Marking nut dermatitis: A case series on factitious dermatitis.

Marking nut or Bhilawa is the fruit of plant Semecarpus anacardium Linn (Family; Anacardiaceae). It belongs to Semecarpus genera which also includes cashew nuts. It is closely related to Rhus and Toxicodendron genera, which includes poison ivy and poison sumac and causes similar skin reaction due to the presence of compound urushiol. Marking nut dermatitis is an uncommon problem but has special importance in military dermatology. Individuals can get exposed to this plant during camping which can result in an irritant or allergic contact dermatitis. It can also be applied deliberately to cause factitious dermatitis. We present 5 cases of factitious dermatitis resulting from application of marking nut.

Pattern of use of biologics in psoriasis among Indian dermatologists - A cross sectional survey.

Background and Aims Biologics are a relatively new class of highly effective drugs in the management of psoriasis. They act on specific immune processes, achieve rapid and sustained clearance and do not cause target organ damage unlike conventional systemic therapy. It appears that their use in our country is not as widespread as in developed nations despite these benefits ; their prohibitive cost may be a major factor for the limited usage. This survey aimed to find out the extent of use and factors hindering usage of biologics for the management of psoriasis by Indian dermatologists. Methods It was a cross-sectional questionnaire based study. The questionnaire was designed after a focussed group discussion, followed by validation. The survey was sent in the form of a link to Indian dermatologists. The responses were recorded in excel-sheet and the data was analyzed by SPSS ver 25. Results Of the 310 participants who took part, 287 completed the survey. Two hundred (70%) were users of biologics, while 87 (30%) had never used them. Cost was the major factor which prevented biologic use. Majority of the respondents used biologics in less than 2 cases per month. Secukinumab was the most common biologic used followed by etanercept. The factors which determined choice of biologics were convenience, cost, previous experience, co-morbid conditions and recommendations by an expert. Limitations A small sample size was the limitation of the study. Dermatologists who do not use biologics may be under-represented in the study. Conclusions Biologics are not used optimally by Indian dermatologists for management of psoriasis. The cost, fear of adverse effects, lack of awareness and inadequate felt need are major factors which prevent their regular use.

Latent Tuberculosis in Psoriasis Patients Planned for Systemic Therapy - A Prospective Observational Study.

BACKGROUND: India has a high prevalence of tuberculosis and latent tuberculosis infection (LTBI) is common in the general population. LTBI can progress to active tuberculosis in almost 10% patients and the risk increases with immunosuppression. This predisposes patients of psoriasis on systemic therapy for the development of active tuberculosis. AIMS: To find the prevalence of LTBI in patients with psoriasis planned for systemic therapy. METHODOLOGY: It was a prospective observational study conducted in a tertiary care center during period Jan-Dec 2019. Patients older than 18 years with chronic plaque psoriasis planned for systemic therapy and willing to be part of the study were included. Baseline clinical data were collected. Radiograph of chest and tuberculin skin test (TST) was performed in all patients. Detailed evaluation including sputum examination and computed tomography of the chest and abdomen were performed in patients with TST >10 mm. RESULTS: A total of 105 patients met the inclusion criteria of the study, with the mean age of patients being 29.5 ± 2.12 years. Out of these patients, 58 were males and 47 females. The mean duration of psoriasis was 2.95 ± 1.3 years. The mean PASI score was 16.71 ± 4.384. Mantoux was positive (>10 mm) in 33 (31.42%) patients. Two patients were found to have features of active tuberculosis based on imaging and microbiological investigations. Totally, 31 (29.5%) patients had LTBI and were treated with isoniazid and rifampicin for three months while 2 (1.9%) patients were treated with four drugs antitubercular regimen. LIMITATIONS: Small sample size, convenience method of sampling and study population limited to those visiting medical college hospital are its major limitations. CONCLUSION: LTBI is common in study population and screening for LTBI should be performed in all patients of psoriasis planned for systemic therapy. A thorough search for active tuberculosis should be performed. Timely detection of LTBI helps in the prevention of development of active tuberculosis in the patients on immunosuppressive treatment.

Frequency and Spectrum of Cutaneous Metastases of Visceral Malignancies: A Retrospective Observational Study of Three Years Duration in a Tertiary Care Hospital.

