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The therapeutic effectiveness and the tolerability of a collagenase-chloramphenicol ointment were studied on a group of 20 patients (mean age 73.4 +/- 13.6 years, range 25-88 years) with lower limb ulcerations of various origin. The ointment proved capable of favourably influencing the debridment and the healing process of these lesions. Statistically significant improvements were observed after days of treatment for debridment, inflammation and granulation, after eight days for the lesion size and after ten days for epithelization. Tolerability was very good.

The need for safe and effective topical treatments is underlined by several clinical trials over the years treating miscellaneous dermatosis with many and heterologous drugs, sometimes on a simple empirical basis. In a recent study Robinson and Kligman claimed to have obtained satisfactory results treating several cases of actinic keratosis with an alternate regimen of retinoic acid and 5-FU. We wish to report an open-label pilot study using a simple and readily accessible combination of commercially formulated and available agents as 0,05% retinoic acid cream and 5% 5-FU cream over two groups of patients. Treatment consisted of bid application of sparing amounts of an equal parts combination of retinoic acid and 5-FU. The first group consisted of 7 patients affected by skin diseases associated with an altered epidermal keratinization (actinic keratosis, Darier's disease, seborrheic keratosis, phrynoderma and epidermodysplasia verruciformis). The patients were followed up for a period of 15 to 60 days and, as it might be expected, the results were quite good. The second group, on the contrary, consisted of 6 patients affected mainly by dermatosis involving the corium (LED, milium, colloid pseudomilium). The patients were followed up for the same period of time as the first group was, but the results were much less rewarding. Only a partial resolution of the process, which was followed soon after by a relapse, was noted. Finally we believe that this modified regimen of equal parts of retinoic acid and 5-FU has to be recommended in the topical treatment of the above mentioned dermatosis associated with an altered keratinization.

Follicular mucinosis is a not uncommon but frequently misidentified disease. Actually this peculiar condition is divided in three groups: in one group the lesion cleared spontaneously within a few months (acute follicular mucinosis); in a second group there is a chronic relapsing but benign course over several years (chronic follicular mucinosis) and in a third group appeared in association with a lymphoma (15%). Some Authors believe that follicular mucinosis is a histological term for a reactive pattern in follicular epithelium. We report the case of a patient affected by this dermatosis. The eruption consisted of follicular papules and inflammatory plaques widespread. No instance of transition from follicular mucinosis to lymphoma was observed. Very important to the diagnosis was the histological findings. We believe that the case in exam was a form of chronic follicular mucinosis.

Stated that official data by large under-report the prevalence of the sexually transmitted diseases a survey questionnaire was mailed to every physician of the district of Parma. The results and the pros and cons of the method are discussed.