Background: Atopic dermatitis is the most common chronic inflammatory dermatitis, due to immunological disorders. Patients with atopic dermatitis are prone to infectious diseases including bacterial infections. On the other hand, atopy may be protective against helminthes parasites. The objective of this study was to compare the frequency and clinical presentations of cutaneous leishmaniasis in atopic dermatitis patients with the control group in an outpatient clinic in Kerman. Methods: This was a case – control study done on 459 patients with atopic dermatitis, who were diagnosed based on Hanifin & Rajka criteria and 400 healthy subjects without immunosuppression as our control group. The frequency of leishmaniasis was investigated in both groups according to age, gender and residential area. Results: Among 459 atopic dermatitis patients, 232 were female and 227 were male. Control group consisted of 232 males and 168 females. The mean age of the atopic dermatitis patients and the controls was 9.2 and 13.3 years, respectively (p 0.05%). There was no statistically significant difference in clinical presentations of leishmaniasis between two groups.
Abstract Two siblings (a 24‐year‐old woman and a 14‐year‐old girl) with congenital woolly hair, epidermolytic palmoplantar keratoderma, and mitral valve regurgitation are described. An interesting additional feature in one of the patients (the 14‐year‐old girl) was posterior subcapsular cataract. The association of woolly hair and mitral valve regurgitation has not been reported previously. The occurrence of cataract in one of our patients is also a new ophthalmologic finding in this hair shaft anomaly.
Background Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is the most common endocrine disorder and is the leading cause of hyperandrogenemia in women. Acne vulgaris is also a common cutaneous manifestation of hyperandrogenism. Objective To determine the prevalence of PCOS in patients with acne and its associated factors with regard to the clinical and paraclinical findings. Patients and methods In this cross-sectional study, 118 women with acne referred to various clinics of dermatology were enrolled. A clinical examination was followed by a laboratory examination, including hormone profile and ovarian sonography. Confirmation of PCOS was based on the diagnostic criteria of the National Institute of Health (NIH) and the sonographic findings. Results The subjects were 14-38 years old. PCOS was diagnosed in 57 (48.3%) patients by sonography methods, while, 71 (60.2%) patients were diagnosed as PCOS cases based on the NIH criteria. Around 54% of the patients complained of hirsutism and 37% of them suffered from menstrual disturbances. PCOS versus non-PCOS had profiles of prolactin (19.36±11.96 ng/ml vs. 17.31±9.29 ng/ml), testosterone (0.80±0.57 pg/ml vs. 0.93±0.98 pg/ml), and dehydroepiandrosterone levels (2.48±1.98 µg/dl vs. 1.97±1.02 µg/dl), which were not statistically different ( p >0.05). The luteinizing hormone to follicular stimulating hormone ratio was significantly higher in PCOS ( p =0.01). Conclusion According to the findings of this study, PCOS is a common disorder among women with acne. Although PCOS was expected to correspond with a specific hormonal profile, our study showed that most of the PCOS patients had normal levels of tested hormones. Therefore, we recommend that sonographic evaluation be one of the core examinations in the diagnosis of PCOS in women having acne.
Background Vitiligo is a chronic pigmentary disorder of the skin. Although not life threatening, it has considerable effects on the psychological well-being of patients. It has been suggested that vitiligo patients suffer from low self-esteem and poor body image which may cause a lower level of quality of life. Objective To evaluate the effect of vitiligo on the self reported quality of life among inhabitants of south part of Iran. Patients and methods One hundred and twenty four patients, above 16 years of age, from dermatology clinics and phototherapy centers were included in the study from 2008 to 2009. A valid translated version of the self-reported Dermatology Life Quality Index (DLQI) with 10 questions was completed by the subjects. The questionnaire scored the subjects from 0 to 30. Demographic variables such as age, gender, and disease related characteristics were recorded in the data sheet forms. Results On average, patients were 27.8±10.9 years old. Around 55% were females. The overall mean DLQI score was 9.09±6.18. The DLQI mean score was 8.78 and 9.46 in women and men, respectively ( p =0.54). DLQI score did not significantly vary among different types of disease, age and marital status groups. Although the relationship between the duration of disease was not significantly related with DLQI ( r =0.03, p =0.74), the percentage of body affected by vitiligo was related with DLQI significantly ( r =0.19, p =0.03). The highest individual mean scores were found for Q2 (feeling), Q8 (interpersonal relationship) and Q5 (social life and leisure activities). Conclusion This study indicates that vitiligo can impair a patient’s quality of life and have a marked psychological impact. On an average, the quality of life decreased around 70% (score 9 out of 30) in such patients. The only significant predictor for quality score was the percentage of body affected by vitiligo. Surprisingly, both men and women express comparable level of quality of life.
