A case of cutaneous Rhodotorula infection mimicking cryptococcosis.

Rhodotorula is a ubiquitous environmental and commensal yeast, and an emerging opportunistic pathogen, particularly in immunocompromised individuals. Clinical infections with Rhodotorula have been increasingly recognized over the past 30 years; however, infections in solid-organ transplant recipients are uncommon, and cutaneous manifestations have rarely been reported. We describe a 59-year-old male renal transplant recipient, who developed cutaneous infection with Rhodotorula upon failure of his graft and commencement of haemodialysis.

Two patients with Ehlers-Danlos syndrome type VIII with unexpected hoarseness.

Ehlers-Danlos syndrome (EDS) encompasses a genetically and clinically heterogeneous group of connective tissue disorders, characterized by joint hypermobility, skin hyperextensibility and tissue fragility. It is a rare condition, and inheritance is either autosomal dominant or recessive. Previously grouped into 11 different subtypes, with increasing knowledge of the underlying molecular defects, it was reclassified in 1997 into 6 major groups, with type VIII excluded from this classification. Type VIII EDS is a very rare subtype, characterized by severe, early-onset periodontitis, skin fragility and abnormal scarring. Voice abnormalities have occasionally been described in other forms of the condition, and may be due to defects in the collagen of the vocal ligament. We report two cases of patients with EDS type VIII and hoarseness.

Skin surgery, an evidence-based update: meeting report.

The Evidence Based Update on Skin Surgery was held in Nottingham in May 2015. The meeting featured presentations on new diagnostic techniques, trials in development, discussions of recently published trials, and a question and answer session with an expert panel. This report aims to summarize the presentations and discussions from the day.

Children with dermatological conditions admitted to paediatric intensive care: analysis of a national clinical audit database.

There is little published literature about dermatological conditions in paediatric intensive care units (PICUs). The aim of this study was to describe the range of skin disorders in children admitted to PICUs in the UK and Ireland using data from a national audit. An analysis was conducted using data for 2002 - 2010 from the Paediatric Intensive Care Audit Network (PICANet). In total, 999 admissions of 882 children were identified, representing 0.8% of all PICU admissions. The most frequent dermatological conditions were skin infections, including cellulitis and necrotizing fasciitis, and inflammatory conditions. In 28% of cases, the dermatological diagnosis was considered the reason for PICU admission, in 35% it was a manifestation of systemic disease and in 37% it was considered incidental. Overall mortality was similar to the general PICU population, with 52 deaths (5.2%), but was greater in children with vascular/haematological conditions.

Psoriatic alopecia.

Alopecia and other hair abnormalities occurring in patients with psoriasis were first recognized over four decades ago, yet psoriatic alopecia is not a well-known concept among clinicians. Alopecia may be directly related to the psoriasis itself, and can affect both the scalp and other parts of the body. On the scalp, psoriatic alopecia most commonly affects lesional skin, but may present as a generalized telogen effluvium. In most cases, there is regrowth of hair, but in rare cases it can cause scarring alopecia. Histological findings include features of psoriasis in the interfollicular epithelium, along with perifollicular inflammation and atrophy or loss of the sebaceous glands. Late changes include destruction of the hair follicle, with perifollicular fibrosis and 'naked' hair shafts lying free in the dermis. In addition to the hair loss caused by the psoriasis itself, data from population and genetic studies reveal that patients with psoriasis are at greater risk of developing alopecia areata. Psoriasis treatments may also contribute to hair loss. Application of topical preparations may cause hair loss through friction, and many of the systemic treatments used for psoriasis can also cause hair problems. Treatment with anti-tumour necrosis factor-α agents can precipitate de novo psoriasis and subsequent psoriatic alopecia.

Review of the 94th Annual Meeting of the British Association of Dermatologists, Glasgow 2014.

This is a review of the 94th Annual Meeting of the British Association of Dermatologists, held in Glasgow from 1 to 3 July 2014. The conference covered some of the latest developments in the treatment of atopic dermatitis, psoriasis and cancer, a follow-up on the methylisothiazolinone contact allergy epidemic, advances in genetically inherited disorders and somatic mutations underlying birth marks. In addition, there was an international perspective on vitiligo, leprosy and HIV, and a session discussing the regulatory process behind pharmaceutical development.

8th Georg Rajka International Symposium on Atopic Dermatitis: meeting report.

The 8th Georg Rajka International Symposium on Atopic Dermatitis was held in Nottingham in May 2014. The 3-day meeting featured a number of lectures by experts in the field of atopic dermatitis from around the world, as well as several original research presentations and a question and answer session. This paper aims to summarize the main oral presentations from the meeting, but is not meant to be a substitute for reading the conference proceedings and related references.