Annular Erythematous Eruption in a Pediatric Patient.

An 11-year-old girl presented in autumn with an asymptomatic rash on her arms, face, and legs of a 3-week duration. What is your diagnosis?

Annular Erythematous Plaques With Overlying Blisters in a Cluster of Jewels Pattern.

A woman in her 80s presented with erythematous, nondesquamative, annular plaques in a cluster of jewels pattern on her wrists and legs. What is your diagnosis?

Fluctuations in Detection Indicators and Their Significance for the Diagnosis of Early Pressure Injury in Rat Models.

PURPOSE: The aim of this study was to identify the most meaningful diagnostic indicator for distinguishing blanchable erythema (BE) and stage 1 pressure injury (early PI) in an in vivo (rat) model. DESIGN: A prospective case-control design was used to complete a horizontal and vertical comparison of detection indicators during the process of fading of BE or the deterioration of early PI into ulcer in rat models. MATERIALS AND SETTING: The sample comprised 5 hairless rats with 20 injuries, of which 10 were BE and the other 10 were early PI. Data were collected at Nagano College of Nursing in 2020 in Nagano, Japan. METHODS: The BE and PI rat models were established by subjecting the dorsal skin of a hairless rat to compression between 2 neodymium magnets for 45 minutes and 3.45 hours, respectively. The affected skin was observed based on the following: (1) photography, (2) hardness, (3) temperature, (4) moisture, and (5) spectrophotometric (a* value and ultraviolet [UV] reflectance) measurements. All measurements of BE were performed at the beginning to 60 minutes after decompression, and those for early PI were performed until 48 hours after decompression. RESULTS: Multiple BE factors, such as the degree of erythema (macroscopy and a* value), hardness, temperature, and moisture, were found to have unstable fluctuations. Only UV reflectance gradually decreased from 6 hours and decreased significantly at 48 hours after decompression (P = .001 vs 1 hour). In contrast to early PI, erythema in BE obviously faded within 10 minutes. CONCLUSIONS: Study findings indicate that a continuous decrease in UV reflectance can reflect the worsening of hemorrhage in early (stage 1) PI. In contrast, other indicators including photography, skin hardness, temperature, and moisture fluctuated and did not prove predictive for PI progression. The obvious fading of erythema in BE a short time after decompression can be used for clinical observations.

Lactic acid sting test and capsaicin test differentially induce facial erythematous reaction in subjects with sensitive skin.

BACKGROUND: Sensitivity skin (SS) is a common skin disorders, which have a various of clinical manifestation. Facial erythema is common objective symptom of SS. However, the reasons for the occurrence of erythema in sensitive skin are not fully understood. AIMS: In this study, we preliminarily explain the possible factors inducing erythema of sensitive skin by evaluating facial erythematous reaction to lactic acid sting test (LAST) and capsaicin test (CAT) in subjects with sensitive skin. METHODS: A total of 197 subjects were divided into five groups, that is, normal controls (NC), LAST-positive (LAST+ ), both LAST and CAT positive (L+ C+ ), both LAST and CAT negative (L- C- ) and CAT-positive (CAT+ ). Erythema index (EI), a* value, and tissue viability imaging (TIVI) were measured before and after LAST and CAT, The ΔEI, Δa*, and ΔTIVI before and after LAST and CAT were calculated, and the correlation between the scores of CAT, EI values, a* values, and TIVI values were analyzed to clarify the causes of facial erythema. RESULTS: Our results showed that EI values and a* values were significantly higher in the L+ C+ and CAT+ group than in NC group, TIVI values were higher in the L+ C+ group than in NC group. ΔEI and Δa* values after LAST did not differ significantly among five groups. However, ΔEI values in L+ C+ group were higher than that in L- C- group, while Δa* values were higher in CAT+ group than in NC. Moreover, ΔTIVI values in L+ C+ group and CAT+ group were also significantly higher than that in NC group after capsaicin stimulation. CAT scores correlated positively with EI, a* and TIVI values. CONCLUSION: Our results suggest that sensitive skin subjects with positive CAT are more likely to experience erythema reactions, and vasodilation is more pronounced after capsaicin stimulation. Reducing vascular and neural hyperreactivity could be therapeutic target in management of facial erythema in subjects with sensitive skin.

