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Generalized pustular psoriasis (GPP) is a rare, chronic, and severe inflammatory skin disorder characterized by sudden eruption of sterile pustules, often accompanied by systemic inflammation. GPP flares can be life-threatening if untreated, owing to potential serious complications such as sepsis and cardiovascular failure. Diagnosis and clinical measurement of disease severity in GPP are often difficult. Lack of standardized criteria in the international guidelines and the heterogeneity of cutaneous and extracutaneous symptoms make the diagnosis of GPP difficult. Clinical criteria for description and diagnosis of pustular conditions, including GPP, are variable and there is no specific agreement on commonly sustained concepts. Differentiation of GPP from other similar conditions/diseases is important and requires careful assessments. The evidence that supports current topical or systemic therapies is largely based on case reports and small studies. Some biologic agents that target key cytokines involved in the activation of inflammatory pathways have been used as treatments for GPP. Recently, spesolimab, an IL-36R antagonist, has been approved in the USA and Japan for the treatment of GPP flares in adults, but there are no currently approved treatments for GPP in Europe. The IL-36 pathway has recently emerged as a central axis driving the pathogenic inflammatory mechanisms of GPP. Biologic agents that inhibit the IL-36 pathway have shown efficacy and safety in patients with GPP, addressing a generally considered unmet medical need., (© 2023. The Author(s).)

Objective: To analyze degree of implementation of recommendations on the management of psoriasis during preconception, pregnancy, postpartum, breastfeeding, and perinatal care published by the Psoriasis Working Group of the Spanish Academy of Dermatology and Venereology (AEDV)., Methods: We designed a structured online survey consisting of closed questions. A link was emailed to all the members of the Psoriasis Working Group to collect their anonymous responses. We also collected sociodemographic, professional, and practice-related data related to the goals of the study and then compiled descriptive statistics to analyze the survey findings., Results: We received 53 responses for analysis. Overall, 96% of respondents were familiar with the recommendations, but very few of them worked in multidisciplinary maternity care units or had access to specific protocols on the management of psoriasis before, during, and after pregnancy in their departments. Seventy percent of dermatologists regularly ask their patients about pregnancy plans, but only 46% ask both men and women. Women also receive more preconception advice than men (54% vs. 19%). Significant variations were observed in the type of advice given. Ninety percent of the dermatologists interrupt topical treatments during pregnancy, and nearly all suspend conventional systemic drugs with the exception of cyclosporin A. Most biologics are also being discontinued in the third trimester, with the exception of certolizumab pegol. Almost all the respondents indicated that they use topical treatments, phototherapy, and certolizumab pegol in breastfeeding mothers. The main barriers to implementing the working group's recommendations are a lack of time, a lack of support, and a lack of robust data., Conclusions: Although the AEDV psoriasis working group's recommendations are widely known, areas for improvement remain., (Copyright © 2022 AEDV. Publicado por Elsevier España, S.L.U. All rights reserved.)

Competing Interests: There are no conflicts of interest.

Convenient administration is an important factor for treatment adherence in patients with psoriasis. MATURE study reports the efficacy, safety, tolerability, and pharmacokinetics (PKs) of secukinumab 300 mg 2 ml autoinjector (AI) from MATURE trial (NCT03589885). Eligible patients were randomized to secukinumab 300 mg 2 ml AI or 2× 1 ml prefilled syringe (PFS) or placebo. The co-primary endpoints were psoriasis area and severity index (PASI) 75 and investigator's global assessment (IGA) 0/1 response rates at Week 12 versus placebo. Other endpoints included PASI90/100 response, dermatology life quality index (DLQI) 0/1, PKs, 2 ml AI usability rated using self-injection assessment questionnaire (SIAQ), and safety. The study met both co-primary and secondary endpoints (p < 0.0001). Secukinumab 300 mg 2 ml AI and 2× 1 ml PFS treatments led to superior PASI75/90/100 (2 ml AI: 95.1%/75.6%/43.9%; 2× 1 mL PFS: 83.2%/62.6%/37.5% and placebo: 10%/5.0%/0.0%, respectively), IGA, and DLQI 0/1 responses compared with placebo, and efficacy was sustained through 52 weeks. SIAQ results showed high usability of self-injection with 2 mL AI device. No new safety signals were observed. Study design may bias the interpretation of safety profile after Week 12, due to different exposure of secukinumab versus placebo. Secukinumab 300 mg administered with the 2 mL AI demonstrated superior efficacy over placebo, good tolerability, and convenient administration., (© 2021 Wiley Periodicals LLC.)

