Evaluation of Etiological Factors in Patients with Chronic Urticaria

In the last few decades, increasing understanding of the pathomechanisms involved in chronic urticaria has highlighted the heterogeneity of different subtypes, and chronic urticaria is now classified as chronic spontaneous urticaria and inducible urticaria. Although many factors are thought to be involved in chronic urticaria, the etiology is yet to be clarified. The purpose of this study was to investigate etiological factors in patients with chronic urticaria.Five hundred patients with chronic urticaria, 351 women and 149 men, were studied for etiological factors. The autologous serum skin test was performed on 197 patients. Provocation testing for physical urticaria was performed on 354 patients. Patients with acute urticaria were excluded from the study.  We determined at least one focus of infection that might be involved in the etiology of the disease in 18.8% of cases. Patients with infections were treated, and symptoms resolved after treatment in six cases (5.3%). Autologous serum skin tests were positive in 125 patients (63.5%). Provocation tests for physical urticaria were positive in 131 (37%) patients with urticaria. We suggest that physical stimuli and autoantibodies play an important role in the etiopathogenesis of urticaria.</p

Evaluation of Etiological Factors in Patients with Chronic Urticaria

In the last few decades, increasing understanding of the pathomechanisms involved in chronic urticaria has highlighted the heterogeneity of different subtypes, and chronic urticaria is now classified as chronic spontaneous urticaria and inducible urticaria. Although many factors are thought to be involved in chronic urticaria, the etiology is yet to be clarified. The purpose of this study was to investigate etiological factors in patients with chronic urticaria.Five hundred patients with chronic urticaria, 351 women and 149 men, were studied for etiological factors. The autologous serum skin test was performed on 197 patients. Provocation testing for physical urticaria was performed on 354 patients. Patients with acute urticaria were excluded from the study.  We determined at least one focus of infection that might be involved in the etiology of the disease in 18.8% of cases. Patients with infections were treated, and symptoms resolved after treatment in six cases (5.3%). Autologous serum skin tests were positive in 125 patients (63.5%). Provocation tests for physical urticaria were positive in 131 (37%) patients with urticaria. We suggest that physical stimuli and autoantibodies play an important role in the etiopathogenesis of urticaria.</p

Baboon syndrome and segmental vitiligo coexistence

The baboon syndrome is a form of systemic contact dermatitis with skin eruptions in the area of the buttocks and major flexures. Inhalation of mercury vapor causes this rare but distinctive eruption. Broken thermometers are the usual sources of exposure. We hereby present a 14-year-old boy diagnosed with baboon syndrome coexistence with vitiligo, due to broken thermometers. In our case, it was interesting that erythematous eruptions were more evident on the vitiliginous side of the trunk. To our knowledge, there have been no reports in the literature of baboon syndrome and vitiligo coexistence

A case of Scabies with Lesions Resembling Perforating Folliculitis and Uremic Pruritus

Scabies is an infestation caused by Sarcoptes scabiei and characterised by polymorphous lesions that may include burrows, papules, pustules, crusts and excoriations. Several pruritic diseases may be confused with scabies. Herein, we present a case of scabies with lesions resembling perforating folliculitis diagnosed on the basis of both clinical and histopathological view. A 72-year-old man with type 2 diabetes mellitus and receiving hemodialysis for ten years due to end-stage renal disease was admitted to our dermatology department with a 6-month history of severe pruritus. Based on the results of skin biopsy revealing Sarcoptes scabiei in the epidermis, the patient was diagnosed as scabies and was successfully treated with 5% permethrin. This case is presented to emphasize that scabies should be considered in the differential diagnosis in cases of chronic pruritus. (Turkderm 2010; 44: 164-6

Scabies mimicking mastocytosis in two infants

Scabies is a common parasitic human infection in infants and children. However, diagnostic pitfalls are frequent in infants, in whom the clinical presentation is usually atypical and different from that in adults. In nodular scabies, lesions may be clinically or histologically misdiagnosed as Langerhans cell histiocytosis, insect bite reaction, non-Langerhans cell histiocytosis, lymphoma, or urticaria pigmentosa

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

A novel approach in psoriasis: first usage of known protein oxidation markers to prove oxidative stress

Oxidative stress may play a pivotal role in the pathogenesis of psoriasis, an inflammatory/hyperproliferative skin disease characterized by the cutaneous accumulation of neutrophils releasing reactive oxygen species, as revealed in a number of studies. This study was performed to demonstrate the presence of oxidative stress in psoriasis, as measured by protein oxidation markers. Twenty-nine psoriasis patients were selected based on disease severity assessment using body surface area as well as the psoriasis area severity index (PASI), and were grouped as mild (PASI a parts per thousand currency sign 10) and moderate-to-severe (PASI > 10). The measured parameters in psoriatic patients and fourteen healthy volunteers were as follows: erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR), high sensitive C-reactive protein (CRP), myeloperoxidase (MPO) activity, neopterin, total lipid hydroperoxides (LHP), pyrrolized protein (PP), protein carbonyl compounds (PCC), advanced oxidation protein products (AOPP), thiol levels, along with complete blood count. Except lower thiols, all parameters were found to be higher in total patients as well as in subgroups, compared to controls. There was no significant difference among the subgroups. In conclusion, protein oxidation in psoriatics, not only in moderate-to-severe, but also in mild patients, may be explained by the findings of inflammation, phagocytic cell oxidation, and MPO-hypochlorous acid-oxidation reactions; as reflected by increased total/differential leucocytes counts, CRP, ESR as well as MPO, neopterin, AOPP, PCC, PP, LHP, and decreased thiol levels. Demonstrating the AOPP and PP formation for the first time, oxidants from active neutrophils/monocytes may play an important role in the pathogenesis of psoriasis, leading to oxidative stress, especially by protein oxidation