Psoriasis in the elderly: epidemiological and clinical aspects, and evaluation of patients with very late onset psoriasis.

BACKGROUND: Age of the patients and age of onset of psoriasis may have an impact on the disease. There is little information about psoriasis in elderly patients. OBJECTIVE: We evaluated epidemiological, clinical aspects, comorbidities and treatments of psoriasis in the elderly (>70 years) patients, and in patients with very late onset psoriasis (onset ≥ 70 years). METHODS: This observational multicentre non-interventional study of adults with psoriasis was conducted in 29 departments of dermatology in France. A total of 2210 adults with psoriasis were included. RESULTS: A total of 212 (9.5%) patients were elderly. This group had a higher frequency of females (P = 0.005), a later onset of the disease (P < 0.0001), a lower frequency of familial (P < 0.0001) and plaque psoriasis (P < 0.0001), but higher frequency of guttate and inverse psoriasis (P ≤ 0.005). Hypertension, diabetes, dyslipidaemia, and major cardiovascular events (MACE) were more frequent in this group (P < 0.0001), but not tobacco (P < 0.0001). Systemic and biological therapies were used less frequently in the elderly group (P < 0.0001). Fifty-eight (2.7%) patients had late onset psoriasis. Patients with very late onset psoriasis were more frequently women (P = 0.02) and older (P < 0.0001), among elderly group. They had significantly less frequently familial (P < 0.0001) and plaque psoriasis (P < 0.0001), and were less often on systemic treatment including biological. Frequencies of comorbidities were not statically different but patients with 'early' onset psoriasis have a tendency (P < 0.5) to have higher frequencies of obesity, diabetes, dyslipidaemia, hypertension and MACE. CONCLUSION: This study highlights phenotypic features of psoriasis in elderly and in very late onset psoriasis. The management of these fragile patients remains poorly codified and needs further investigation.

Efficacy of a silver lipidocolloid dressing on heavily colonised wounds: a republished RCT.

Nearly all open wounds are contaminated by microorganisms. This generally corresponds to simple bacterial growth, without leading to deleterious effects or compromising the progress of the healing process. In acute wounds, the probability of wound infection increases as the level of contamination does. However, it is more complex for chronic wounds, which are able to contain and tolerate large amounts of bacteria, many times higher than the usual threshold level (>105 bacteria/g of tissue) defining infection in acute wounds,1 without inducing local signs. Nevertheless, many clinical and experimental studies indicate that the probability for chronic wounds to heal properly is limited when the bacterial load exceeds this level of contamination; even when body defences are still able to prevent tissue invasion, bacteria can impair wound healing.

Human cutaneous leishmaniasis caused by Leishmania naiffi is wide-spread in South America.

Four human cases of localized cutaneous leishmaniasis caused by Leishmania naiffi are reported. Two of the cases were infected in French Guiana, one in French Guiana or Martinique, and the other in Ecuador or Peru. The geographical distribution of L. naiffi is clearly larger than that initially reported. Three zymodemes were represented by the four isolates, confirming that there is intraspecific polymorphism in L. naiffi.

[Tinea capitis: sample surveys among school doctors and dermatologists in the Paris suburbs]. / Prise en charge des teignes: enquête auprès de médecins scolaires et de dermatologues franciliens.

BACKGROUND: Subsequent to detection of several cases of anthropophilic tinea capitis, we wanted to know whether the legal decree requiring eviction from school and an epidemiology survey in the children community or the family is implemented properly. METHODS: Two sample surveys were carried out among 50 school doctors from the Hauts-de-Seine department and 110 dermatologists working the Paris suburbs. RESULTS: Eviction from school was rare and not based on the type of dermatophytes (anthropophilic or zoophilic agent). Likewise, epidemiology survey was neglected, often being solely clinical for other family members. Systematic sampling in the children community or in the family was very exceptional. DISCUSSION: Despite the rise in the number of cases of anthropophilic tinea capitis in Paris suburbs, the decree is not often implemented. Dermatologists would appear to be responsible for this situation, especially in case of M. langeronii, which is very contagious in nursery school.

[Lobomycosis: a mycosis seldom observed in metropolitan France]. / La lobomycose: une mycose rarement observée en France métropolitaine.

We report a case of lobomycosis presenting like a cutaneous tumoral lesion in a patient living in Guyana. The causative agent is Loboa loboi. The illness is seldom observed in metropolitan France. The epidemiology, the clinical features, the course and the treatment are studied. The diagnosis is histological, with the morphological features of yeast-like cells.

[Oral terbinafine-induced plantar pustular psoriasis]. / Psoriasis pustuleux plantaire déclenché par la terbinafine (Lamisil).

