with a variety of skin manifestations. The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence of subclinical Achilles tendon disorder in cutaneous psoriasis patients and compare it with healthy controls. Methods: This was a cross-sectional case-control study conducted on psoriasis patients that were referred to dermatology clinic. Thirty patients in the case group and 30 healthy controls were included in the study. Thickness of Achilles tendon enthesis was scanned by an expert rheumatologist using ultrasound equipped with a 5-14 MHz linear prob bilaterally. Results: The mean age of the patient and control groups was 43.97±16.82 years and 38.87±12.71 years, respectively (P=0.190). The mean thickness of the Achilles tendon enthesis in the dominant limb was 4.31±0.86 mm in the patient group and 4.10±0.54 mm in the control group. There was no significant difference between the two groups in terms of thickness of the Achilles tendon enthesis in the dominant limb (P=0.276). The mean thickness of the Achilles tendon enthesis in the non-dominant limb was 4.44±0.91 mm in the patient group and 4.14±0.59 mm in the control group. There was no significant difference between the two groups in terms of thickness of Achilles tendon enthesis in the non-dominant limb (P = 0.134). Conclusion: Although ultrasonography may be utilized for assessment of both structural and inflammatory changes, we revealed no difference in the mean thickness of Achilles tendon enthesis in patients with cutaneous psoriasis. Contradiction between clinical and ultrasonography features required further research.

Background: Stress is an important factor in development and exacerbation of symptoms of most of the skin diseases including psoriasis. This study was designed to assess the effectiveness of mindfulness-based stress reduction program on physical symptoms in patients with psoriasis.Methods: This study was designed as a quasi-experimental study. Experimental group received 10 sessions of mindfulness training. Psoriasis Area Severity Index (PASI) was measured before, at the end, and 45 days after treatment in all recruited patients. Data were analyzed using SPSS software.Findings: There was a significant differences in physical symptoms of psoriasis (PASI score) between experimental and control groups both at the end of the treatment, and 45-days follow-up period (P<0.05 for both).Conclusion: Based on these results, mindfulness-based stress reduction program could potentially be considered as an effective method to relief physical symptoms in patients with psoriatic.

Context: Psoriatic arthritis (PsA), a seronegative, irreversible inflammatory arthritis, displays a heterogeneous clinical presentation that frequently impedes early detection of PsA. Objectives: Since extensive inflammatory and musculoskeletal damage makes early therapeutic intervention quite challenging, this study was conducted to include and review all available markers, with an emphasis on upcoming reliable biomarkers for the early and timely prediction of possible transition to PsA in patients with cutaneous psoriasis (PsO). Methods: A thorough literature search was performed using databases such as PubMed, SCOPUS, Embase, and Google Scholar. The aim was to review the latest research on clinical, radiological, serological, and biochemical predictors that could help in the early and timely recognition of the possible transition to PsA in patients with cutaneous PsO. Results: Early detection and monitoring for developing PsA have relied mostly on the evaluation of clinical features of disease, the genetic profile of patients, serial imaging, and a few serological markers. Recent research focuses on employing a multi-omic approach for the quick diagnosis of at-risk patients by scanning their genetic, protein, lipid, and metabolite profiles. Digital technology is the latest approach to evaluate early PsA with high accuracy and precision. It includes machine learning algorithms, specific immune profiles, and neural networks to decode distinct PsA phenotypes in psoriatic patients with a higher likelihood of developing arthritic features. Conclusions: Early identification of signs and symptoms will enable dermatologists to timely refer at-risk patients to rheumatologists, thus preventing irreversible joint damage. In the absence of a single specific marker, efforts should be made to adopt a holistic approach for early screening of PsA patients and initiating definitive treatment as early as possible. This intervention is of critical value since the prevention/reduction of PsA development is now being suggested as a new clinical endpoint in PsO trials.

Background and Aim: Psoriasis is a chronic papulosquamous disorder, which affects about 2% of the population. Psoriasis is relatively common in childhood: more than 10% of cases start before the age of 10. The aim of this study was to compare the clinical characteristics between pediatric-onset and adult-onset psoriasis in Iranian patients.Methods: In 2006 and 2007, clinical data were collected from all patients with psoriasis diagnosis referred to Razi Hospital. They were categorized into two groups: pediatric-onset psoriasis patients and adult-onset psoriasis patients. Clinical variables such as number of patients, gender, age of onset, family history, and stress as a precipitating factor, the first site of involvement, clinical type and involved sites were compared between the two group.Results: From total of 162 patients, 50 patients (33.2%) were considered as pediatric-onset group. The percentage of males in the pediatric-onset group was 48% compared with 58.9% in the adult-onset group. In the pediatric-onset group positive family history was 20% and in the adult-onset group was 12.5%. Stress as a precipitating factor was nearly the same in both groups. Plaque type psoriasis was the most common clinical presentation and the head and neck was the most common site of involvement in both groups.Conclusion: Our findings, similar to previous studies showed that the involvement of female gender, family history and the onset of psoriasis on the scalp in children were more than adults.

Background: Leishmaniasis is a parasitic disease caused by protozoan called Leishmania that is transmitted by sand flies. The aim of this study was to determine the demographic and clinical characteristics of children with cutaneous leishmaniasis in Isfahan province, Iran.Methods: This was a cross-sectional study on all children patients with age of five years and younger in Isfahan province during 2011 to 2015. Demographic and clinical characters of patients were presented as the number and percentage. The mean age of patients according to sex was compared using t test via SPSS software.Findings: Of 1529 patients, 51.8% were boys, 56.0% were in rural areas, and 92.9% were Iranian. The mean age of patients (±SD) was 2.71±1.5 years. The smallest patient was 2 months old. Most of the patients were in the age group of one year (20.4%) and the lowest were in the age group of less than one year (5.6%). Leishmania major was the most common (91.8%) cause of disease. Wound size at 63.37% of patients was more than 2 cm.In 11.2% of patients the number of wounds was equal or more than 4 wound. In children, face was the most common (33.7%) region of wound.Conclusion: Leishmaniasis is endemic in Isfahan province, and children are in high risk for incidence of disease.However, the process for combating the animal reservoirs and mosquito vector should be considered as a priority to control the disease. Furthermore, the facilities should be provided for accurate and timely diagnosis and treatment of patients.

Emotion regulation can be assumed as a process which by the individual affects the emotion that is currently being experienced and determines how the person experiences and expresses the emotions. Dysfunctional patterns of emotion regulation in skin patients could intensify and maintain their condition. The aim of this research was to compare the cognitive emotion regulation strategies (adaptive and maladaptive) in psoriasis patients and non-psoriasis individuals in Ahvaz city. To gain this purpose, by using convenience sampling method, 100 individuals (50 psoriasis patients and 50 non-psoriasis) were selected as the sample to conduct a casual-comparative research and emotion regulation strategies (adaptive and maladaptive) were assessed. The results of multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA) indicated that there was a significant difference between psoriasis patient and non-psoriasis individuals in emotional regulation cognitive strategies (adaptive and maladaptive) and the psoriasis patients use less adaptive and more non-adaptive emotion regulation strategies in comparison to non-psoriasis individuals. It is possible that the emotional cognitive regulation problems could be considered in increasing psoriasis, and patients with psoriasis, like other skin diseases use more non-adaptive emotional regulation cognitive strategies.