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We report a 55-year-old woman with acrodermatitis chronica atrophicans (ACA and a peripheral sensory neuropathy. ACA is an uncommon late cutaneous manifestation of Lyme disease, which follows disseminated Borrelia burgdorferi infection. This is the second published case from the U.K. since serological diagnosis has been available. In this patient the diagnosis was confirmed by serology using a sensitive enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and immunoblotting techniques. B. burgdorferi DNA was demonstrated in the affected skin using the polymerase chain reaction, although staining and cultures for the organism were negative. Recommended treatment of ACA is with oral doxycycline 100 mg twice daily for 28 days, but our patient did not respond well to this regimen. She was therefore treated with ceftriaxone Intravenously for 21 days. which resulted in a rapid symptomatic and clinical response. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Three patients are described who developed numerous pinhead sized pustules within areas of a widespread toxic erythema. The eruption was precipitated by food poisoning in one patient, a suspected, but blood-culture-negative septicaemia in another and in the third patient, by a cephalosporin. This self-limiting syndrome consists of fever, a pustular and erythematous eruption, a neutrophil Ieucocytosis, subcorneal and spongiform pustules but without a history of psoriasis. We believe that this entity of toxic pustuloderma represents a severe form of toxic erythema. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Three patients are reported who developed erythema multiforme during treatment with griseofulvin. To our knowledge there have been no previously documented reports of this drug causing erythema multiforme in either the English or American literature. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A mouse animal model system is described in which cutaneous herpes simplex infection in mice was reactivated in about 60% of animals after subcutaneous challenge with cyclophosphamideand codelsol and epilation of the hair over the infection site. Herpes simplex virus was isolated from the skin and spinal cord. The model will be useful in the study of the mechanisms involved in the recrudescence of herpes virus infections and may also be of value in the study of the phenomenon of latency. A reactivation model also more closely parallels recurrent herpes in man, and may be of help in the assessment of the therapeutic efficacy of anti-herpes drugs. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Albright's syndrome is characterized by the combination of polyostotic fibrous dysplasia, precocious puberty and cafe-au-lait spots. We describe a patient with polyostotic fibrous dysplasia who also had extensive linear epidermal naevi, an association that has not been previously described in the English literature. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A highly reproducible model in which linear zosteriform lesions are produced In the skin of Webster Schneider mice, using an oral strain of herpes simplex virus, (HSV) is described. The Incidence of infection is high, and a large proportion of infected animals develop a highly characteristic ascending paralysis which is invariably fatal. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sixty cases of previously resistant psoriasis were treated with methotrexate for periods varying from 3 to 30 months. Three quarters of the patients showed an improvement of more than 75%. Relapse was partial on decreasing the dose and complete on stopping it in every case in which it was attempted. Side effects caused the abandonment of treatment in 20 cases (33%). Complete recovery from them occurred on stopping the drug. It is suggested that the treatment of psoriasis with methotrexate should only be embarked on after the most careful consideration and under constant hospital supervision. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Twenty-one of 25 patients completed a double-blind trial to test the anti- pruritic effect in atopic eczema of guañethidine (Ismelin CIBA) 20 mg. daily for 2 weeks. Ten preferred guanethidine, 6 placebo and 5 had no preference. These differences do not approach statistical significance. Eight patients were followed for a further period of guanethidine 30 mg. at night and 5 showed improvement. of these, however, only 2 had shown preference for guanethidine in the preceding trial. Thus there was no conclusive evidence of any benefit. Freedom from side effects was noticeable with the doses used. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Twenty-seven patients with urticaria not due to a physical cause were studied. Initial basophil counts were greatly reduced, and most cases responded as expected clinically to oral antihistamines. Mean basophil counts tended to rise during the course of treatment, even in the presence of obvious clinical disease and to return to normal after recovery. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article presents information on the potentiation of primary virus infection by radiomimetic drugs. It is recognized that immunosuppressant therapy with agents such as x-rays, cytotoxic drugs, and steroids may increase susceptibility to bacterial and fungal infections, but much less is known about the effect of these treatments on virus infection. However, it is well known that patients receiving immunosuppressive tlierapy should not be vaccinated against smallpox because of the risks of complications such as generalized vaccinia and vaccinia necrosum. Over the last decade it has become the generally accepted view that certain nonimmunological factors, such as the interferon system, are more important in the control of primary viral infections, but as our techniques for immunosuppression have become more sophisticated, the concepts prevailing before the discovery of interferon have now to be reconsidered.

Presents an abstracts for the article "Toxic Pustuloderma: A Clinical and Histological Review," by M.H.A. Rustin, T.W.E. Robinson and Pauline M. Dowd.

This article presents the case study of a patient suffering from extensive linear epidermal naevi and polyostotic fibrous dysplasia. This patient was born with a pigmented birthmark extending down the anterior midline and left arm. Rickets was diagnosed at the age of 2 and he was treated with vitamin D for 1 year. This patient with polyostotic fibrous dysplasia has the hitherto undescribed association of a linear epidermal naevus and the rarely reported association of hypophosphataemic osteomalacia. Parts of the epidermal naevus have been excised, and etretinate 25 mg daily has been commenced to reduce the symptomatic hyperkeratosis.

Discusses the case of a 56-year-old woman with lupus erythematosus profundus of the breast. Presence of discrete, hard, subcutaneous nodules in both breasts; Evidence of epidermal atrophy; Occurrence of lupus erythematosus profundus in patients with discoid lupus erythematosus.

Discusses the case of a 29-year-old male presented with erythrokeratoderma variabilis. History of the patient's disease; Clinical manifestations; Medication administered in the patient.

Presents a letter to the editor related to acute aseptic arthropathyon caused by Isotretinoin.