Dermatology and Cosmetics
Year:2011 | Volume:2 | Issue:2|Papers Count:10

Background and Aim: Pemphigus vulgaris (PV) is an autoimmune blistering disease which is specific for skin and mucosal membranes. Its association with connective tissue diseases has already been reported. Considering this association, presence of Anti Nuclear Antibodies (ANAs) in PV patients will not be surprising. The aim of this study was to compare the frequency of ANA positive cases in patients suffering PV with a control group.Methods: In this case-control study, the cases were selected from the patients with PV whom were hospitalized at Razi Hospital, Tehran. The controls were chosen from patients who did not have PV. The data were collected using a questionnaire, which was designed for gathering information on participants' age, sex, PV phenotypes, and the result of ANA test. ANA positivity was assessed using indirect immunofluorescence, HEP2.Results: In 8 (26.7%) of 30 PV patients and 3 (10.0%) of 30 controls ANA was positive (P=0.095). The most common ANA positive patterns among cases and controls were homogeneous and speckled patterns, respectively (P=0.26).Conclusion: Although in this study the frequency of positive ANA result among controls was similar to what were reported in previous studies, the frequency of this finding among PV patients was different from the previous reports. Differences in the sensitivity of the laboratory kits used in different studies as well as in the threshold for ANA positivity, and differences in the patients' eligibility criteria in different studies may explain the observed discrepancies. Clinical follow up of the PV and requesting an ANA test in the case of appearance of the signs of connective tissue diseases is recommended.

Background and Aim: Lichen planus (LP) is a cutaneous disease characterized by violaceus flat topped papules in variable size. It may involve body surface areas such as mocus membranes. Some studies have reported an association between oral LP ad diabetes mellitus. The aim of this study was to compare the frequency of diabetes mellitus between patients with and individuals without LP.Methods: A case-control study was done on 30 patients suffering oral LP as case group and 60 healthy individuals as control group. Diagnosis of oral LP was confirmed by typical clinical and histopathologic findings. Participants in control group were selected from general population after matching for sex and age. Venipuncture was done to take 5 ml blood sample for measuring fasting serum blood glucose levels in both groups. A repeated blood sampling was done for ones with abnormal results in the first sampling. Findings of the study were analyzed using SPSS 16.0 statistical software.Results: Thirty LP patients [man 13 (43.3%), woman 17 (56.7%)] with mean age (mean ±stabdard deviation) of 46±13.7 years and 60 healthy individuals [man 26 (43.3%), woman 34 (56.7%)] with mean ages of 46±14 years were recruited to this study. In case group only one person (3.3%) suffered from diabetes mellitus, but none of healthy group had fasting blood sugar above the normal value. In quantative evaluation, mean level of fasting blood sufar was 102.5±33 mg/dL in case group and 111.1±49.3 mg/dLin control group (P=0.09).Conclusion: The frequency of diabetes mellitus was not significantly different between the case and the control groups.

Background and Aim: Cosmetic surgery is performed for improvement of psycho-social function in absence physical cues. This multidimensional concept depends on many factors such as beliefs about appearance and inferiority feeling. The purpose of this study was to compare two factors of beliefs about appearance and inferiority feeling in volunteer and nonvolunteer individuals for cosmetic surgery, investigation of the relationship between these factors, and evaluations of the predictors for seeking cosmetic surgery among the participants.Methods: In this case-control research, 50 individuals who were seeking cosmetic surgery and were admitted at cosmetic clinics in Tabriz and 50 individuals who were not seeking cosmetic surgery were asked participate.Results: The participants were enrolled to the study using available sampling mehods. There were differences between beliefs about appearance and inferiority feeling in those sought and those did not seek cosmetic surgery. Those who sought cosmetic surgery achieved higher scores in both factors in comparison with those did not seek those procedures. It also became clear that there was a relationship between beliefs about appearance and inferiority feeling of volunteers of the cosmetic surgery: the higher were the individuals scores in beliefs about appearance, the higher was the inferiority feeling. From another perspective, it was observed that the two factors of marital status and inferiority feeling were strong predictors for tendency to the cosmetic surgery.Conclusion: Motivation for the cosmetic surgery has its roots in a combination of cognitional, personal, and interpersonal factors; therefore, psychological counseling is advised before cosmetic surgery.