Fluorescence signals depend on the intensity of the exciting light, the absorption properties of the constituent molecules, and the efficiency with which the absorbed photons are converted to fluorescence emission. The optical features and appearance of vitiligo have been explained primarily on the basis of reduced epidermal pigmentation, which results in abnormal white patches on the skin. The objective of this study is to explore the fluorescence properties of vitiligo and its adjacent normal skin using fluorescence excitation-emission matrix (EEM) spectroscopy. Thirty five (35) volunteers with vitiligo were acquired using a double-grating spectrofluorometer with excitation and emission wavelengths of 260-450 nm and 300-700 nm respectively. As expected, the most pronounced difference between the spectra obtained from vitiligo lesions compared to normally pigmented skin was that the overall fluorescence was much higher in vitiligo; these differences increased at shorter wavelengths, thus matching the characteristic spectral absorption of epidermal melanin. When comparing the fluorescence spectra from vitiligo to normal skin we detected three distinct spectral bands centered at 280nm, 310nm, and 335nm. The 280nm band may possibly be related to inflammation, whereas the 335 nm band may arise from collagen or keratin cross links. The source of the 310 nm band is uncertain; it is interesting to note its proximity to the 311 nm UV lamps used for vitiligo phototherapy. These differences are accounted for not only by changes in epidermal pigment content, but also by other optically active cutaneous biomolecules.
Introduction and objective: Acne is the most common skin disorder with a very high prevalence. Antibiotics have been used for more than 40 years against Propionibacterium acnes, the most common agent of acne. Antibiotic resistance of this bacterium was first reported in 1979, but became a worldwide problem in the recent years. The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence of antibiotic resistance among P. acnes isolates from acne patients referred to the dermatology clinics in Kerman, Iran during 2008-2009. Materials and methods: The samples were obtained from face and trunk lesions of 100 acne patients by a sterile swab and then inserted into a transport medium in which they were inoculated into two blood agar plates. One was incubated aerobically at 37°C for 24h and another one in anaerobic conditions at 37°C for one week. P. acnes was isolated, identified and antibiotic susceptibility of each isolate was determined by disk diffusion method. Results: Viable propionibacteria were detected in 57 patients. Thirty one percent of P. acnes isolates were resistant at least to one antibiotic. No resistance was seen to azithromycin and doxycycline. Lowest sensitivity was to clindamycin. Erythromycin resistance was low. No significant difference was detected in antibiotic resistance in the patients with and without treatment history and also no relationship was observed between P. acnes resistance and different body sites. Conclusion: P. acnes resistance to current antibiotics is a common problem and selection of appropriate antibiotics in order to decrease treatment failure and sequels of acne is an important issue.
Cutaneous autofluorescence properties were systematically studied using fluorescence excitation emission matrix spectroscopy. Twenty-six healthy subjects with a mean age of 34 (range 21-74) participated in this study. The fluorescence of major skin fluorophores such as tryptophan, collagen, elastin and NADH could be readily identified. On average, facial skin shows strong tryptophan and measurable porphyrin fluorescence; the palm and nail show strong tryptophan and keratin fluorescence. These results demonstrate that regional topographic variations exist not only in the amount of fluorescence but also in the relative distribution of fluorophores in normal skin. Moreover this provides a basis for future interpretation of autofluorescence in diseased skin.
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