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Abstract Androgenetic alopecia is one of the most common dermatologic disorders in the daily clinical practice of dermatologists. Despite it is such a common entity, few medications are FDA‐approved for its treatment. Due to this situation dermatologists are often reluctant to try off‐label therapies. This guide's purpose is to review the current available therapies for androgenetic alopecia including those off‐label, and to propose treatment algorithms according to the published scientific research.

The vast majority of patients treated with radiotherapy develop dermatological side effects. Acute radiation dermatitis or chronic skin fibrosis are well known sequels of radiation, but there are also other infrequent skin toxicities following external radiotherapy we should be aware of. We present a case of a rare form of delayed radiation dermatitis consisting of a localized acneiform eruption, confirmed by skin biopsy, in the irradiated fields in a woman with breast cancer. We review the clinical characteristics and risk factors available in the literature about this unusual adverse effect of radiotherapy. It is important for dermatologists to recognize this rare adverse effect, owing to the important impact on physical and psychosocial health of the patients and because it may delay the surgical reconstruction.

Background: Alopecia areata is a T‐cell‐mediated autoimmune disease with an unknown etiopathogenesis. Gut microbiota has been revealed as a key modulator of systemic immunity. Objective: To determine whether patients affected by alopecia universalis present differences in gut bacteria composition compared with healthy controls and investigate possible bacterial biomarkers of the disease. Methods: We conducted a cross‐sectional study that involved 15 patients affected by alopecia universalis and 15 controls. Gut microbiome of the study subjects was analysed by sequencing the 16SrRNA of stool samples. We searched for bacterial biomarkers of alopecia universalis using the linear discriminant analysis effect size (LEFse) tool. Results: In total, 30 study subjects (46.6% female; mean [SD] age, 40.1 [9.8] years) were enrolled. Neither alpha (Shannon diversity index 5.31 ± 0.43 vs. 5.03 ± 0.43, P 0.1) or beta diversity (ADONIS P value: 0.35) of gut microbiota showed statistically significant differences between cases and controls. In patients affected with alopecia, we found an enriched presence (LDA SCORE > 2) of Holdemania filiformis, Erysipelotrichacea, Lachnospiraceae, Parabacteroides johnsonii, Clostridiales vadin BB60 group, Bacteroides eggerthii and Parabacteroides distasonis. A predictive model based on the number of bacterial counts of Parabacteroides distasonis and Clostridiales vadin BB60 group correctly predicted disease status in 80% of patients (AUC 0.804 (0.633–0.976), P 0.004). Conclusion: Alopecia universalis does not seem to affect broadly gut microbiota structure. Bacterial biomarkers found associated with the disease (Holdemania filiformis, Erysipelotrichacea, Lachnospiraceae, Parabacteroides johnsonii, Eggerthellaceae, Clostridiales vadin BB60 group, Bacteroides eggerthii and Parabacteroides distasonis) should be further studied as they could be involved in its pathophysiology or be used as diagnostic tools. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highlights • There are many commercially available low-level light therapy (LLLT) devices that emit red light. • LLLT devices can emit at 630 nm, one of Protoporphyrin-IX wavelenghts of absortion. • Indoor photodynamic therapy with these devices are useful against actinic keratosis. • More comparative research is necessary to assess its real efficacy. Abstract Background Daylight photodynamic therapy (dlPDT) is a painless and increasingly cost-effective treatment for actinic keratosis (AK). New protocols avoid incubation, minimizing pain and adverse events. However, it is time-consuming and dependent on specific weather conditions. In patients with AK of the scalp, we evaluated the efficacy of indoor photodynamic therapy (PDT) using a wearable low-level light therapy (LLLT) device, without pre-incubation with a photosensitizing agent. Methods In this pilot study, 27 patients with thin and moderately thick AK (Olsen Grades I-II) underwent a single 15-minute session of LLLT using a wearable cap-like device immediately after application of methyl-aminolevulinate (MAL) cream, with no prior preparation of the affected area. Treatment efficacy was quantified by measuring the reduction in AK lesion number and the AK quality of life (AKQoL) score. All AK lesions were mapped at baseline for follow-up 2 months later. Paired pre/post scalp biopsies from 5 patients were analysed using histological and immunohistochemical techniques (p53, p27, cyclin D1, p63, and Ki67 expression). Data were analysed using the Wilcoxon signed-rank test. Results In all patients we observed a global reduction in the number of AK lesions (71%; p < 0.0001) and AKQoL score (from 5.6 to 4.4; p = 0.034) 2 months after treatment. Histology and immunohistochemistry of skin biopsies from 5 patients also revealed marked improvements after LLLT. No patients reported any pain during treatment. Conclusion PDT using LLLT is a rapid, painless, and efficacious modality for the treatment of AK. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Lack of skin manifestations in COVID-19 hospitalized patients during the second epidemic wave in Spain: a possible association with a novel SARS-CoV-2 variant - a cross-sectional study The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is an infectious disease caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). Skin manifestations associated to COVID-19 were present in five patients (3.5%), including one patient (0.7%) with maculopapular rash and four patients (2.8%) with livedoid lesions. [Extracted from the article]