A study on clinical spectrum of lichen sclerosus in a tertiary care Centre in North India.

Introduction: Lichen sclerosus (LS) is a chronic dermatosis frequently located over labial, perineal, and perianal areas. The etiology is multifactorial and includes genetic, autoimmune, hormonal, and infectious aspects. Materials and Methods: A series of twenty genital LS patients was carried out to evaluate the signs, symptoms, complications, and affliction of quality of life. Results: Eighteen out of twenty patients were female between 30 and 73 years and showed smooth, glistening, and whitish plaques. The mean duration was 8.4 years. Itching and burning was the most common symptom (75%) corresponding to excoriation and fissuring of genitalia (75%). Malignancy was seen in two cases (10%). The mean Vulvar Quality of Life Index was 9.2, higher in younger patients. Discussion: LS is a disorder of older age group with female preponderance. It is a source of significant morbidity, and long-standing cases predispose to vulvar malignancy. Conclusion: To conclude, early diagnosis with proper counselling of the patient and his/her partner regarding various aspects of disease are essential for a wholesome approach.

Comparative Evaluation of the Therapeutic Efficacy and Safety of Injected Histaglobulin versus Autologous Serum Therapy in Chronic Urticaria.

BACKGROUND: Urticaria affects 0.5 to 1 percent of the population at any given time. Treatments include nonsedative antihistamines, autologous serum therapy, and injected histaglobulin. OBJECTIVE: This study sought to compare the therapeutic efficacy and safety of injected histaglobulin with autologous serum therapy in chronic urticaria. METHODS: This was a hospital-based prospective study performed in the Department of Dermatology, Venereology, and Leprology at Guru Gobind Singh Medical College and Hospital in Faridkot, India. A total of 96 patients with chronic idiopathic urticaria were enrolled after applying inclusion and exclusion criteria and were divided into two groups of 48 patients each using an envelope method. Autologous serum skin tests were performed in each patient irrespective of their group assignment. Group A then received injected histaglobulin and Group B received autologous serum therapy (AST). Patient were evaluated using the Urticaria Activity Score (UAS) every week for six weeks, with follow-up conducted at three and six weeks after the completion of treatment. The Chronic Urticaria Quality of Life questionnaire was used to assess the quality of life of the study participants. RESULTS: Out of the 96 initially enrolled patients, 62 completed the six weeks of treatment and two follow-up visits. Twenty patients dropped out due to remission and 14 patients left the study for other reasons. Reductions in UAS values occurred in both the groups by the end of follow-up but were more significant in Group A. Improvement in quality of life scores was also greater in Group A. Recurrence occurred in both groups after treatment cessation but was less common in Group A. CONCLUSION: Both treatments were validated for treating chronic urticaria; however, injected histaglobulin showed statistically more consequential results than AST.

Comparative evaluation of therapeutic efficacy and safety of intralesional triamcinolone acetonide injection vs intralesional radiofrequency with intralesional triamcinolone acetonide in treatment of keloids.

Management of keloid is difficult, so there is always a need for adequate and effective therapy. In this study, we explored and compared the efficacy and synergistic effect of combined intralesional radiofrequency (RF) and intralesional triamcinolone acetonide (TAC) with intralesional triamcinolone acetonide alone in the treatment of keloids. Sixty patients with keloid were divided in two groups of 30 patients each. In both groups total six sittings every 3 weeks and post treatment follow-up every 6 weeks was done. In group A, intralesional TAC was given. In group B, intralesional radiofrequency followed by triamcinolone was injected. In this study, there were 29 males and 31 females. In groups A and B, 73.4% and 80% of the patients, respectively, achieved grade 4 improvement at the end of 33 weeks, but there was greater mean POSAS score decline in group B in comparison with group A at each visit compared to baseline. Six patients in group A while three in group B showed recurrence. Side effects were equal in number in both groups Thus both the studied modalities of treatment produced equal efficacy and safety but with less recurrence in group B.

An unusual case of transverse mesocolic internal hernia with abnormality of both hands and high arched feet.

