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This study aimed to assess and compare the clinical efficacy and safety of a triple combination treatment using 2940 nm Er:YAG laser, triamcinolone acetonide solution combined with either 308 nm excimer laser or 0.1% tacrolimus for the treatment of stable segmental vitiligo. Patients with stable segmental vitiligo were randomly divided into two groups and received a 5‐month treatment with 2940 nm Er:YAG laser followed by triamcinolone acetonide and, either 308 nm excimer laser (Group A, N = 8) or 0.1% tacrolimus (Group B, N = 13). General information and imaging data were collected before and at 1 month after treatments. Marked repigmentation and overall repigmentation rates were analyzed and any adverse skin reactions were recorded. Both treatments significantly reduced the percent of skin lesions per total body surface area (p < 0.05) and no significant differences in repigmentation were observed between the two groups (p > 0.05). The marked repigmentation rate of Group A was 42.11% and overall repigmentation rate was 94.74%, while for Group B these rates were 51.16% and 100%, respectively. There were no significant differences in the number of fingertip units at each time point (p > 0.05). While there was a significant effect for time on the number of fingertip units without considering other factors (p < 0.05), the time x treatment interaction was not significant (p > 0.05). One Group A patient developed adverse reactions consisting of erythema, burning sensation and blisters and one Group B patient developed mild erythema and burning sensations. Both treatments demonstrated a high level of efficacy and safety in the treatment of stable segmental vitiligo. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background. Granuloma annulare (GA) and sarcoidosis are granulomatous inflammatory diseases that share similarities. Objective. To identify the histological and immunohistochemical (IHC) features of GA and sarcoidosis. Methods. A retrospective review of 36 patients with GA and 26 with sarcoidosis was performed. Results from hematoxylin and eosin (H&E) staining and IHC staining of MMP-9 and pSTAT1 within the skin lesions of GA and sarcoidosis were analyzed, and random forest was applied for developing a predictive model. Results. Significantly greater expressions of MMP-9 (especially in elastic fibers, EFs, P < 0.0001) and pSTAT1 (P = 0.0003) were observed in lesion samples of GA versus sarcoidosis patients. In GA patients, MMP-9 was significantly upregulated in the interstitial type (P = 0.0222), while staining of pSTAT1 was positively correlated with the area of mucinous collagen in palisading GA (R = 0.5356 , P = 0.0484). In sarcoidosis patients, MMP-9 (R = − 0.7127 , P = 0.0009) and pSTAT1 (R = − 0.5604 , P = 0.0067) were found to show stronger expressions in lesions with less lymphocyte infiltration. The predictive model demonstrated an AUC of 0.9675. Conclusion. These results indicate that MMP-9 and pSTAT1 might exert roles in granulomatous inflammation in different modes, and the presence of more robust MMP-9 staining in EFs appears to be more suggestive of GA. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Genital warts acquired during pregnancy tend to grow fast, and management is challenging. We treated two cases of primipara with extensive genital warts by local hyperthermia at 44°C for 30 minutes a day for 3 consecutive days plus 2 additional days 1 week later, then once a week till there showed signs of clinical regression. The warty lesions in the patients resolved in 5 and 7 weeks, respectively. There was no sign of recurrence during a 6-month follow-up. This suggests that local hyperthermia seems to be a promising method for treating genital warts in pregnant women. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]