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Objective To assess the trichoscopic features of alopecia areata, and determine correlation between the findings and the severity of alopecia tool (SALT) score . Methods A cross-sectional study was done on 67 patients in Amrita Institute, Kochi, who were clinically diagnosed with alopecia areata of scalp. Patients were examined using Heine Delta 20 Plus dermoscope. Results Yellow dots were the most common finding on trichoscopy, seen in 86.6% of patients. Black dots were next most common finding, seen in 68.7% of patients, followed by broken hair (59.7%), vellus hair (49.3%) and tapering hairs (25.4%). Grey hair was seen in 11.9% and coiled hair in 7.5% patients. There was a significant relationship between vellus hair and lower SALT score. This study did not find any significant association between the other trichoscopic features of alopecia areata and clinical type or SALT score. Conclusion Scalp lesions in alopecia areata show characteristic features on trichoscopy, such as yellow dots, black dots, broken hair, vellus hair and tapering hair. Trichoscopy is a quick, easy tool in the diagnosis of alopecia and it can be a non-invasive alternative to skin biopsy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mycobacterium chelonae is a rapidly growing non-tuberculous mycobacterium. The skin and soft tissue infections due to this organism are steadily on the rise and need to be delineated specifically as most of these are not responsive to routine antituberculosis treatment. Here, we report 3 different presentations caused by Mycobacterium chelonae in traumatic and surgical wounds. Mycobacterium chelonae can complicate surgical or traumatic wounds.This infection may also present as injection site abscesses. Diabetics on insulin injections are especially at risk. A high index of suspicion is necessary in long standing culture negative lesions for clinching the diagnosis. PCR can be helpful in confirming the diagnosis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A pilot study to evaluate the patient adherence to antifungal therapy in dermatophytosis: a possible contributory factor to the current epidemic-like situation in India Patients (37%) with localized dermatophytosis had higher adherence levels than those with disseminated disease (25%); 54% of patients with disseminated dermatophytosis had low adherence, and the difference was statistically significant ( SP 2 sp I P i = 0.048). Of the 236 patients prescribed both oral and topical antifungals, mean adherence scores were 6.41 for topical and 6.82 for oral antifungal drugs; the score was significantly higher for oral antifungals, and the difference was statistically significant (paired I t i -test, I P i < 0.001). [Extracted from the article]

Dermatofibroma, also known as benign fibrous histiocytoma, is a soft-tissue tumour that usually occurs in the mid-adult life and shows a slight female predominance. Giant dermatofibroma, a very rare clinical variant, is characterised by its unusually large size, benign biological behaviour despite its large size and same histopathological characteristics as conventional dermatofibroma. We report a 63-year-old woman who presented with a large tumour on the scapular region which showed histopathological features of benign dermatofibroma. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Eosinophilic pustular folliculitis or Ofuji's disease is a non-infectious eosinophilic infiltration of hair follicles, which usually presents with itchy papules and pustules in a circinate configuration. We report this case of an immunocompetent patient with erythematous papules and plaques without macropustules diagnosed as eosinophilic pustular folliculitis-a rarely reported entity outside Japan. He was successfully treated with oral dapsone. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The genetic background of alopecia areata has only recently begun to get unraveled. We report the association of a case of pediatric alopecia areata with a rare genetic syndrome-blepharophimosis-ptosis-epicanthus inversus syndrome (BPES), which responded well to topical immunotherapy with diphenylcyclopropenone. In the background of increasing evidence surfacing on the genetic basis of alopecia areata, this association may be of significance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article describes the case of a post-uretorostomy infant on prolonged antibiotic therapy who developed candidal diaper dermatitis followed by generalized psoriasiform id eruptions. Topics discussed include treatment with oral fluconazole and hydrocortisone, proposed causes for the eruptions, and cause of the secondary candidal dermatitis.

The article discusses a study conducted by Anil Mathew and colleagues at a tertiary hospital in India on the dermal side effects of the drug cyclosporine. The study was conducted on 63 males and 17 female patients for a period of two years, in which patients were on standard immunosuppression with cyclosporine, azathioprine, and prednisolone. Various side effects of cyclosporine include hypertrichosis, gum hypertrophy and acne.