Clinical and experimental dermatology
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Clin. Exp. Dermatol. · Mar 2010
A retrospective analysis of 34 patients with cutaneous sarcoidosis assessed in a dermatology department.
Sarcoidosis is a multisystem granulomatous disease of unknown aetiology, which most often involves the lungs and lymphatic system. Cutaneous involvement is found in approximately 25% of cases of sarcoid. Most previous studies of cutaneous sarcoidosis have been drawn from populations with defined pulmonary disease, so may represent a population with more systemic involvement. ⋯ All patients presenting to a dermatology department with cutaneous sarcoidal granulomas require investigation for systemic sarcoid. Our data suggest that approximately 30% of patients seen in a dermatology clinic with cutaneous sarcoidal granulomas will have disease apparently limited to the skin.
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Pruritus is an unpleasant sensation leading to scratching. It can be a feature of numerous skin or systemic diseases, and may also be a side-effect of various drugs. Opioids are one of the best-known medicines evoking pruritus. ⋯ Opioid antagonists seem to be the most potent antipruritic drugs, but they also decrease analgesia, which limits their usage. Many other treatments have been tried, but to date, the data are conflicting or only limited studies have been performed to confirm their efficacy. Further studies are still needed to better elucidate the mechanism of opioid-induced pruritus and to develop more effective treatment options.
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Clin. Exp. Dermatol. · Dec 2009
Case ReportsTreatment with carbamazepine and gabapentin of a patient with primary erythermalgia (erythromelalgia) identified to have a mutation in the SCN9A gene, encoding a voltage-gated sodium channel.
Primary erythermalgia (erythromelalgia) is a rare autosomal dominant condition characterized by intermittent attacks of erythema, increased skin temperature and severe burning pain in the extremities, in a bilateral symmetrical distribution. Mutations in the SCN9A gene, which encodes a voltage-gated sodium channel have been shown to cause this disease. We report a family identified to have a mutation in the SCN9A gene, in which one severely affected family member has responded to the therapeutic combination of gabapentin and carbamazepine treatment.
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Clin. Exp. Dermatol. · Dec 2009
Case ReportsRed ear syndrome and auricular erythromelalgia: the same condition?
Several cases of relapsing attacks during which the ear becomes red and patients experience a burning sensation have been reported in the literature. This combination of symptoms has been described as 'red ear syndrome' (RES). ⋯ The differential diagnosis included RES and erythromelalgia, as isolated auricular variants of erythromelalgia have been described and the symptoms are difficult to distinguish from RES. In this report, we discuss the similarities and differences between RES and erythromelalgia.
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Clin. Exp. Dermatol. · Dec 2009
Patterns of chromonychia during chemotherapy in patients with skin type V and outcome after 1 year of follow-up.
The study was carried out on 17 patients (16 female, 1 male) who presented with nail pigmentation after chemotherapy. Ten patients who were given cyclophosphamide had diffuse black pigmentation, slate-grey to black longitudinal streaks, or diffuse dark-grey pigmentation located proximally with overlying black transverse bands. The pigmentation appearing after hydroxyurea was located more distally, was brownish-black in colour and diffuse, or appeared in single or double transverse bands. ⋯ In patients on carboplatin treatment, brown pigmentation in bands 2-4 mm wide was seen, located distally on the fingernails. Black longitudinal bands on a background of diffuse brown pigmentation were noted after docetaxel treatment. Chemotherapy-induced nail pigmentation in patients skin type V is not an uncommon event, which is probably underestimated and under-reported.