INTRODUCTION: An internal abdominal herniation is the protrusion of a viscus through a normal or abnormal mesenteric or peritoneal aperture. It is a rare cause of small bowel obstruction with a reported incidence of 0.2-0.9%. It can either be acquired through a trauma or surgical procedure or can be related to congenital peritoneal defects. Herniation through transverse mesocolon is very rare. PRESENTATION OF CASE: A case of acute intestinal obstruction due to internal herniation through a congenital rent in transverse mesocolon with rotation of gut approximately 180° around axis of the band. Patient also had bilateral hypoplastic thenar muscles with rudimentary 1st metacarpals and high arched feet. Reduction along with derotation of gut, with closure of the rent in transverse mesocolon and fixation of the caecum to lateral peritoneum was performed. DISCUSSION: The preoperative diagnosis of mesenteric defect is difficult because of wide range of acute abdominal symptoms, and there are no specific radiographic findings. CT is the most important diagnostic tool is, with 77% accuracy in such cases. Due to the risk of strangulation of the hernial contents, even small internal hernias are dangerous and may be lethal. CONCLUSION: Internal hernia should be suspected in patients with signs and symptoms of intestinal obstruction, particularly in the absence of inflammatory intestinal diseases, external hernia or previous laparotomy. Surgical decision-making is on the basis of clinical findings of intestinal strangulation or ischemia, and emergency laparotomy should be performed without preoperative diagnosis of such a rare disease.

Imatinib mesylate induced erythroderma: A rare case series.

Imatinib is a tyrosine kinase inhibitor approved as a first line treatment for chronic myeloid leukemia and gastrointestinal stromal tumors. Usually the drug is well-tolerated with hematological adverse effects being most commonly seen. Dermatological side effects are seen in 9.5-69% of patients on imatinib; majority of which are minor and self-limiting. We, hereby, report a case series of erythroderma occurring secondary to imatinib in two patients with chronic myeloid leukemia. Both the patients improved upon the discontinuation of the drug. The literature review revealed only six probable cases of erythroderma due to imatinib. So, this case series is being reported for the rarity of this adverse effect of imatinib.

A study of Basal cell carcinoma in South asians for risk factor and clinicopathological characterization: a hospital based study.

Objectives. Although the incidence of skin cancers in India (part of South Asia) is low, the absolute number of cases may be significant due to large population. The existing literature on BCC in India is scant. So, this study was done focusing on its epidemiology, risk factors, and clinicopathological aspects. Methods. A hospital based cross-sectional study was conducted in Punjab, North India, from 2011 to 2013. History, examination and histopathological confirmation were done in all the patients visiting skin department with suspected lesions. Results. Out of 36 confirmed cases, 63.9% were females with mean ± SD age being 60.9 ± 14.2 years. Mean duration of disease was 4.7 years. Though there was statistically significant higher sun exposure in males compared to females (P value being 0.000), BCC was commoner in females, explainable by intermittent sun exposure (during household work in the open kitchens) in women. Majority of patients (88.9%) had a single lesion. Head and neck region was involved in 97.2% of cases, with nose being the commonest site (50%) with nodular/noduloulcerative morphology in 77.8% of cases. Pigmentation was evident in 22.2% of cases clinically. Nodular variety was the commonest histopathological variant (77.8%). Conclusions. This study highlights a paradoxically increasing trend of BCC with female preponderance, preferential involvement of nose, and higher percentage of pigmentation in Indians.

Paraneoplastic dermatomyositis with carcinoma cervix: a rare clinical association.

Dermatomyositis is an uncommon inflammatory myopathy associated with cutaneous manifestations. It may also occur as paraneoplastic syndrome associated with various malignancies, most common of which being lung, breast, stomach, rectum, kidney, or testicular cancer. A postmenopausal woman presented to us with generalized itching along with skin rash and proximal muscle weakness of 2 years' duration. Examination revealed heliotrope rash and mechanic hands and muscle power 2/5 in proximal muscle groups of both upper and lower limbs. A clinical diagnosis of dermatomyositis was made which was supported by raised lactate dehydrogenase levels and skin biopsy findings. Past history was significant for vaginal discharge and bleeding per vagina. Further work-up revealed carcinoma cervix and she was referred to oncology department for further management. Temporal relationship and improvement of muscle weakness with treatment of underlying neoplasm supported its paraneoplastic nature. So, final diagnosis of keratinizing squamous cell carcinoma of cervix with paraneoplastic dermatomyositis was made. A nationwide cohort study of 1,012 patients with dermatomyositis in Taiwan revealed only 3 patients with cervical cancer. So this case is being reported for its rare association with carcinoma cervix and to highlight the need of detailed evaluation for underlying malignancies in patients with dermatomyositis.

Autologous therapies in dermatology.

Autologous therapy is a therapeutic intervention that uses an individual's cells or tissues, which are processed outside the body, and reintroduced into the donor. This emerging field presently represents a mere tip of the iceberg with much knowledge and applications yet to be discovered. It, being free from risks of hypersensitivity reactions and transmission of infectious agents, has been explored in various fields, such as plastic surgery, orthopedics, and dermatology. This review article focuses on various forms of autologous therapies used in dermatology along with their applications and mechanisms of action.