Treating rosacea with botulism toxin: Protocol for a systematic review and meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: Rosacea is a chronic inflammatory disease usually associated with persistent erythema and periodic flushing. This disease is difficult to treat, and the outcomes are often unsatisfactory and prone to recurrence. In recent years, botulinum toxin has been used as a new treatment for rosacea; however, its efficacy and safety remain under discussion. Although a systematic review of the effectiveness and safety of botulinum toxin has been previously conducted by other researchers, our systematic review and meta-analysis evaluate the efficacy of botulinum toxin from a more comprehensive and detailed perspective to provide evidence for clinicians. METHODS: Any study using botulinum toxin for the treatment of rosacea was considered for the analysis. RESULTS: A total of 22 studies were included, 9 of which were randomized controlled trials involving 720 subjects. After treatment, all studies showed varying degrees of improvement in patient signs and symptoms along with reduced Clinician's Erythema Assessment (CEA) scores. The improvement was maintained for several months, and the adverse effects were mild and self-limiting. CONCLUSION: Botulinum toxin may be an effective treatment for patients with rosacea; however, further clinical evidence is needed to confirm its long-term efficacy and side effects. The study was preregistered with Prospero (CRD42022358911).

Newborn Girl Presenting With Erythema and Blisters.

A female child presents for 3-year follow-up with erythema, vesicles, and bullae present since birth and an increasing number of annular hyperkeratotic plaques and palmoplantar hyperkeratosis. What is your diagnosis?

Narrow-Band Intense Pulsed Light as Treatment for Erythematotelangiectatic Rosacea: A Retrospective Study.

BACKGROUND: Erythematotelangiectatic rosacea can be successfully treated using various laser and light-based devices. However, the use of narrow-band intense pulsed light for the treatment of erythematotelangiectatic rosacea has not been investigated in detail. This retrospective study aimed to analyze the clinical efficacy of narrow-band intense pulsed light (500-600 nm) for the treatment of erythematotelangiectatic rosacea among Chinese individuals.  Methods: Patients with erythematotelangiectatic rosacea who had completed 3 sessions of treatment with narrow-band intense pulsed light and follow-up from July 2016 to December 2018 were retrospectively evaluated. Clinical improvement was assessed by 2 blinded dermatologists based on photographs obtained at each follow-up visit using the clinician erythema assessment scale and 5-grade scale. RESULTS: Forty-five patients with erythematotelangiectatic rosacea treated with narrow-band intense pulsed light were included in this study. The effectiveness and excellent rates after 3 treatment sessions were 68.9% and 35.6%, respectively. An average of 2 treatment sessions was required among patients who achieved good or excellent clearance of erythema and telangiectasia. Except for transient erythema and edema, no severe adverse effects were observed. CONCLUSIONS: Narrow-band intense pulsed light is a safe and effective treatment for erythematotelangiectatic rosacea. Even with a small number of treatment sessions, narrow-band intense pulsed light can deliver a significant therapeutic effect, which may be applicable in clinical practice. J Drugs Dermatol. 2023;22(11):1095-1098     doi:10.36849/JDD.4920.

Equipment developed for simplifying routine phototesting in dermatology.

