Behçet’s Disease and Pregnancy

Behçet’s disease (BD) is a rare, chronic, multisystemic, vasculitic disease of unknown etiology. BD is characterized by recurrent oral and genital ulcers and ocular inflammation. This systemic vasculitis may also involve the joints, skin, vascular, gastrointestinal, urogenital, and central nervous system and is associated with hypercoagulability. Disease onset is commonly around the third decade of life and has a higher prevalence along the ancient “silk route.” Because the disease is often diagnosed in women of childbearing age, disease activity during pregnancy and any adverse effect on obstetric and neonatal outcomes deserve special attention. Previous retrospective studies have demonstrated that BD activity usually regresses in pregnancy because of the immunomodulatory effects of both estrogen and progesterone. Furthermore, previous reports from different countries indicate that the disease course of BD during pregnancy may vary from patient to patient and even during different pregnancies in the same woman. In this chapter, we emphasize the course of the BD and pregnancy outcomes

Skin manifestations following anti-COVID-19 vaccination: A multicentricstudy from Turkey

Purpose: After the emergence of the pandemic caused by the COVID-19 virus, vaccination with various vaccines has started to be implemented across the world. To identify dermatological reactions developing after the COVID-19 vaccines administered in Turkey and determine their clinical features and risk factors that may play a role in their development. Materials and Methods: The study included patients aged ≥18 years, who presented to 13 different dermatology clinics in Turkey between July 2021 and September 2021 after developing dermatological reactions following the administration of the COVID-19 vaccine. After providing written consent, the patients were asked to complete a standard survey including questions related to age, gender, occupation, comorbidities, the regular medication used, the onset of cutaneous reactions after vaccination, and localization of reactions. Dermatological reactions were categorized according to whether they developed after the first or second dose of the vaccine or whether they occurred after the inactivated or messenger RNA (mRNA) vaccine. The relationship between dermatological reactions and some variables such as gender and comorbidities was also evaluated. Results: A total of 269 patients [116 women (43.1%), 153 men (56.9%)] were included in the study. It was observed that the dermatological diseases and reactions that most frequently developed after vaccination were urticaria (25.7%), herpes zoster (24.9%), maculopapular eruption (12.3%), and pityriasis rosea (4.5%). The rate of dermatological reactions was 60.6% after the administration of the mRNA vaccine and 39.4% after that of the inactivated vaccine. There was a statistically significantly higher number of reactions among the patients that received the mRNA vaccine (p = 0.001). Conclusion: The most common reactions in our sample were urticaria, herpes zoster, and maculopapular eruption. Physicians should know the dermatological side effects of COVID-19 vaccines and their clinical features

Assessment of systemic inflammation with neutrophil-lymphocyte ratio in lichen planus

Introduction: Lichen planus (LP) is a papulosquamous eruption of the skin and mucous membranes. Although the exact pathogenesis of the disease remains unclear, it is believed that LP represents an inflammatory disorder. Neutrophil-lymphocyte (N/L) ratio is considered a systemic inflammatory marker that correlated with severity of the diseases. Aim : To investigate whether N/L ratio increases in LP and may be an independent severity marker for LP lesions. Material and methods : White blood cell (WBC), neutrophil and lymphocyte counts, N/L ratio, erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) and C-reactive protein (CRP) were statistically compared between the patient (n = 55) and the control group (n = 48). The relationship of N/L ratio and the body surface area (BSA) was assessed. Results : Erythrocyte sedimentation rate and CRP were statistically higher in patients with LP than in controls (p < 0.0001). Our analysis revealed a significantly higher level of N/L ratio in patients with LP compared with controls, respectively (2.5 ±1.1 (1.2–7.3) vs. 1.4 ±0.4 (0.8–2.7), p < 0.0001). Body surface area (p = 0.001), CRP (p = 0.006), and ESR (p = 0.003) were identified as possible predictors of N/L ratio, but only BSA (p = 0.002) and ESR (p = 0.003)were found as significant independent predictors in a multiple linear regression model. Conclusions : The inflammatory process in LP was supported by our results. N/L ratio may have an impact to show the inflammatory status in patients with LP as an inexpensive, simple and effective predictor. It may be used for the severity and treatment option of LP. But, N/L ratio and LP relationship could be confirmed by other large prospective studies

Has the COVID-19 pandemic changed attitudes and behaviors concerning cosmetic care and procedures among patients presenting to the dermatology outpatient clinic? A multicenter study with 1437 participants

Background The rate of cosmetic procedures and use of skincare products is considered to be affected during the pandemic period; however, this has not been investigated yet. Objective To determine whether the ongoing pandemic has changed people's habits related to skincare products and cosmetic procedures. Methods We conducted a multicenter survey study covering both private and public hospitals. Sociodemographic characteristics and clinical diagnoses of the patients were noted by dermatologists. A survey was used to determine the type and application areas of skincare products and cosmetic procedures before and during the pandemic, whether the patients were concerned about being infected, and any change in the make-up habits of female patients. Results Of the 1437 patients, 86.7% presented to the hospital due to dermatological complaints and 13.3% for cosmetic procedures. The rate of those that did not use skincare products was 0.05% before and 0.06% during the pandemic. Of the participants, 43.2% had undergone cosmetic procedures before and 38.1% during the pandemic. For both periods, the most frequent cosmetic procedure applied was laser epilation, followed by skincare treatment and chemical peeling. While undergoing these procedures, 34.9% of the patients were concerned about contracting coronavirus. Conclusion There was no significant difference in the use of skincare products and cosmetic procedures before and during the pandemic. The majority of the patients continued to undergo these procedures despite their fear of being infected. This shows that during the pandemic period, patients are concerned with their appearance and continue to undergo cosmetic procedures and pay attention to their skincare