. Here, we report an infant who presented with diarrhea and skin signs of kwashiorkor, and duodenal biopsy was consistent with Crohn's disease. The patient was treated with prednisolone administered orally in a tapering course plus azathioprine, in addition to nutritional supplementation. The general condition of the patient quickly improved and his skin lesions completely resolved within 2 weeks. Kwashiorkor is a serious potentially fatal disease that occurs less often in developed countries leading to low index of suspicion by physicians and pediatricians in those regions. Occasionally, dermatologists have the rare chance of alerting pediatricians to the diagnosis of kwashiorkor, thus making a difference in the care of this disease.

A wolf in sheep's disguise: rhabdomyosarcoma misdiagnosed as infantile hemangioma.

BACKGROUND: Rhabdomyosarcomas are a heterogeneous group of malignant tumors representing the most common soft tissue sarcoma of childhood. A delay in diagnosis is not uncommon. OBJECTIVE: To report a boy with paranasal rhabdomyosarcoma who was misdiagnosed and treated for infantile hemangioma. METHODS AND RESULTS: A 2-year-old Saudi boy who presented with a progressively increasing nasal mass for 18 months was misdiagnosed and treated for infantile hemangioma at an outside hospital. Histopathologic examination revealed paranasal rhabdomyosarcoma. CONCLUSION: We review some clinical clues that can alert the physician to malignant childhood tumors. We also review management options for childhood rhabdomyosarcoma.

Infantile systemic hyalinosis presenting as intractable infantile diarrhea.

Infantile systemic hyalinosis is an autosomal recessive disease characterized by severe progressive flexion contractures, multiple recurring subcutaneous tumours, and gingival hypertrophy. It is caused by mutations in the gene encoding capillary morphogenesis protein-2 (CMG2). Here we report a Saudi infant with infantile systemic hyalinosis who presented with intractable diarrhea, and we review the literature emphasizing recent developments in the molecular genetics of this disease.

Ulcerative lichen planus of the sole: excellent response to topical tacrolimus.

Ulcerative lichen planus of the sole is a rare variant of lichen planus, characterized by chronic painful disabling ulceration of the soles. Despite many treatment modalities used to treat ulcerative lichen planus, it is still considered a resistant disease. We report a Saudi female patient with ulcerative lichen planus of the soles resistant to many systemic and topical agents. We used topical tacrolimus 0.1% ointment with excellent response and complete healing in a few weeks as well as good maintenance during a follow-up period of more than 2 years.