Objective: To develop evidence- and experience-based recommendations for the management of psoriasis during preconception, pregnancy, postpartum, and breastfeeding., Methods: The nominal group technique and the Delphi method were used. Fifteen experts (12 dermatologists, 2 of whom were appointed coordinators; 1 rheumatologist; and 2 gynecologists) were selected to form an expert panel. Following a systematic review of the literature on fertility, pregnancy, postpartum, and breastfeeding in women with psoriasis, the coordinators drew up a series of preliminary recommendations for discussion by the panel at a nominal group meeting. The experts defined the scope, sections, and intended users of the statement and prepared a final list of recommendations. Consensus was obtained using a Delphi process in which an additional 51 dermatologists rated their level of agreement with each recommendation on a scale of 1 (total disagreement) to 10 (total agreement). Consensus was defined by a score of 7 or higher assigned by at least 70% of participants. Level of evidence and strength of recommendation were reported using the Oxford Center for Evidence-Based Medicine categories. The final statement was approved by the expert panel., Results: The resulting consensus statement includes 23 recommendations on preconception (fertility and contraception), pregnancy (planning, pharmacological management, and follow-up), and breastfeeding (management and follow-up). Consensus was achieved for all recommendations generated except one., Conclusions: These recommendations for the better management of psoriasis in women of childbearing age could improve outcomes and prognosis., (Copyright © 2020 AEDV. Publicado por Elsevier España, S.L.U. All rights reserved.)

Introduction and Objectives: Biologic drugs are usually prescribed as second-line treatment for psoriasis, that is, after the patient has first been treated with a conventional psoriasis drug. There are, however, cases where, depending on the characteristics of the patient or the judgement of the physician, biologics may be chosen as first-line therapy. No studies to date have analyzed the demographics or clinical characteristics of patients in this setting or the safety profile of the agents used. The main aim of this study was to characterize these aspects of first-line biologic therapy and compare them to those observed for patients receiving biologics as second-line therapy., Material and Method: We conducted an observational study of 181 patients treated in various centers with a systemic biologic drug as first-line treatment for moderate to severe psoriasis between January 2008 and November 2016. All the patients were registered in the Spanish Registry of Adverse Events Associated with Biologic Drugs in Dermatology., Results: The characteristics of the first- and second-line groups were very similar, although the patients receiving a biologic as first-line treatment for their psoriasis were older. No differences were observed for disease severity (assessed using the PASI) or time to diagnosis. Hypertension, diabetes, and liver disease were all more common in the first-line group. There were no differences between the groups in terms of reasons for drug withdrawal or occurrence of adverse effects., Conclusions: No major differences were found between patients with psoriasis receiving biologic drugs as first- or second-line therapy, a finding that provides further evidence of the safety of biologic therapy in patients with psoriasis., (Publicado por Elsevier España, S.L.U.)

Thalidomide is the treatment of choice for severe or recurrent erythema nodosum leprosum. Its use has been associated with deep vein thrombosis in patients with blood disorders, however, particularly when used in combination with corticosteroids or chemotherapy. We describe a case of deep vein thrombosis in a 43-year-old man with lepromatous leprosy who was being treated with thalidomide and prednisone for a type 2 leprosy reaction (erythema nodosum leprosum); the patient also had transiently positive antiphospholipid antibody results. We stress the importance of considering deep vein thrombosis, a potentially fatal complication, in dermatology patients treated with thalidomide., (Copyright © 2011 Elsevier España, S.L. y AEDV. All rights reserved.)

Lichen planus is an inflammatory dermatosis that has been associated to different chronic hepatopaties with a variable frequency. In recent years several case reports have been published dealing with lichen planus and its association to hepatitis C virus infection. We report six patients with lichen planus (four males, two females; aged 30-75) who also suffered a chronic hepatitis C virus infection. Lichen planus was confirmed by biopsy and viral infection was based on ELISA and RIBA-4 tests in all patients and also on PCR in five of them. A patient had also been diagnosed of porphyria cutanea tarda. Two patients were treated with alfa-Interferon. It did not modify the evolution of their lichen planus. We recommend to search for hepatitis C virus infection in lichen planus patients and also look for lichen planus patients suffering of chronic hepatopathies to improve our knowledge of the possible relation between both diseases.

We present three cases of polymicrobian endocarditis (PE), two of them in parenterally drug addicts (PDA) and the other one in a central catheter carrier. In all these three cases, the form of clinical presentation was similar to the monomicrobian endocarditis and the valve affected was the tricuspid one, as it occurs in most of the described PE. PE must be suspect in PDA or central catheter carriers if a rare germ is isolated (commensal of skin, oropharynx or gastrointestinal tract) or if there is a poor response to the antibiotic treatment, as it is the case in the patients described here.