Cutaneous Leishmaniasis: Report of Two Atypical Cases

Multiple and unusual clinical features of cutaneous leishmaniasis (CL) had been reported as hyperkeratotic, psoriasiform, eczematoid, zosteriform pattern, warty lesions, erysipeloid, and acneiform lesions. The clinical features of CL primarily depend on the host's cell-mediated response and the species of Leishmania being involved. In this paper we reported two cases of atypical CL from Iran, Shohada-e-Tajrish and Loghman-e-Hakim hospitals presented with infiltrative erythematous lesions covering the perioral region and the lower limb, respectively. The diagnosis of cutaneous leishmaniasis was confirmed with skin smears and biopsies

Relationship between Dyspnea Descriptors and Underlying Causes of the Symptom; a Cross-sectional Study

Introduction: History taking and physical examination help clinicians identify the patient’s problem and effectively treat it. This study aimed to evaluate the descriptors of dyspnea in patients presenting to emergency department (ED) with asthma, congestive heart failure (CHF), and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Method: This cross-sectional study was conducted on all patients presenting to ED with chief complaint of dyspnea, during 2 years. The patients were asked to describe their dyspnea by choosing three items from the valid and reliable questionnaire or articulating their sensation. The relationship between dyspnea descriptors and underlying cause of symptom was evaluated using SPSS version 16. Results: 312 patients with the mean age of 60.96±17.01 years were evaluated (53.2% male). Most of the patients were > 65 years old (48.7%) and had basic level of education (76.9%).  "My breath doesn’t go out all the way" with 83.1%, “My chest feels tight " with 45.8%, and "I feel that my airway is obstructed" with 40.7%, were the most frequent dyspnea descriptors in asthma patients. "My breathing requires work" with 46.3%, "I feel that I am suffocating" with 31.5%, and "My breath doesn’t go out all the way" with 29.6%, were the most frequent dyspnea descriptors in COPD patients. "My breathing is heavy" with 74.4%, "A hunger for more air” with 24.4%, and "I cannot get enough air" with 23.2%, were the most frequent dyspnea descriptors in CHF patients. Except for “My breath does not go in all the way”, there was significant correlation between studied dyspnea descriptors and underlying disease (p = 0.001 for all analyses). Conclusion: It seems that dyspnea descriptors along with other findings from history and physical examination could be helpful in differentiating the causes of the symptom in patients presenting to ED suffering from dyspnea. 

Development of leukocytoclastic vasculitis during long-term methotrexate therapy in patients with rheumatoid arthritis: description of two clinical cases

Leukocytoclastic vasculitis (LCV) is a small vessel vasculitis characterized by immune complex depositions involving dermal post-capillary venules. Cutaneous small vessel vasculitis is most often idiopathic but may be aggravated by secondary causes, such as inflammatory conditions, infections, neoplasms, and drugs exposure.Herein, we describe two patients with a long history of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) treated with methotrexate (MTX) for more than ten years, who later developed generalized LCV with pancytopenia after a viral infection, one with herpes simplex virus, and the other with SARS-CoV-2 virus. Because of the worldwide use of MTX in treatment of RA, strict follow-up and preventive measures are needed nowadays, especially during COVID-19 pandemic, in order to avoid any infection which may provoke LCV with or without systemic manifestations. So, using MTX for treating RA or other similar disorders may be considered a double-edged sword, especially during COVID-19 pandemic.

Cutaneous vasculitis following COVID-19 vaccination: a case-based review

Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) is an emerging virus that causes a disease mainly known by its pulmonary and thrombotic complications. Although cutaneous complications, including vasculitis, have been reported in infected patients, the development of vasculitis after receiving vaccine is a rare clinical finding. Here, we report a case of vasculitis in a female patient who received a COVID-19 vaccine and was later infected with SARS-CoV-2, and was also diagnosed with hepatitis B during hospitalization. Our patient did not have a previous history of similar cutaneous manifestations of vasculitis, and the development of the symptoms approximately one month from the vaccination suggests immune complex hypersensitivity reaction

