Psoriasis and the metabolic syndrome.

Psoriasis is an inflammatory, immune-mediated cutaneous disorder that has recently been recognized as systemic disease that is associated with multiple comorbidities such as depression, obesity, and the metabolic syndrome. The metabolic syndrome is the constellation of abdominal obesity, dyslipidemia, hypertension and insulin resistance, and presence of the metabolic syndrome significantly increases a patient's risk for cardiovascular disease, stroke and type 2 diabetes. Recent studies have found that psoriasis patients are at increased risk for metabolic syndrome as well as the individual components of metabolic syndrome, and the two diseases appear linked through a common mechanism of inflammation. Speculation exists as to whether this association is causative or whether it is the result of other habits seen in psoriasis patients, such as increased rates of smoking, alcohol consumption, and sedentary lifestyle, which add to the complexity of the association between psoriasis and the metabolic syndrome. However, psoriasis treatments have been shown to reduce the risk of developing metabolic syndrome components and comorbidities. Future studies are needed to better understand the nature of this relationship and the implications this could have for management and treatment of patients with psoriasis.

Acute hemorrhagic edema of infancy: unusual scarring and review of the English language literature.

BACKGROUND: Acute hemorrhagic edema of infancy (AHEI) is a benign and self-limiting disease that usually resolves completely without sequelae and without the need for active therapy. Most consider AHEI to be a separate entity from Henoch-Schonlein purpura (HSP), but others believe that they are different clinical presentations of the same disease. METHODS: We report a patient with AHEI who resolved with unusual scarring. We also present a review and update of AHEI synonyms, epidemiology, pathogenesis, clinical features, laboratory findings, histopathology, diagnosis and differentials, management, and prognosis. RESULTS: A comprehensive Medline search using the Pubmed search engine in the English-language literature, for relative articles addressing AHEI disease. Thirty-three articles were cited, in addition to our case report. CONCLUSION: Controversy still exists with regard to the separation of AHEI and HSP as distinct entities, as well as with regard to a conservative or active approach for AHEI treatment, and its effect on the course of the disease.