Some people react abnormally when exposed to sunlight by getting easily burned or develop a rash. When testing a patient's level of photosensitivity in the clinic, the UVR dose to provoke erythema is determined by the minimal erythema dose (MED) test. Subsequently, a photoprovocation test is performed to detect abnormal skin reactions by daily exposing the skin to UVR for several consecutive days. Associated problems in MED testing include choice of an even skin area for testing, patients keeping still during the test, testing with different UVR doses simultaneously, and securing clear borders of erythema. To address these issues, a MED Test Patch was developed which adheres closely to the skin to ensure sharp erythema borders and provides six irradiation fields with decremental doses of 20%. For MED testing, we constructed a solar simulator and LED lamps with peak emissions at 309 and 370 nm, small enough to be mounted directly on to the MED Test Patch and accommodate patient movements. These lamps and a 415 nm LED can also be used for provocation testing which is best performed on the back where the skin is assumed to have identical UVR sensitivity, and the area is large enough for adjacent MED and provocation test fields. Reading of erythema is still performed by visual and tactile evaluation. The UVA and UVB MED test can be performed in 1 h. The advantage of these developments is an easy-to-use, standardized test method with improved accuracy of the results.

Dermatoscopic Features of Early Erythema Chronicum Migrans.

Dear Editors, A 37-year-old man from a Lyme disease-endemic area presented with a one-week old rapidly expanding rash on his right calf. He lacked other comorbidities or symptoms such as fever, weakness, lack of appetite, or joint pain, but recalled removing a tick from the same region three weeks earlier. Inspection revealed a round, bluish-red erythematous patch with a central clearing (Figure 1). The patient experienced no discomfort, but the rash was warm and faded easily when palpated. Dermatoscopic inspection revealed collarette-shaped white scales encircling the punctum of the tick bite in the center (Figure 2, left inset). There were three distinct background zones towards the periphery: skin-colored, bluish-red, and bright red. The transitions between the zones were not fully discernable. Red purpuric dots and clods were randomly distributed over these backgrounds, gradually increasing towards the periphery (Figure 2). The rash was diagnosed as erythema chronicum migrans (ECM), and the patient was started on doxycycline 100 mg BID. The expansion of the rash was stopped, while the speed of central clearing was increased. Half of the rash had healed by the third day (Figure 1, left inset), and it had completely disappeared by the seventh (Figure 1, right inset). Anti-Borrelia burgdorferi antibodies were initially negative for IgM and positive for IgG, but both tested positive two weeks later. ECM is the hallmark of early-stage lyme disease, but it is not always present. In addition to the classically described bull's eye appearance, ECM may appear as homogenous erythematous patches, interrupted annular patches, or patches with hemorrhagic or purpuric components (1). It can manifest anywhere except in the palmoplantar region, but it is more common around large joints. Despite the morphological variations of ECM, the clinical presentation is often clear and distinct enough for dermatologists to correctly diagnose more than 90% of patients (1). Diagnostic procedures such as ELISA or Western blot are employed in cases when the ECM is absent or atypical. However, their reliability is low due to the lack of standardization, limited coverage of Borrelia spp., and significant false-positive and false-negative rates (1). Seropositivity owing to previous asymptomatic infection in individuals residing in endemic areas may result in incidental positive findings. Alternative methods, including isolating the pathogen or PCR testing from biopsy samples have similar drawbacks (1). Histopathological investigations are another practical method that yields supportive findings. ECM exhibits diffuse perivascular and interstitial inflammation, including lymphocytes, eosinophils, and plasma cells (2), which corresponds to background erythema in dermatoscopy. As the inflammation develops, the newly-developed regions are superficial and brilliant red, but the surface inflammation fades over time, leaving bluish erythema, which correlates to deeper inflammation (2,3) dermoscopy is gaining appreciation in assisting the diagnosis of nonneoplastic diseases, especially inflammatory dermatoses (inflammoscopy). Extravasated erythrocytes combined with perivascular inflammation (2) generate purpuric pinkish-red dots and clods. Given the greater efficacy of early treatment and the ambiguity surrounding diagnostic methods, clinical findings should be deemed adequate to commence therapy, particularly in endemic regions (1). Dermatoscopic examination of ECM offers a quick and low-cost alternative approach for supporting the diagnosis. However, as emphasized by Errichetti, dermatoscopic examination in non-neoplastic diseases should be regarded as the second step of a "2-step procedure", with differential diagnoses established first by history and clinical examination (3). A systematic investigation of early and late, typical and atypical lesions would improve the reliability and utility of this method.