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ABSTRACT Moderate‐to‐severe hidradenitis suppurativa (HS) is a debilitating disease that often requires biological therapy. Despite the effectiveness of approved doses, some patients experience partial or loss of response over time, leading to the need for dose intensification. This retrospective multicentre study aimed to identify predictors of biological therapy intensification in HS patients. The results showed that prior use of biological treatments and biosimilar adalimumab were significant predictors of intensification, suggesting closer monitoring may be needed for certain patient profiles to optimise treatment outcomes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Neuroendocrine (NE) tumors represent a heterogeneous group of neoplasms.[1] Merkel cell carcinoma (MCC) is an uncommon and highly aggressive primary cutaneous NE carcinoma, usually involving the head and neck of elderly patients. This tumor has a high percentage of lymph-node metastases (>60%) and a rate of distant metastases exceeding 40% but skin-located metastases are unusual. Cutaneous metastasis of mixed neuroendocrine, sarcomatous, and squamous rectal carcinoma mimicking a Merkel cell polyomavirus-negative Merkel cell carcinoma. [Extracted from the article]

Hidradenitis suppurativa (HS) is a chronic, inflammatory, and recalcitrant skin disease of the terminal hair follicle. Therapeutic alternatives in HS are limited nowadays. Adalimumab, is the only approved biological treatment for patients with moderate to severe HS, and some patients do not reach an optimal response, or experience a progressive response loss, needing therapeutic alternatives. IL‐23 pathway is also involved in HS pathogenesis, so its blockade could contribute to reach disease control. Guselkumab is a monoclonal antibody targeting the p19 subunit of extracellular IL‐23, currently approved for psoriasis in adults, and recently some authors have reported its effectiveness in patients with moderate to severe HS refractory to other systemic treatments, becoming a hope for some patients. However adequate dosing and intervals have not been determined yet, so in most published series, doses approved for psoriasis are commonly used. On this topic a retrospective bicentric study including HS patients treated with guselkumab in the dermatologic departments of university hospitals Puerta de Hierro of Majadahonda (Madrid, Spain) and Doctor Peset of Valencia (Valencia, Spain) was conducted. We reported effectiveness, dosage and frequency of administration in the cohort, in order to establish the most effective dosage regimen and to clarify the potential role of guselkumab for this disease. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Erythema nodosum leprosum (ENL) is a severe inflammatory complication of multibacillary leprosy with cutaneous and systemic involvement, usually occurring in a recurrent or chronic manner. Treatment of ENL is difficult and requires the use of systemic immunosuppressant with significant side effects, such as corticosteroids and thalidomide. [Extracted from the article]

Due to high prevalence of HS and mentioned comorbidities in young people, we believe it could be interesting to consider CZP as an alternative therapeutic tool, especially for pregnant or childbearing women with HS, or in those with coexisting HS and inflammatory immune-mediated diseases, as a first line treatment or after adalimumab failure, in order to reach "global patient's control." Before receiving certolizumab, she was previously treated with adalimumab 80 mg every 14 days (and then every 10-days) for her HS and bowel disease with an optimal control. Certolizumab pegol as an alternative treatment in patients with coexisting hidradenitis suppurativa and other inflammatory immune-mediated diseases: Report of two cases. [Extracted from the article]

Background: Bullous pemphigoid affects elderly individuals with multiple comorbidities, making conventional treatments unsuitable., Objective: Evaluate the effectiveness and safety of dupilumab in the treatment of bullous pemphigoid., Methods: A multicenter ambispective cohort study was conducted in 34 hospitals. Patients with bullous pemphigoid treated with Dupilumab were included. Most of patients (97.1%) received an initial 600 mg dose followed by 300 mg every two weeks., Outcomes and Measures: The primary outcome was the proportion of patients achieving complete remission within 4 weeks, defined as Investigator Global Assessment score of 0 or 1. Complete remission at weeks 16, 24, and 52, adverse events, reductions in peak pruritus numerical rating scale, and systemic glucocorticoid use were also assessed., Results: The study included 103 patients with a median age of 77.3 years, 58.0% male. Complete remission was achieved by 53.4% within 4 weeks and 95.7% by week 52. Peak pruritus scale reduced by 70.0% by week 4 and was completely controlled by week 24. Thirteen patients presented adverse events, most of which were mild. Systemic glucocorticoid use reduced by 82.1% by week 52. Shorter disease duration and exclusive cutaneous involvement predicted better response at 16 weeks. No differences in response rates to dupilumab were observed between drug-associated bullous pemphigoid and idiopathic cases. No significant difference in response rates was observed between patients treated with dupilumab in monotherapy and those receiving dupilumab with concomitant treatments., Conclusions: Dupilumab is effective, rapid, and safe in managing bullous pemphigoid, reducing the need for corticosteroids and other treatments. Early initiation and exclusive skin involvement predict better outcomes., (© The Author(s) 2024. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of British Association of Dermatologists. All rights reserved. For commercial re-use, please contact reprints@oup.com for reprints and translation rights for reprints. All other permissions can be obtained through our RightsLink service via the Permissions link on the article page on our site—for further information please contact journals.permissions@oup.com.)