BACKGROUND: In spite of the skin being the largest organ of the body, cutaneous malignancies are uncommon especially in people of color as compared to the white population. The incidence of cutaneous metastases of visceral malignancies is further low and accounts for 0.5% to 10% of cancer cases as per written literature. Cutaneous metastasis as the presenting sign of underlying internal malignancy is extremely rare and is a marker of poor prognosis. Limited data is available in written literature about the frequency and spectrum of metastatic skin lesions in the Asian population. OBJECTIVE: 1) To find the frequency of metastasis of visceral malignancies in skin biopsies. 2) To evaluate the clinicopathological presentation and immunohistochemistry (IHC) profile of cutaneous metastases. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: It is a retrospective analysis of all the skin biopsies received in our department of Pathology for HPE from 01 Jan 2017 till 31 Dec 2019. Cases of cutaneous malignancy were segregated into primary and metastatic categories. Clinical details of the cases of cutaneous metastases were retrieved and analyzed. All the cases of cutaneous metastases were studied in detail for their clinical presentation, histomorphological features, and findings on IHC. RESULTS: Out of a total of 484 skin biopsies in 3 years, 9.7% showed features of malignancy. Total ten cases of cutaneous metastases (2%) were found, out of which three were the primary presentation of silent visceral malignancy. The lung, breast, colon, and ovary were the common primary sites to manifest as cutaneous metastases with the abdominal wall being the commonest site. Histomorphological features aided by the IHC panel helped in diagnosing the cutaneous metastases and site of the primary malignancy. CONCLUSION: Cutaneous metastasis as the primary presentation of visceral malignancy is rare and should not be missed as it indicates a poor prognosis. Clinico-pathological correlation and histomorphological features assisted by IHC markers help pathologists in diagnosing the site of primary malignancy in cases of cutaneous metastases.

Eyelash Transplantation for the Treatment of Vitiligo Associated Eyelash Leucotrichia.

BACKGROUND: Eyelash leucotrichia is cosmetically disfiguring condition and remains a therapeutic challenge in successful management of vitiligo. AIMS: To study the efficacy of eyelash transplantation in management of eyelash leucotrichia associated with vitiligo. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Fifteen patients with eyelash leucotrichia were treated with follicular unit transplantation. Improvement in leucotrichia was evaluated using objective assessment. RESULTS: Out of fifteen patients, good to excellent response was seen in 13 patients (86.67%), fair in one patient (6.66%) and poor in one patient (6.66%). CONCLUSION: Eyelash transplantation is safe and effective method for eyelash leucotrichia.

Kyrle's Disease Presenting in an Extensive Distribution along Lines of Blaschko.

A 24-year-old lady presented with the complaints of asymptomatic dark, raised lesions over her body since past 4 years. Dermatological examination revealed hyperkeratotic, hyperpigmented papules in a Blaschkoid distribution over trunk and extremities. The hyperkeratotic lesions could be removed leaving behind a small crater. Skin biopsy revealed hyperkeratosis, parakeratosis with epidermal invagination, focal cornified plug with basophilic degenerated material and dyskeratotic keratinocytes. Dermis showed dilated capillaries with moderate amount of perivascular lymphocytic infiltrate and granulomatous lymphocytic infiltrate in the deep dermis. A diagnosis of Kyrle's disease was made and patient was started on oral acitretin 25 mg daily with satisfactory response to therapy. This is the first reported instance of Kyrle's disease occurring in an extensive Blaschkoid distribution.

Linear IgA disease in an adult with unusual clinical features.

A 19-year-old male presented with complaints of fluid-filled lesions on the body of 2 weeks duration. On examination, he was found to have multiple tense bullae distributed on the flexures, face, and genitalia with associated oral ulcers and "cluster of jewels" sign. The diagnosis was confirmed by histopathology and direct immunofluorescence. There are very few reports of linear IgA earlier from India according to the literature available so far, that too from the Southern part of the country. The patient had bullous pemphigoid-like lesions typically seen in adults, but the distribution of lesions was akin to that of the "chronic bullous disease of childhood variant" found in children. This case has been reported for rarity in this region and also because the patient had atypical morphology and distribution of lesions.