BACKGROUND: Cutaneous reactions may occur in patients receiving terbinafine therapy, mainly rash and urticaria. More exceptionally, development of psoriasis has been described. We describe the development of plantar pustular psoriasis in a patient who took oral terbinafine. CASE REPORT: A 70-year-old man, without previously known history of psoriasis, was treated with terbinafine, 250 mg/day, for onychomycosis. Ten days later, a plantar pustular psoriasis appeared. The psoriasis cleared up after discontinuation of terbinafine and institution of antipsoriatic therapy. DISCUSSION: Terbinafine is an antifungal agent widely use in the treatment of onychomycosis. A skin reaction occurs in 3 p. 100 of patients. Only 24 cases of flare-up of previous psoriasis or psoriasis de novo after terbinafine have been described. The psoriasis generally clears after discontinuation of terbinafine. So, terbinafine is perhaps not the best first line therapy for onychomycosis in patients with psoriasis.

[Multiple trichodiscomas associated with colonic polyposis]. / Trichodiscomes multiples associés à une polypose colique.

BACKGROUND: Trichodiscoma is an uncommon benign tumor of the pilosebaceous system. CASE REPORT: An 83-year-old man had a past history of adenomatous polyps of the colon. The subject's brother had died from cancer of the colon. Over the past 4 years, the patient had developed approximately 30 small asymptomatic papulonodular tumors on the trunk. Skin biopsy demonstrated trichodiscomas. DISCUSSION: Together with fibrofolliculomas and perifollicular fibromas, trichodiscomas are benign tumors of the pilosebaceous system. These different tumors may occur simultaneously as in Birt-Hogg-Dubé syndrome which associates trichodiscoma and familial colonic polyposis. This combination has only been reported in Birt-Hogg-Dubé syndrome or with perifollicular fibromas. CONCLUSION: This case suggests that patients with hamartomas of the pilosebaceous system should undergo explorations in search for digestive tract polyposis.

[Cutaneous-splanchnic neurofibromatosis]. / Neurofibromatose segmentaire cutanéo-splanchnique.

BACKGROUND: Segmental neurofibromatosis (NF V) is ten times less frequent than Recklinghausen disease. Would the risk of visceral involvement in this uncommon form of neurofibromatosis warrant systematic imaging procedures? CASE REPORT: A 31-year-old man consulted for a voluminous plexiform neurofibroma in the left lumbar area. More ventrally, on the left side, there was also a café au lait spot. There were no Lisch nodules. The chest and abdominopelvic computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging showed intramuscular tumoral extension, two neurofibromas in the 9th intercostal space and a voluminous 5-cm tumor situated in the left adrenal area. After resection pathology examination of the surgical specimen confirmed the diagnosis of ganglioneuroma. DISCUSSION: In this patient, all the neurofibromas and the café of lait spot developed in the territories of the left T10 and adjacent spinal roots. This was also true for the ganglioneuroma which developed on the deep sympathetic ramus to the adrenal gland which originates essentially from roots T8 to T11. This would place this case in the second subgroup of NF V in Roth's classification. Only six other cases have been reported in the literature. Such deep localizations are very likely to be underestimated, raising the problem of their detection and the correct protocol to follow asymptomatic forms, especially to detect disease progression to malignant degeneration which has a poor prognosis. Patients with a NF V should receive genetic counselling with a search for a family history, other signs of neurofibromatosis and Lisch nodules. In young patients, the risk of deep asymptomatic spread underlines the importance of regional computed tomographic or magnetic resonance explorations.

[Anatomo-clinical criteria of cutaneous melanoma with spontaneous and complete regression. Apropos of a case]. / Critères anatomo-cliniques du mélanome cutané spontanément et complètement régressif. A propos d'un cas.

We report a case of a 73 year old man presented a spontaneously and completely regression cutaneous malignant melanoma with cervical lymph node metastasis, confirmed by clinical and histopathologic observations. The authors examine the features of regression of primary malignant melanoma through a review of the literature.

[Pigmented erythroderma in AIDS. 5 cases]. / Erythrodermies pigmentées au cours du SIDA. Cinq cas.

INTRODUCTION: We report five cases of pigmented erythroderma occurring during AIDS, noteworthy for its unusual hyperpigmented feature, its advent at the terminal stages of AIDS, and an CD8 cells dermal infiltrate. PATIENTS AND METHODS: It is a retrospective study of five patients infected with HIV: a woman infected by transfusion and four homosexual men, average 55 years old. No one was intravenous drug user. They were all severely immunocompromised; HTLV I/II serology was negative. Skin biopsies were studied with light microscopy (Hematoxylin-eosin) and immunohistochemical studies were performed on frozen sections. RESULTS: The patients had an erythroderma of particular interest because of the associated hyperpigmentation, the severe repercussion (pruritus, weight loss), and the difficulty in treating (except systemic corticosteroids). The histology demonstrated a mononuclear dermal lymphocytic infiltrate, without epidermotropism and atypical cytonuclear feature. The phenotype of the infiltrate was uniformly of the suppressor-cytotoxic subset (CD8+, CD4-). COMMENTS: Our cases are like those previously described as "Pseudo-Sezary", mimicking a lymphoma during AIDS. Numerous factors are probably the cause of this hyperpigmented erythroderma: HIV, CD8 cells... CONCLUSIONS: This severe skin disease, complicating AIDS, seems very particular, but not yet clearly defined. In practice, the problem remains the treatment of this severe erythroderma, because only the systemic corticosteroids are effective, but this is debatable during the treatment of AIDS.