Dermoscopic Findings of Scalp Aplasia Cutis Congenita.

Aplasia cutis congenita (ACC) is a rare disease characterized by congenital absence of skin, affecting preferentially the scalp. Diagnosis is made clinically; however, recent studies have shown that dermoscopy can be a useful tool for the diagnosis and differentiation from sebaceous nevus. The clinical findings include a shiny atrophic alopecic patch associated with dermoscopic findings of absent follicular openings, thicker vessels and a distinct collar hypertrichosis. We report 2 cases of alopecia presenting from birth. At dermoscopy, the absence of follicular openings and the increase in the caliber of vessels led us to establish the diagnosis of ACC.

Association between erectile dysfunction and echocardiographic variables of ventricular hypertrophy and diastolic function in hypertensive patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus: a cross-sectional study.

BACKGROUND: This study was conducted among individuals with diabetes and hypertension in order to assess the prevalence of erectile dysfunction (ED) and the association between ED and cardiovascular risk variables such as echocardiographic changes. METHODS: We evaluated 114 men with type 2 diabetes mellitus and hypertension. ED was assessed by International Index of Erectile Function (IIEF-5) score. Clinical and laboratory variables were evaluated, including C-reactive protein (CRP), ambulatory blood pressure monitoring (ABPM), ankle brachial index (ABI) and transthoracic echocardiography. Comparisons between patients with ED (IIEF-5 < 22) and without ED (IIEF-5 ≥ 22) were performed. RESULTS: Patients were 56.8 ± 5.7 years-old, systolic and diastolic blood pressure were 150.7 ± 19.5 mmHg and 85.4 ± 11.4 mmHg, respectively, and HbA1c was 8.0 ± 1.7%. The majority (74.6%) of patients had ED. Levels of CRP, ABPM values and ABI were similar between men with and without ED. Echocardiography variables related to cardiac chamber diameters, left ventricular hypertrophy and diastolic function were similar between groups, except there was a slight lower left ventricular ejection fraction in men with ED (64.9 ± 7.3 vs 68.1 ± 3.9%, P = 0.004). CONCLUSIONS: In high cardiovascular risk hypertensive individuals with type 2 diabetes, ED is highly prevalent as expected, but its presence is associated with neither echocardiographic variables, nor other cardiovascular risk factors.