Guidelines for the management of tinea capitis in children

Practice guidelines for the treatment of tinea capitis (TC) from the European Society for Pediatric Dermatology are presented. Tinea capitis always requires systemic treatment because topical antifungal agents do not penetrate the hair follicle. Topical treatment is only used as adjuvant therapy to systemic antifungals. The newer oral antifungal agents including terbinafine, itraconazole, and fluconazole appear to have efficacy rates and potential adverse effects similar to those of griseofulvin in children with TC caused by Trichophyton species, while requiring a much shorter duration of treatment. They may be, however, more expensive (Grading of recommendation A; strength of evidence 1a). Griseofulvin is still the treatment of choice for cases caused by Microsporum species. Its efficacy is superior to that of terbinafine (Grading of recommendation A; strength of evidence 1b), and although its efficacy and treatment duration is matched by fluconazole (Grading of recommendation A; strength of evidence 1b) and itraconazole (Grading of recommendation A; strength of evidence 1b), griseofulvin is cheaper. It must be noted, however, that griseofulvin is nowadays not available in certain European countries (e.g., Belgium, Greece, Portugal, and Turkey). © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc

Rosacea fulminans in pregnancy - Case report and review of the literature

Rosacea fulminans is a rare disease of unknown cause which occurs exclusively in women years after adolescence. Although the etiology is unknown, immunologic, hormonal, and vascular factors have been suggested. When rosacea fulminans occurs during pregnancy and in women taking oral contraceptive pills, hormonal factors may be a trigger. Rosacea fulminans is localized specifically to the face, with the chin, cheeks, and forehead bearing the brunt of the attack. A dull red, cyanotic erythema of all involved facial areas, extending beyond the inflammatory nodules, is typical

Clinical evaluation of roxithromycin: A double-blind, placebo-controlled and crossover trial in patients with acne vulgaris

We clinically evaluated roxithromycin (ROM) in a double blind, placebo-controlled, and crossover trial in patients with inflammatory acne. Patients with inflammatory acne who were attending our outpatient clinic for treatment and who had not received topical or systemic treatment for the previous month were enrolled in this study. Patients were randomly separated into two groups. Group I consisted of 26 patients. The patients received 2 x 150 mg/day ROM orally in the first period and 2 x I placebo tablets/day in the second period. Group 11 consisted of 20 patients. These patients received 2 x I placebo tablets/day in the first period and 2 x 150 mg/day ROM orally in the second period. The first period was the first four weeks, and then there was a washout period of two weeks (5th and 6th). The second period was the next four weeks (7th to 10th weeks) after the washout period. Median acne scores had clearly decreased in both groups at the end of the study. Differences of median acne scores were statistically significant in both groups between at baseline and at the end of the study (p< 0.001). The results showed that ROM is a safe and effective alternative in the treatment of inflammatory acne with few side effects and good compliance

Dermatological Findings in Turkish Paediatric Haematology-Oncology Patients.

OBJECTIVE: Diagnoses of skin, mucosae, hair and nail manifestations in malignant diseases are often challenging because of life-threatening drug reactions, opportunistic infections or skin involvement of primary processes. Description of morphology, configuration and distribution of lesions is important in order to differentiate the self-healing eruptions from serious side effects of chemotherapy. There are case reports from Turkey including dermatological manifestations of malignancies and case series in adult patients but there are no published large group studies assessing all manifestations in children. The aim of this study was to evaluate the morphological features of dermatological findings in children with haemato-oncological diseases. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The study was performed at the Erciyes University, Faculty of Medicine Pediatric Hematology-Oncology Clinic, Turkey. Three dermatologists daily consulted all patients admitted to the clinic during a one-year period. RESULTS: The study group comprised of 157 children (79 female/78 male) aged 1–16 years (mean 7.19±4.63). Detailed dermatological examinations were performed, including oral-genital mucosae, hair and nails. Thorough skin examination revealed that 70% of the patients exhibited at least one dermatological finding. Generalized xerosis and hyperpigmentation were the most common findings among patients undergoing chemotherapy (24.19%). Multiple nevi on at least 10 covered areas were very frequent among patients undergoing long-term chemotherapy (18.47%). Three were identified as dysplastic nevus, but malignant transformation was not observed during the one-year study period. CONCLUSION: Regular dermatological consultation may help resolve the diagnostic and therapeutic problems in paediatric haemato-oncology clinics