Kounis syndrome: A rare case of allergic angina secondary to loxoscelism

Kounis syndrome or allergic angina is characterized by a sudden transient or permanent myocardial dysfunction caused by inflammatory mediators such as histamine, leukotrienes, platelet-activating factor, neutral proteases, and a number of cytokines and chemokines. Herein, we discuss a case of Kounis syndrome, which was brought on by loxoscelism

Histopathological spectrum of cutaneous reactions following COVID-19 Vaccine - An observational study

Background: Owing to the myriad clinical presentations of COVID-19 vaccine-induced adverse events, clinicopathological correlation is the key to understanding the underlying pathophysiology of these reactions. However, there is still a dearth of such systematic studies across a wide spectrum of vaccine reactions. Aim and Objectives: This study provides a clinical and histopathological correlation of COVID-19 vaccine-induced mucocutaneous reactions. Materials and Methods: The study population included all the individuals developing any form of self-reported mucocutaneous adverse events within 4 weeks of receiving the COVID-19 vaccine. The clinical and histopathological features were recorded. Results: A total of 126 cases were identified. Seven histopathological patterns were recognized. The most common histopathological feature was spongiotic dermatitis, seen in all the patients with “vaccine-related eruption of papules and plaques” (VREPP). Other patterns included lichenoid or interface dermatitis, dermal hypersensitivity reaction, leukocytoclastic vasculitis, subepidermal blistering, psoriasiform hyperplasia, and dermal granulomatous reaction. Conclusion: Owing to such myriad clinical presentations, utilizing a histopathological classification could ease categorizing the vaccine-induced mucocutaneous eruptions

Ocular discoid lupus erythematosus: More than what meets the eye

Lupus erythematosus is a spectrum that includes auto-immune disorders such as systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), subacute cutaneous lupus erythematosus (SCLE), and chronic cutaneous lupus erythematosus (CCLE). Discoid lupus erythematosus (DLE) is the most common type of CCLE, and ocular DLE is a rather rare presentation. We report the case of a 42-year-old male patient who had been repeatedly mis-diagnosed and upon detailed dermatological workup was found to possess clinical, dermoscopic, and histopathological features of DLE. Our report focuses on the importance of dermoscopy as a useful point-of-care investigation to avoid delay, and thus related complications. It further suggests how fundus examination could prove helpful in identifying lupus-related fundus changes, and explores how to devise a suitable plan of treatment for such patients

Efficacy and safety of Erbium-YAG laser ablation therapy in superficial dermatoses: The workhorse of dermatology

Background: Erbium-YAG laser has been the working horse in dermatology for years. Surprisingly, data on the efficacy and adverse effects of this novel resurfacing and ablative technique of erbium-YAG laser for superficial dermatoses in Indian skin is limited. Aim and Objective: To evaluate the efficacy and safety profile of erbium-YAG laser ablation in superficial cutaneous lesions. Materials and Methods: Two hundred and fifty patients of various superficial dermatoses, treatable by erbium-YAG laser, were recruited in the study. All the patients were subjected to erbium-YAG laser sessions. The number of laser sessions, fluence, frequency and other parameters were individualized as per the respective dermatosis. The clinical response was evaluated as grade 4 (100% lesion clearance), grade 3 (75–99%), grade 2 (50–75%) or grade 1 (<50%). Results: The overall mean age of our study group was 37.70 years. In our study, 52.38% cases of verruca plana, 36.84% cases of seborrheic keratosis, 56.4% cases of xanthelasma palpebrarum, 22% cases of acquired melanocytic nevus, 23.8% cases of plantar wart and 40% cases of sebaceous hyperplasia showed complete clearance. The most common adverse effect was post-laser erythema in 50.4% of cases, followed by pain in 36.8%. Besides this, scarring and dyspigmentation were observed in 11.6% and 12% of cases, respectively. The rate of recurrence on 3 months follow-up was 9 (23.07%) cases in xanthelasma palpebrarum, 11 (28.9%) cases in seborrheic keratosis, 10 (23.8%) cases in verruca plana and 9 (42.8%) cases in plantar warts. Conclusion: This study suggested that erbium-YAG ablation achieved good results for superficial lesions like verruca plana, seborrheic keratosis, xanthelasma palpebrarum, plantar wart, sebaceous hyperplasia and acquired melanocytic nevus. Thus, Er: YAG laser can offer a one-step procedure with better cosmetic results and a lesser rate of recurrence