A clinico - histopathological outcome of 4 weeks methotrexate pluse therapy in psoriasis.

A clinico-histopathological study was carried out In 50 patients of psoriasis to see clinical and histological outcome and/or correlation of weekly methotrexate pulse therapy. Clinically, results of therapy were evalutated by estimating the percentage of total body coverage with psoriasis. Prior to therapy, average involvement was 47.5% which after 4 weeks methotrexate therapy reduced to 8. 3%. A complete clearing of psoriasis occurred in 40% of patients after methotrexate therapy. The clinical response started as early as I week in most of patients. Only 2 patients failed to respond even after 4 weeks of therapy. Histopathologically in pretreatmenl biopsy, 34 showed classical psoriatic pathology while in 16 biopsy was suggestive of psoriasis but not confirmative. Histopathological examination after 4 weeks treatment showed that 41 still showed one or more histological evidence of psoriasis, although only two patients had classical, psoriatic pathology, in rest 9 patients there were complete regression. Thus, with methotrexate, clinical clearance was much faster than histopathological clearance.

Prolong continuous versus weekly oral acyclovir in recurrent herpes genitalis.

Patients with frequent recurrences of genital herpes were treated with oral acyclovir tablet, 800 mg once daily or once a week for 2 years. Confirmed recurrences for all patients were treated with acyclovir, 200 mg orally 5 times per day, for five days. Of 58 patients enrolled, 12 of 26 daily acyclovir recipients and 22 of 32 weekly acyclovir recipients completed two years of study. Patients receiving daily acyclovir experienced a mean of 0.0991 recurrences / month compared with mean of 0.113 recurrences / month for patients receiving weekly acyclovir. A total of 33% of daily acyclovir recipients and 27% weekly acyclovir recipients were free of recurrences for two years.

Topical mometasone furoate for the treatment of childhood vltiligo.

Forty-five children with vitiligo were treated with topical applications of mometasone furoate for 2 to 6 months. The best results occurred in the facial vitiligo. Repigmentation of 90-100% was achieved in more than 80% of patients with vitiligo of the face and more than 60% of patients with vitiligo on other part of the body. Interestingly there was no single side effect noted even after six months application in children.

Angiokeratoma of fordyce on unusual site.

A 19-year-old married man presented with multiple, bright-red and reddish-blue papular lesions on glans and prepuce with intermittent bleeding on maceration since 6 months duration. Histopathological study revealed features of angiokeratoma.

Thickening of peripheral nerves in neurofibromatosis.

A 14-year-old boy presented with multiple asymptomatic swellings all over the body. Cutaneous findings were classical for neurofibromatosis. Interesting and unusual finding was generalised thickening of peripheral nerve trunks. Biopsy from thickened nerve had features of neurofibromatosis.

Favus in a non-endemic area.

A typical case of favus of scalp in a 60-year-old female, resident of a village in district Udaipur (Rajasthan) is being reported for its rarity and occurrence in non-endemic zone. Some of the nails were also involved. Fungal hyphae were demonstrated in KOH examination from scalp and nails. Culture on Sabourauds agar medium grew Trichophyton violaceum.

Methotrexate : Side effects and the role of folic acid supplementation in psoriasis - A study.

In 50 patients of psoriasis, side effects observed with methotrexate pulse were studied. Folic acid ameliorated majority of the side effects without compromising with the therapeutic efficacy of methotrexate.

A piebald family.

Piebaldism is an uncommon congenital hypomelanotic disorder characterized by a white forelock and vitiligo like amelanotic macules. We report a family with piebaldism affecting four successive generations. The disease was present in 16 members of the family.