Dermatology and Cosmetics
Year:2020 | Volume:11 | Issue:3|Papers Count:9

In this issue, the third article about COVID-19 is published. It consists of the most beneficial and new findings after the previous issue. It has been attempted to explain different aspects of SARS-Cov2 infection and its effects on human social and personal aspects. Nowadays manuscripts on present pandemic are showery and ongoing published. Therefore it is not possible to review all of them, however the authors have done all their best to select and present the most important.

Background and Aim: Cicatricial (scarring) alopecia is a group of disorders in which permanent hair loss results from replacement of hair follicles by fibrosis or hyalinized collagen, which includes two types: primary such as discoid lupus erythematosus (DLE), lichen plano pilaris (LPP), frontal fibrosing alopecia (FFA), Folliculitis decalvans, and secondary like kerion and burn. The aim of this study was to evaluate the frequency of different types of scarring alopecia in patients referred to Imam Reza Dermatology Clinic in Ardebil in 1397. Methods: In this descriptive cross-sectional study, 96 patients referred to the dermatology clinic of Imam Reza Hospital, Ardebil, Iran, were evaluated. Epidemiologic and pathologic causes of primary and secondary cicatricial alopecia were analyzed using descriptive statistics in SPSS version 16 software. Results: The most common causes among patients with primary cicatricial alopecia were DLE (51. 16%), LPP (6. 25%), acne keloidalis (4. 16%), folliculitis decalvans (2. 08%), FFA (2. 08%) and pseudopelade of Brocq 1. 04%). In patients with secondary cicatricial alopecia the most common causes were kerion (55. 2%), followed by morphea cutaneous lymphoma and burn (1. 04%). Conclusion: Considering that the majority of patients in rural area had kerion (92. 45%), we can prevent the spread of the disease by improving hygiene standards as an important factor in controlling this disease in order to early diagnosis and treatment.

Background and Aim: The aim of present study was to evaluate psychometric properties of the Amputee the Body Image Scale (ABIS). Methods: A sample of 200 amputee patients were selected from amputee veteran and amputee people under the protection of Red Cerscent by using convenience sampling and asked to respond to the Persian version of The Amputee Body Image Scale (ABIS), Bell Adjustment Inventory (BAI) and Body Areas Satisfaction Scale (BASS). The reliability of the inventory was assessed by internal consistency and itemrest correlations. Also; in order to investigate the validity of the inventory, confirmatory factor analysis, criterion validity and convergent validity were used. Results: The Cronbach’ s alpha (0. 89) and item-rest correlations indicated satisfactory reliability of the inventory. The results of confirmatory factor analysis confirmed one factor structure for scale. Also, criterion validity of the scale with the Bell Adjustment Inventory (BAI) and convergent validity of the scale with the Body Areas Satisfaction Scale (BASS) was satisfactory. Conclusion: The findings showed that the Persian version of the Amputee Body Image Scale is a suitable tool in assessing of body image in amputee patients and can be used in research and intervention fields in Iranian patients.

Background and Aim: Trichoscopy is a non-invasive diagnostic tool for hair diseases. The aim of this study was to evaluate the trichoscopic findings in different types of alopecia. Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted on 155 alopecia patients referring to Hamadan’ s Sina hospital from March 2019 to July 2020. The patients were recruited after giving written informed consent. Scalp biopsy was performed to confirm the diagnosis and trichoscopic evaluation was then carried out. Trichoscopic findings along with demographic data were recorded. Data was analyzed using SPSS 16. 0 software and appropriate statistical methods. Results: A total of 155 patients including 79 males and 76 females were included in the study. The most common trichoscopic finding in alopecia areata was vellus hair (95. 5%). The most common finding in androgenetic alopecia (AGA) was hair shaft thickness heterogeneity which was observed in all AGA patients. The most common findings in telogen effluvium (TE) were single hair pilosebaceous units, peripilar sign, thin terminal hairs and upright regrowing hairs which were observed in all TE patients. The most common finding in lichen planopilaris was perifollicular scaling (81. 8%). The most common findings in discoid lupus erythematosus were large yellow dots (100%) and fine scaling (100%). Black dot was the most prevalent finding in tinea capitis (85. 7%). Conclusion: Trichoscopy, as a non-invasive tool, could be helpful in differentiating different types of alopecia.

Background and Aim: Vitiligo vulgaris is an acquired, chronic skin and hair condition characterized clinically by loss of melanin, which, if untreated, is typically progressive and irreversible. The aim of the present study was to identify potential genes involved in the pathogenesis of vitiligo. Methods: One dataset of mRNA expression in patients with vitiligo (GSE65127) were obtained from the Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO). Differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were identified using R package. The interactive information among DEGs and the PPI network was obtained using the STRING online database. Functional and pathway enrichment analyses of these DEGs were performed from EnrichR and hub genes and modules of the PPI network were visualized and analyzed by Gephi. Results: Compared with the normal control group, ten upregulated genes (P<0. 05) were identified including TP53, HNRNPA2, SRSF1, PTEN, CDC42, EGFR, EIF4A1, MYB, HNRNPH1, SF381, and CDH2, LEP, KIT, GRIA2, SPP1, NRXN1, RUNX2, PDGFRB, NES, MYH11 as downregulated genes. Up-regulated DEGs were enriched in three pathways including prostate cancer, epithelial cell signaling in helicobacter pylori infection and melanoma pathways. Downregulated DEGs were enriched in three pathways including melanogenesis, Renin secretion and pancreatic secretion pathways. Conclusion: Identifying DEGs in vitiligo may contribute to our understanding of its pathogenesis, and such DEGs may be used as drug targets for treatment.

Post herpetic neuralgia is a chronic neuropathic pain syndrome that it is characterized by pain in the area of the nerve involved distribution after the disappearance of herpes zoster lesions and it may be persistent, refractory and severe. Various treatments including medication, Botox injections, nerve block and physical modalities have been used in the treatment of this syndrome, each has advantages and disadvantages. One of the most widely used methods today is the use of acupuncture. Acupuncture is a low-complication and reproducible treatment that is gaining more and more place in pain management, especially chronic pain. Studies have shown the effect of acupuncture on reducing pain in post-herpetic neuralgia patients. Different parts of acupuncture can be used to reduce pain. The recommended number of sessions is usually 10 to 12 sessions, lasting 20 to 30 minutes. Due to the beneficial effects of acupuncture and its low complication, this method is recommended as one of the treatment methods for postherpetic neuralgia. In this paper, we review the effect of acupuncture on post herpetic neuralgia.

The aim of this study was to investigate the possibility of using saliva instead of serum (as a simpler method without the need for blood sampling) to determine the level of some cytokines and enzymes. In this study, the levels of cytokines IL10, IFN-Y, TNF-α , TGF-β and the antioxidant enzymes glutathione reductase and glutathione peroxidase were measured in the saliva and serum of three patients with alopecia totalis by ELISA. Comparison of the levels of these substances in saliva samples at 5 am, saliva at 11 am and serum at 11 am with Friedman test did not show a significant difference. Therefore, saliva samples may be a good alternative to serum in the study of immunological factors.

Diode 1470 nm laser is a minimally invasive laser used for skin lifting and tightening. It can reduce laxity and excessive fat tissue. Three patients with facial fat lump due to past facial fat injection treated by this laser in one session.