Vulvar edema: diagnostic clue to Crohn disease.

Vulvar lesions are clinically challenging for physicians because the differential diagnosis may include many entities. Vulvar edema is one of the most frequent symptoms and is normally attributed to a local cause. Herein, we present a case report of vulvar Crohn disease (VCD) in a 9-year-old girl, in which skin lesions preceded the systemic gastrointestinal symptoms. Both clinical features and histopathological findings guided us to an early Crohn disease (CD) diagnosis. Dermatologists often have the opportunity to detect systemic diseases at early stages. A good knowledge of the CD skin manifestations could lead to an early CD diagnosis, especially in children. The suspicion of CD in those cases in which cutaneous involvement precedes digestive symptoms is crucial to prevent future psychological and physical consequences.

Vascular obliteration because of endothelial and myointimal growth in COVID-19 patients.

BACKGROUND: Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a systemic multi-organ viral illness. Previous studies have found that many patients had a procoagulant state and/or severe hypoxemia with relatively well-preserved lung mechanics. Mechanisms underlying the damage to vascular tissues are not well-elucidated yet. Histological data in COVID-19 patients are still limited and are mainly focused on post-mortem analysis. Given that the skin is affected by COVID-19 and the relative ease of its histological examination, we aimed to examine the histology of skin lesions in COVID-19 patients to better understand the disease's pathology. METHODS: Five skin lesions from COVID-19 adult patients were selected for a deep histological tissue examination. RESULTS: A strong vasculopathic reaction pattern based on prominent vascular endothelial and myointimal cell growth was identified. Endothelial cell distortion generated vascular lumen obliteration and striking erythrocyte and serum extravasation. Significant deposition of C4d and C3 throughout the vascular cell wall was also identified. A regenerative epidermal hyperplasia with tissue structure preservation was also observed. CONCLUSIONS: COVID-19 could comprise an obliterative microangiopathy consisting on endothelial and myointimal growth with complement activation. This mechanism, together with the increased vascular permeability identified, could contribute to obliteration of the vascular lumen and hemorrhage in COVID-19. Thus, anticoagulation by itself could not completely reverse vascular lumen obliteration, with consequent increased risk of hemorrhage. Findings of this study could contribute to a better understanding of physiopathological mechanisms underlying COVID-19 on living patients and could help further studies find potential targets for specific therapeutic interventions in severe cases.

Use of permethrin in the treatment of rosacea fulminans during pregnancy: One case report.

Rosacea fulminans (RF) is a rare dermatological condition which occurs exclusively in women and it is characterized by a sudden onset of painful papules, pustules, cysts, and nodules on the face. A 28-year-old woman was referred to our clinic due to a painful facial eruption within the 13th week of her second pregnancy. After physical examination, the diagnosis of RF during pregnancy was established. Several treatments were used: mupirocin ointment, topical zinc oxide, topical erythromycin, oral erythromycin, metronidazole gel, oral metronidazole, oral amoxiciline, and oral prednisone. Finally, the patient was started on 5% permethrin cream with complete clearing of the lesions. Nowadays, a wide range of treatments for rosacea is available: topical metronidazole, oral metronidazole, topical ivermectin, oral tetracyclines, oral isotretinoin, systemic steroids, photodynamic therapy, or pulsed dye laser. However, in pregnant patients, the treatment alternatives are limited. We consider that 5% permethrin cream could be an effective, cheap, and safe treatment not only in regular patients with rosacea but also in pregnant women, representing an important alternative in the context of pregnancy when therapeutic options are limited. To our knowledge, this is the first case of rosacea treated with 5% permethrin cream in monotherapy during pregnancy.

Use of low-dose naltrexone in the treatment of severe Hailey-Hailey disease: One case report.

Hailey-Hailey disease (HHD) or chronic benign familial pemphigus is an autosomal dominant genodermatosis with complete penetrance characterized by painful vesicles, erosions, and macerated intertriginous skin. We present a 66-year-old woman with a personal 35-year history of pruritic recurrent vesicles and erosions in both axillae and inguinal folds. HHD was confirmed by cutaneous biopsy. Past treatments had failed, including topical corticosteroids, antibiotics and oral doxycycline, minocycline, dapsone, and acitretin. Phototherapy and intralesional injection of toxin botulinum A was performed in the axillae. The patient was started on naltrexone 6.25 mg nightly. Six weeks later, complete clearing was observed. At typical doses, naltrexone blocks µ and δ opiod receptors, thereby blocking the union of ß-endorphins at those sites. Paradoxically, at low doses, the partial binding to those receptors leads to a homeostatic increase of opioid receptors and an upregulation of endogenous opioids. Low-dose naltrexone (LDN) may also exert an anti-inflammatory action through its antagonist effect on toll-like receptor 4 found on macrophages. We consider that LDN is an effective and safe alternative for the HHD, representing an important progress in the management of this disease with limited therapeutic options.