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Familial benign chronic pemphigus or Hailey-Hailey disease (HHD) is a rare autosomal dominant disorder characterized by the development of recurrent blisters and erosions in the intertriginous areas. Various topical and systemic treatment options include corticosteroids, topical 5-fluorouracil, topical vitamin D analogs, topical zinc oxide, dapsone, psoralen plus ultraviolet A, systemic retinoids, cyclosporine, methotrexate, and photodynamic therapy. In recalcitrant cases, further options including, invasive methods such as grenz ray therapy, carbon dioxide laser abrasion, and erbium: YAG laser ablation, dermabrasion, electron beam therapy, botulinum toxin, and full-thickness excision of affected skin with repair by split-thickness grafting have been reported as useful in treatment of HHD. We describe a case of HHD who was treated with several treatment modalities including antibiotics, corticosteroids, and dapsone earlier and when presented to us had a severe recalcitrant disease. Thalidomide, as a modality of treatment has been successfully used in few cases earlier. Our patient responded well to thalidomide.

Pityriasis rosea is an acute inflammatory dermatosis of unknown etiology with a self-limited course. Fifty patients of pityriasis rosea attending out patient department of our hospital were selected for the study and the data was analysed. In the present study out of 50 cases, 30(60%)were males and 20(40%)were females, giving male: female ratio 1.5:1. Majority of the patients 16(32%) were seen in the age group of 11-20 years. Precipitating factors include wearing new garments in 10(20%) patients, drugs in 5(10%) and both new garment and drug in 1(2%) patient. Thirty five (70%) patients presented with herald patch and the distributions of secondary eruptions were mainly on the trunk among 47(94%) patients. Classical pityriasis rosea (62%) was the commonest morphologic type, followed by atypical pityriasis rosea (38%) which include absence of herald patch (30%), localized pityriasis rosea (4%) and inverse pityriasis rosea and papulo -vesicular pityriasis rosea (2%) each.

Foot dermatitis refers to the predominant involvement of feet in the eczematous process. This study is undertaken to determine the clinical pattern and causative agent in foot eczema and to evaluate the role of patch testing in determining the causative agent of foot eczema. Data was collected from 50 patients with foot eczema, who attended the out-patient department. The patch test was performed using Indian standard series. Patch test was positive in 88% of the patients. The most common site affected was the dorsal aspect of the foot (48%) and scaly plaque was the predominant morphological pattern. The highest number of patients (24%) showed positive reactions to mercaptobenzothiazole (MBT) and the lowest (4%) to neomycin sulfate. Rubber and rubber chemicals have been reported worldwide to be the most common sensitizer causing foot eczema. Thus, patch test has a major role in finding out the cause of foot eczema.

We report a case of epidermolytic hyperkeratosis with digital contracture. The patients had hyperkeratotic lichenfified lesions over extensive areas on the body.

A case of multiple leiomyoma cutis in a woman is presented. This patient had multiple tender nodules on the face and back. The histopathology was consistent with the clinical diagnosis of leionyoma cutis. Differential diagnosis of painful tumours of the skin is also discussed.

Bowen's disease is a slowly progressive squamous cell carcinoma (SSC) in situ with high potential for malignant transformation. In this case, we describe a patient with multicentric Bowen's disease for the past 26 years, developing growths over his left buttock. The patient had a previous history of growth developing over his right thigh, and was diagnosed with metatypical basal cell carcinoma (BCC). The points that make this case noteworthy are recurrent cutaneous carcinomas over the multicentric generalized occurrence of in situ SCC of extragenital type, the rarity of the site, and the nature of its morphological presentation in the skin of color. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Byline: Rochelle. Monteiro, Ramesh. Bhat, Jacintha. Martis, H. Kamath Context: Keloids are defined as scars that invade the adjacent tissues and rarely regress. In recent years, antimitotic drugs have been [...]

Objective: The objective of the study was to evaluate the spectrum of skin diseases among older patients in a coastal city of Southern India and its association with systemic illness. Materials and Methods: In this retrospective, cross-sectional study, medical records from the dermatology outpatient clinics were assessed. Patients over 60 years old and attending the dermatology outpatient clinic between November 2021 and June 2022 were included in the study. Results: Of 1182 records, 663 were male (56%) and 519 were female (43.9%). Most of the patients were in the age group between 60 and 70 years (71.7%). Overall, the most frequent dermatologic diseases in this cohort of patients were infections (41.37%), eczematous dermatitis (30.02%), and papulosquamous disorders (9.39%). Among the physiological changes of aging skin, xerosis was the most common manifestation observed in 66 (5.5%) cases, followed by seborrheic keratosis in 24 (2%) cases. Twelve (1.01%) individuals had premalignant and malignant lesions identified. Bowen's disease (n = 5, 0.4%), basal cell carcinoma (n = 6, 0.5%), and leukoplakia (n = 1) were the most prevalent. Conclusion: Dermatoses in the older population are among the most common causes of daily consultations. In our study, infectious causes of dermatoses are more common than eczematous diseases. We discovered a higher prevalence of premalignant diseases like Bowen's disease, emphasizing the need for screening in people of skin color. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article discusses a case of pearly pinna papules in a young female. The patient presented with multiple skin-colored lesions on her pinnae, neck, and abdomen, as well as acrochordons on her axillae. A biopsy confirmed a diagnosis of trichodiscoma, a benign tumor of the hair follicular discs. Trichodiscomas can occur independently or as part of Birt-Hogg-Dube syndrome, a rare genetic disorder. The article also mentions other differential diagnoses, such as colloid milium, tuberculid, and sebaceous hyperplasia. The incidence of Birt-Hogg-Dube syndrome is low in the Indian subcontinent, and further genetic testing was not performed due to financial constraints. [Extracted from the article]

Byline: Parinitha. Rao, Ramesh. Bhat, B. Nandakishore, Sukumar. Dandakeri, Jacintha. Martis, Ganesh. Kamath Background: Isotretinoin is indicated for moderate to severe cases of acne which are unresponsive to conventional therapy. [...]

