Trichodysplasia spinulosa: Case reports and review of literature

Trichodysplasia spinulosa (TS) is a rare skin condition caused by trichodysplasia spinulosa-associated polyomavirus (TSPyV). It affects immunosuppressed patients, and <50 cases have been reported. The majority of these cases are seen in solid organ transplant recipients. TS often poses a diagnostic and therapeutic challenge because of its rarity and resemblance with other skin conditions. Several forms of treatment are usually tried prior to establishing a definitive diagnosis. Oral valganciclovir and topical cidofovir have been found to give the best results and hence are the most commonly used agents once the diagnosis is established. Here, we present two cases with a review of literature of TS in solid organ transplant recipients, focusing on time to develop the condition post-transplant, immunosuppression regimen used, and treatment initiated both before and after a definitive diagnosis.

Linear trichilemmomas on the ankle of a 28-year-old female

Trichilemmomas are benign cutaneous proliferations derived from the outer root sheath of the hair follicle. They most often occur on the head and neck region and show a female predominance. When multiple, they are associated with Cowden syndrome (CS), a rare disorder due to an autosomal dominant germline mutation in PTEN (phosphatase and tensin homolog on chromosome 10), a tumor suppressor gene. Trichilemmomas outside of the head and neck region are rare, and as such, the association with CS is not clear. A 28-year-old healthy female with no significant family history of cancer presented to her dermatologist with multiple erythematous papules on the left anterior ankle, starting at birth. A shave biopsy confirmed the diagnosis of trichilemmoma with focal desmoplastic features (or desmoplastic trichilemmoma). A PTEN immunohistochemical study showed patchy (but not complete) loss of staining of the lesional cells. After shave removal, the trichilemmomas recurred 1-2 months later.

Mycophenolate Mofetil in Severe Atopic Dermatitis: A Review

Atopic Dermatitis (AD) is a chronic inflammatory skin disease that is a significant cause of morbidity, quality-of-life impairment and health-care costs. Although many patients can be treated satisfactorily with topical medications and phototherapy, a smaller subset requires more aggressive systemic therapies. Multiple studies have shown promise for the use of mycophenolate mofetil (MMF) to treat refractory AD. This report summarizes the evidence for use of MMF in the treatment of recalcitrant AD for both children and adults. Familiarity with these studies on the benefits and risks of MMF will enable the clinician and patient to select the most appropriate therapy.<br /><br /> <em>J Drugs Dermatol</em>. 2016;15(6):715-718.

Biologic and Conventional Systemic Therapies Show Similar Safety and Efficacy in Elderly and Adult Patients With Moderate to Severe Psoriasis

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVE

Despite the aging population, few studies have documented the treatment of geriatric psoriasis. The purpose of this study is to compare the efficacy, safety, and prescribing patterns of biologics and conventional systemic medications in elderly versus adult psoriasis.

METHODS

All patient visits coded for psoriasis or psoriatic arthritis (ICD-9 696.1 or 696.0) at the Tufts Medical Center General Dermatology Clinic from January 1, 2008, to March 1, 2015 were included in this retrospective cohort study. The outcome measure used was the validated simple-measure for assessing psoriasis activity (S-MAPA), the product of the physician's global assessment and the body surface area.

RESULTS

194 patients who underwent 278 treatment courses were included in the study. 48 patients were included in the elderly cohort (≥ 65 years old) and 146 in the adult cohort (18-64 years old). There was no significant difference in S-MAPA improvement at 12 weeks between the two cohorts when treated with biologics (42.92% improvement in adults, 48.77% in elderly; P=0.498) or conventional systemics (43.96% and 51.82%, respectively; P=0.448). Within the elderly cohort, there was no significant difference in efficacy of biologics versus conventional systemics at any time point. Topical prescription rates were significantly higher in the elderly cohort ( P=0.004) while biologic prescription rates were significantly lower ( P=0.014) despite the same baseline S-MAPA in both age groups. For both biologics and conventional systemics, there was no statistically significant intergroup difference in the rate of adverse events ( P=0.322 for biologics; P=0.581 for conventional systemics) or infection ( P=0.753 for biologics; P=0.828 for conventional systemics). Within the elderly cohort, there was a higher rate of adverse events with conventional systemic treatment than with biologic treatment ( P=0.033).

CONCLUSIONS

This study provides preliminary evidence to suggest that biologic and conventional systemic therapies are similarly safe and effective in the elderly and non-elderly cohorts. Within the elderly population, biologics may be a safer option than conventional systemic agents.

Dermatitis herpetiformis

Dermatitis herpetiformis (DH) is an autoimmune, pleiomorphic, papulovesicular disorder associated with celiac disease and gluten sensitivity. DH is characterized by subepidermal bullae on hematoxylin and eosin staining and granular immunoglobulin A deposits in the dermal papillae using the direct immunofluorescence method. Antibodies to tissue transglutaminase and epidermal transgulatminase can be measured serologically, although biopsy is still required for definitive diagnosis of DH. Gluten free diet (GFD) is the first-line therapeutic approach that can alleviate both cutaneous and intestinal manifestations of this condition, while dapsone and sulfones target the skin eruption only. Combined therapy with GFD and dapsone is an initial treatment of choice to control the cutaneous manifestations of DH. This article will provide a comprehensive review of DH, including its epidemiology, clinical and pathological findings, diagnostic evaluation, and management.