Background and Aim: Malassezia is a lipophilic and dimorphic fungus which has different species. Some of them can be found as natural flora on the skin and in some conditions may cause seborrheic dermatitis. The aim of this study was to identify Malassezia species associated with seborrheic dermatitis in Iranian patients, using PCR-RFLP.Methods: In this study out of 79 patients with seborrheic dermatitis, isolates of 70 patients were positive for Malassezia species using PCR-RFLP. The Internal Transcribed Spacer 2 (ITS2) region was amplified by PCR employing the ITS3 and ITS4 primers and The restriction endonucleases AluI, BanI and MspAI were selected for producing distinct RFLP patterns.Results: M. globosa (48.6%), M. furfur (40.0%), M. slooffiae (8.6%) and M. sympodialis (2.8%), were the microorganisms responsible for the infection among participants. M. pachydermatis, M. japonica, M. dermatis, M. restricta, M. obtuse, M. nana and M. yamatoensis were not isolated from any samples.Conclusion: Our findings suggest that the most common Malassezia species associated with seborrheic dermatitis was M. globosa, followed by M. furfur.

Background and Aim: Malassezia is a lipophilic and dimorphic fungus which has different species. Some of them can be found as natural flora on skin and in some conditions may cause pityriasis versicolor. The aim of this study was to identify Malassezia species associated with pityriasis versicolor in Iranian patients, using PCR-RFLP.Methods: In this study out of 65 patients with pityriasis versicolor to have pityriasis versicolor, isolates of 60 patients were positive. Malassezia species. using by PCR-RFLP. The Internal Transcribed Spacer 2 (ITS2) region was amplified by PCR employing the ITS3 and ITS4 primers and The restriction endonucleases AluI, BanI and MspAI were selected for producing distinct RFLP patterns.Results: M. furfur (36.7%), M. globosa (30.0%), M. sympodialis (20.0%), M. slooffiae (8.3%), M. restricta (3.3%) and M. obtusa (1.7%) were the microorganisms responsible for the infection among participants. The M. sympodialis infection was strongly correlated with the female gender (P=0.02).Conclusion: Our findings suggest that, the most common Malassezia species associated with pityriasis versicolor was M. furfur, followed by M. globosa.

Background and Aim: Skin cancers are one of the most common malignancies in the world and create a high rate of morbidity but low rate of mortality with the exception of malignant melanoma that has a high mortality rate. In recent decades, incidence of skin cancer has been increased. The most important risk factors are sunlight and skin type. The aim of this study was to evaluate the frequency of skin cancers in patients who were admitted to Sina Hospital of Hamedan during a 17-year period.Methods: In this cross-sectional study, 951 patients with different types of skin cancer, entered in the study. For each patient, data related to age, gender, location, occupation, pathologic type of cancer and site of skin involvement, were collected.Results: The mean age (mean ±standard deviation) of patients was 61.6 ±15.3 years (2-100 yrs) and most of them (67.2%) were males and workers (%38). The most common pathologic types of skin cancer were basal cell carcinoma (BCC) (59%) and squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) (29%). The most frequent site of tumor expression was face (61.2%) and the least frequent involved site was genitalia (0.4%).Conclusion: This study showed that skin cancer is more common in males, old patients and workers. It was more common on the face. Screening program for detection of this disease at an earlier stage of elderly men especially in sun exposed occupations is recommended.

Background and Aim: Adolescents with polycystic ovary syndrome concern about weight gain, menstrual irregularities, acne and hirsutism. The aim of this study was to determine the frequency of facial and trunkal lesions of acne in 14- to 18-year-old high school students with polycystic ovary syndrome in Shiraz in 2009.Methods: In this cross-sectional study, 3189 14- to 18-yearold female students were enrolled. Using questionnaires, data on personal information, clinical features and laboratory findings of hyperandrogenism and results of ultrasound examination were collected. Severity of acne was classified as mild, moderate and severe, based on the type and number of the lesions. Chi-squared and independent t tests were used for comparing proportions and means, respectively.Results: The prevalence of severe acne was 5%. Mean total testosterone in individuals with severe acne was higher in comparison with those without acne. Severity of facial and trunkal acne were associated with polycystic ovaries (P<0.05). Mean level of luteinizing hormone (LH) was higher in those without acne than in those with severe acne (P>0.05).Conclusion: Associations between severity of facial and trunkal acne lesions and polycystic ovaries were observed. Considering the undesirbale effects of acne on quality of life, hormonal screening and ultrasound examination in girls with moderate acne is recommended.

Langerhans cell histiocytosis (LCH) is a proliferative disorder of langerhans cells and lymphocytes having different subtypes and a wide range of clinical manifestations and severity ranging from a unifocal self-limited disorder to multi-system involvement and even death. Along with clinical manifestations, diagnosis is made through existence of specific immunohistochemistry markers. Where treatment is necessary, different treatment modalities have been proposed; though none have found to be optimal.this paper introduces a 23-year old girl with an extensive yellowish to red-brown maculopapular rash over her face accompanied with polyuria, polydipsia, and fatigue.