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Gastrointestinal (GI) diseases, such as inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD), can manifest themselves with intestinal and extra-intestinal symptoms. Among the latter, cutaneous manifestations, such as pyoderma gangraenosum (PG) and metastatic Crohn's disease (MCD), represent a possible onset of IBD, with or without simultaneous bowel alterations. In such cases, intestinal and skin lesions are supported by the same immune-mediated mechanism. We hereby report two cases of patients with skin manifestations together with signs and symptoms suggestive of IBD. IBD and some skin lesions arise from the same immune-mediated mechanism. A multidisciplinary approach to these immune-mediated diseases is needed for an early and correct diagnosis, which in turn may lead to the use of the right drug avoiding useless treatment.

A 27-year-old woman with systemic lupus erythematosus since childhood and treated with immunosuppressive therapy for many years was referred to our clinic for the presence of widespread condylomatosis and mollusca contagiosum localized in the genital area. These lesions appeared 4 years before and had been treated with both surgery and topical immunomodulation therapy without resolution. The patient stated that she had two sexual partners in that period, who showed no skin lesions. Cutaneous examination showed about 30 to 40 molluscoid lesions of 0.5 cm to 2 cm in diameter and widespread cauliflower-like condyloma acuminata (Figure) spread on the vulvovaginal and perianal region without any symptoms. At the time of observation, she was under treatment with corticosteroids and mycophenolate mofetil.

Serratia marcescens is a species of gram negative bacillus, classified as a member of the Enterobacteriaceae, mainly involved in opportunistic infections, particulary in the hospital environment. Cutaneous infections have rarely reported in literature and are predominantly observed in elderly or in immunocompromised patients. The clinical manifestations of skin infections include granulomatous lesions, necrotizing fasciitis, nodules, cellulitis, ulcers, dermal abscesses. Infections caused by S. marcescens may be difficult to treat because of resistance to a variety of antibiotics, including ampicillin and first and second generation cephalosporins. Aminoglycosides have good activity against S. marcescens, but resistant strains have also been described. We report a very intriguing case of S. marcescens infection, in an immunocompetent 18-year-old man, causing multiple rounded ulcers of varying sizes, along with few pustular lesions that both clinically and histopathologically mimic a pyoderma gangrenosum (PG). This is a non infectious neutrophilic skin disorder, characterized by painful and rapidly progressing skin ulceration. According to our experience, we would strongly recommend to perform cultures of multiple skin ulcers resembling PG, even in young healthy patients, to ensure correct diagnosis and treatment, since resistant to conventional antibiotics bacteria such as S. marcescens may be the cause of these lesions, like in the case here reported.

Pitted keratolysis (PK) is a plantar skin disorder mainly caused by coryneform bacteria. A common treatment consists of the topical use of erythromycin. Hyperhidrosis is considered a predisposing factor for bacterial proliferation and, consequently, for the onset of PK. The aim of this study was to evaluate the relationship between PK erythromycin and hyperhidrosis. All patients with PK seen in Sant'Andrea Hospital, between January 2009 and December 2011, were collected. PK was clinically and microscopically diagnosed. All patients underwent only topical treatment with erythromycin 3% gel twice daily. At the beginning of the study and after 5 and 10 days of treatment, a clinical evaluation and a gravimetric measurement of plantar sweating were assessed. A total of 97 patients were diagnosed as PK and were included in the study. Gravimetric measurements showed that in 94 of 97 examined patients (96.90%) at the time of the diagnosis, there was a bilateral excessive sweating occurring specifically in the areas affected by PK. After 10 days of antibiotic therapy, hyperhidrosis regressed together with the clinical manifestations. According to these data, we hypothesize that hyperhidrosis is due to an eccrine sweat gland hyperfunction, probably secondary to bacterial infection., (© 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.)

We report the case of cutaneous sarcoidosis of lichenoid type successfully treated with pimecrolimus. For the first time in the literature, we propose the use of this topical calcineurin inhibitor for the treatment of the cases refractory to common therapy regimens.

Renal cell carcinoma (RCC) is one of the most frequent malignancies of the genitourinary tract and has the poorest prognosis of all urologic tumors. It often causes metastatic lesions, and although rare, the skin also can be involved. Cutaneous lesions rarely are the primary signs of RCC. We report a case of RCC with solitary nodular cutaneous metastasis on the right forearm that was seen before the primary tumor was diagnosed; there was no other organ involvement.

Pemphigus herpetiformis is a rare clinical entity belonging to the group of autoimmune blistering disorders of the skin, that usually presents clinical features of dermatitis herpetiformis and immunologically findings of pemphigus. Because of the variety of its presentation, differential diagnosis with other bollous diseases is not simple and histopathological results have to be supported by direct immunofluorescence assay, for a correct diagnosis. We report the case of a young woman, where immunofluorescence was a fundamental tool to reach the diagnosis of pemphigus herpetiformis, because of the lack of acantholitic cells at histological sample.