Byline: B. Kishore, Nandini. Ankadavar, Ganesh. Kamath, Jacintha. Martis Erythema multiforme (EM) is an acute, self-limited, mucocutaneous disorder regarded as a hypersensitivity reaction which is triggered by various factors like [...]

Byline: Shireen. Furtado, Ramesh. Bhat, B. Rekha, D. Sukumar, Ganesh. Kamath, Jacintha. Martis, B. Nandakishore Context: The uncontrolled use of antibiotics has resulted in a relentless spread of multiresistant strains [...]

Byline: Rochelle. Monteiro, B. Kishore, Ramesh. Bhat, D. Sukumar, Jacintha. Martis, H. Ganesh Background: Melasma is a common acquired cause of facial hyperpigmentation seen predominantly among females with significant psychological [...]

Byline: Latha. Moodahadu-Bangera, Jacintha. Martis, Rajan. Mittal, Binny. Krishnankutty, Naveen. Kumar, Shantala. Bellary, Sunoj. Varughese, Parinitha. Rao Introduction Constant exposure to the ubiquitous fungi has made man vulnerable to fungal [...]

Byline: Ramesh. Bhat, Yashaswi. Rai, Amitha. Ramesh, B. Nandakishore, D. Sukumar, Jacintha. Martis, Ganesh. Kamath Background : Chikungunya fever (CF) epidemic has recently re-emerged in India affecting large population. Mucocutaneous [...]

Byline: Jacintha. Martis, Ganesh. Kamath, B. Nandakishore, K. Surendran A 65-year-old female presented with painful reddish raised lesions over the left hand of 4 months duration following injury to the [...]

Background: Skin infections caused by coryneform bacteria are common dermatological conditions. However, to the best of our knowledge, no studies are available on the clinical characteristics and epidemiological features of this group of disorders as one entity from India and abroad. Aims: To study the clinical and epidemiological features of coryneform skin infections Methods: A total of 75 patients presenting with clinically distinctive lesions of pitted keratolysis, erythrasma and trichobacteriosis to our hospital were included in the study. Cases were interviewed with particular emphasis on epidemiological features and the various clinical findings were recorded. Investigations like Gram's stain, Wood's light examination, 10% KOH scrapings, were done in selected cases to ascertain the diagnosis. Results: Pitted keratolysis was more common in the age group of 31-40 years (40%) with a male preponderance (76.7%), most commonly affecting pressure bearing areas of the soles with malodour (86.7%) and frequent contact with water (58.3%) constituting the most important presenting symptom and provocating factor respectively. Erythrasma affected both male and female patients equally and was more commonly detected in patients with a BMI > 23kg/m² (62.5%) and in diabetics (50%). All patients with trichobacteriosis presented with yellow coloured concretions in the axillae. Bromhidrosis (71.4%) and failure to regularly use an axillary deodorant (71.4%) were the most common presenting symptom and predisposing factor respectively. Conclusion: Coryneform skin infections are common dermatological conditions, though epidemiological data are fragmentary. Hyperhidrosis is a common predisposing factor to all three coryneform skin infections. Asymmetrical distribution of pits has been reported in our study. Diabetic status needs to be evaluated in all patients with erythrasma. Woods lamp examination forms an indispensible tool to diagnose erythrasma and trichobacteriosis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The increasing incidence of skin cancers and photodamaging effects caused by ultraviolet radiation has increased the use of sunscreening agents, which have shown beneficial effects in reducing the symptoms and reoccurrence of these problems. Many sunscreen compounds are in use, but their safety and efficacy are still in question. Efficacy is measured through indices, such as sun protection factor, persistent pigment darkening protection factor, and COLIPA guidelines. The United States Food and Drug Administration and European Union have incorporated changes in their guidelines to help consumers select products based on their sun protection factor and protection against ultraviolet radiation, whereas the Indian regulatory agency has not yet issued any special guidance on sunscreening agents, as they are classified under cosmetics. In this article, the authors discuss the pharmacological actions of sunscreening agents as well as the available formulations, their benefits, possible health hazards, safety, challenges, and proper application technique. New technologies and scope for the development of sunscreening agents are also discussed as well as the role of the physician in patient education about the use of these agents. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The increasing incidence of skin cancers and photodamaging effects caused by ultraviolet radiation has increased the use of sunscreening agents, which have shown beneficial effects in reducing the symptoms and reoccurrence of these problems. Many sunscreen compounds are in use, but their safety and efficacy are still in question. Efficacy is measured through indices, such as sun protection factor, persistent pigment darkening protection factor, and COLIPA guidelines. The United States Food and Drug Administration and European Union have incorporated changes in their guidelines to help consumers select products based on their sun protection factor and protection against ultraviolet radiation, whereas the Indian regulatory agency has not yet issued any special guidance on sunscreening agents, as they are classified under cosmetics. In this article, the authors discuss the pharmacological actions of sunscreening agents as well as the available formulations, their benefits, possible health hazards, safety, challenges, and proper application technique. New technologies and scope for the development of sunscreening agents are also discussed as well as the role of the physician in patient education about the use of these agents. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]