Multiple scaring cutaneous erosions and hoarseness in a 7- month- old infant

A seven-month-old female infant was referred to the dermatology clinic due to several erosive cutaneous lesions. The lesions were crusted and super-infected (impetiginized), widespread on her face, trunk and, extremities. Multiple atrophic and ice-pick scars were also remarkable, especially on her face, which was attributable to previous lesions. The lesions have been appeared since one- month of age, and have been resolved on their own with atrophic scars. Hoarseness was another notable finding in her physical examination and the physical examination was otherwise normal. The hoarseness had existed since her birth. Lipoid proteinosis or Urbach- Weithe syndrome is a rare autosomal recessive disorder due to mutation in extracellular matrix protein 1  (ECM 1) characterized by the deposition of hyaline in cutaneous tissue and mucus membrane of aerodigestive tract (2). Mucocutaneous lesions including palpebral and lingual yellowish nodules, laryngeal complications such as hoarseness and obstruction, and neuro-cognitive disorders including learning difficulties, aggression, loss of fear, memory impairment, and seizures are expected in lipoid proteinosis (3-7)

Soluble biomarkers for diagnosis, monitoring, and therapeutic response assessment in psoriasis

Background Psoriasis is an inflammatory disease associated with multiple comorbidities. Biomarkers for the assessment of psoriasis, its associated comorbidities, and the therapeutic response are not well characterized. A number of possible biomarkers for the diagnosis and monitoring of psoriasis have been proposed. Purpose To assess potential biomarkers for diagnosis of psoriasis, its associated comorbidities and response to treatment. Methods We investigated medical databases from 2000 to 2021 and assessed relevant research. In this review, we evaluated the important biomarkers to help predict potential risk of psoriasis and disease activity (Beta-defensin-2, VEGF, Lipocalin-2, and YKL-40) and its possible inflammatory-related comorbidities like cardiovascular diseases (hs-CRP, GlycA, Psoriasin, IL-18, NT-proBNP, and Adipokines). In addition, we described the potential biomarkers for psoriatic arthritis (CXCL10, S100A8 and S100A9, and MicroRNA) and related manifestations such as enthesitis. Finally, we discussed novel markers for monitoring the response to specific treatments (HLA-C 06, PLC, TARC, NLR, and PLR) as well as potentially useful biomarkers for evaluation of therapy-associated adverse events (liver fibrosis-related markers). Conclusion A wide range of genetic, tissue, and serum markers have been investigated in psoriasis; however, most of them are not used in routine clinical practice; and thorough physical examination along with the appropriate application of clinical scoring systems like Psoriasis Area and Severity Index score are still of particular importance

Evaluation of anxiety and depression in patients with morphea taking immunosuppressive drugs during the COVID-19 pandemic

Background During the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, individuals especially those with chronic diseases face various problems like psychological distress. Aim To evaluate anxiety and depression among morphea patients taking immunosuppressants compared with controls during the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods In this case-control study, electronic data of 42 eligible morphea patients and 42 age- and sex-matched healthy subjects were extracted. All participants were asked about adherence to the health protocols and the symptoms of COVID-19. To investigate anxiety and depression, we provided the participants with an online version of the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS) Questionnaire. In this standard questionnaire, a score ≥ 11 represents a significant psychological disorder. Results The two groups did not differ significantly in the mean HADS-Anxiety (HADS-A) and HADS-Depression (HADS-D) scores (p= .08 and p= .79, respectively). HADS-A and HADS-D scores were ≥ 11 in 16.67% and 11.90% of the patients, respectively. Among the morphea patients, those with sleeping problems during COVID-19 had a significantly higher mean HADS-D score (p= .048). Notably, 21.43% of patients discontinued their treatment due to fear of COVID-19 and experienced disease recurrence. Adherence to health protocols was higher in patients compared with controls. The rate of COVID-19 occurrence was not significantly different between the groups. Conclusions Although there was no significant difference in anxiety and depression between the groups, it is recommended to provide psychiatric counseling opportunities to morphea patients to improve treatment outcomes during this pandemic