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Background: Pityriasis rosea (PR) is a common, self-limiting dermatologic disorder. The information regarding the clinical profile of the disease in India is limited because of inadequate studies. Materials and Methods: A retrospective, record-based study on the clinical presentation of PR was conducted in a tertiary care center based in Central India. Data of all the patients presenting to our outpatient department from October 2014 to March 2015 with a clinical diagnosis of PR were analyzed. Results: The age of the patients ranged from 9 to 54 (mean-20.32) years. There was a male preponderance with a male-to-female ratio of 1.3:1. History of prodromal symptoms was present in 11 (27.5%) patients. Pruritus was a common symptom in 30 of 40 (75%) patients. Of 40 patients, 15 (35%) had herald patch. The morphology of skin lesions was typical in most of the patients (77.5%). Two (5%) patients had papular skin lesions, four (10%) patients had erythema multiforme-like skin lesions, and one patient each had papulovesicular, psoriasiform, and eczematous skin lesions. Conclusion: The clinical features of most of the cases were mostly in accordance with the classical pattern of PR, with few unusual features.

Background: Psoriasis has well-known associations with individual components of metabolic syndrome such as hypertension, dyslipidemia, insulin resistance, and obesity. Traditional anthropometric measurements of obesity such as waist circumference (WC) and body mass index (BMI) do not differentiate between subcutaneous fat and visceral fat, the latter being associated with cardiovascular risk factors. Lipid accumulation product (LAP) index is a measure of visceral fat and has been found to be a better predictor of cardiovascular risk. However, LAP index has not been well-studied in psoriasis patients. Aims and Objectives: Our objective was to find out if LAP index differs significantly between psoriasis patients and controls and whether LAP index shows a correlation with duration and severity of psoriasis. Materials and Methods: A case–control study was undertaken with 40 chronic plaque psoriasis patients and 42 controls. BMI and LAP index were calculated for all the patients and controls. Psoriasis area severity index (PASI) was calculated for all the psoriasis patients. Mann–Whitney U-test was done for comparing the age, BMI, WC, serum triglyceride, and LAP index between the cases and controls and to compare the LAP index between mild psoriasis and moderate-to-severe psoriasis groups. Spearman's correlation coefficient was used to assess the correlation of LAP index with duration of psoriasis and with PASI. Logistic regression models were done to assess the risk factors in psoriasis. Results: A statistically significant difference was observed between the LAP index of controls (23.79 ± 13.02) and that of psoriasis patients (46.42 ± 27.2). LAP index was significantly higher in the moderate-to-severe psoriasis group as compared to the mild psoriasis group. LAP index was a significant risk factor associated with psoriasis (OR = 1.07; 95% CI: 1.03 – 1.11). Conclusion: Calculation of LAP index in psoriasis patients helps in identification of more individuals at high risk of cardiovascular morbidity than traditional anthropometric measurements of obesity.

Background: Health care–associated methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus(HA-MRSA) are resistant to multiple antibiotics, therefore infections caused by them are difficult to treat resulting in high morbidity and mortality. While most of the research activities and public health initiatives are focused on HA-MRSA, the newly emerging pathogen, community-associated methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus(CA-MRSA) is gaining in significance in respect to patient morbidity. There is a significant paucity of data regarding CA-MRSA in the developing parts of the world. Aim: To study the proportions of HA-MRSA and CA-MRSA infections among patients with culture-proven S. aureus infection and to find out how many of these patients showed presence of MRSA in nasal cultures of healthy contacts. Materials and Methods: Clinical details of 227 patients were recorded in the study, such as the duration and recurrence of the infection, history of antibiotic intake, and the presence of other medical illnesses. A pus swab was taken from each lesion and sent for culture and sensitivity. If the culture grew S. aureus, they were screened for methicillin resistance. A swab from the anterior nares of the healthy contact of each patient, whenever available, was collected and it was screened for MRSA. Results: Furunculosis was most common among the primary pyodermas (53/134; 39. 5%). Out of 239 pus culture samples obtained from 227 patients, 192 (84.58%) grew S. aureus; of these 150 (78.12%) were methicillin-sensitive S. aureus (MSSA), whereas 42 (21.98%) were MRSA. Out of the 42 MRSA isolated, 33 turned out to be CA-MRSA (78%) and 9 (22%) were HA-MRSA. Nasal swabs of healthy contacts of 34 MRSA patients were cultured. Out of them, two grew MRSA in the culture. Conclusion: The isolation rate of S. aureus was high in our study. Furthermore, our study, although hospital based, clearly indicated the substantial magnitude of the CA-MRSA problem in the local population.

Background: Autologous serum skin test (ASST) is a simple in-vivo clinical test for the detection of basophil histamine releasing activity and to diagnose chronic autoimmune urticaria (CAU) among chronic spontaneous urticaria (CSU) patients. Diagnosing these patients is also important as they may need high doses of antihistamines and systemic corticosteroids during acute exacerbations. Aims and Objectives: The aim of this study is to study the prevalence of CAU among cases of CSU by using ASST. Materials and Methods: This was a cross-sectional study done among 48 patients presenting with CSU. Detailed history, physical examination and routine investigations were recorded for all patients. ASST was done on all the 48 patients. Results: Of the 48 patients included in the study, 20 patients (41.6%) were ASST positive, while the remaining 28 (58%) were ASST negative. The median duration of disease in both ASST positive and negative patients was 1 year. ASST positivity was higher (66.6%) among patients with a history of round shaped weals, though not statistically significant. ASST positivity was seen in 5 (71.4%) out of seven patients with systemic involvement, which was again not statistically significant. Conclusion: Our study did not show any significant difference between patients with and without antibodies regarding mean age and sex distribution, clinical morphology of individual weals, duration, severity, systemic symptoms, angioedema, atopy, and association with other autoimmune conditions.

Mucous membrane pemphigoid describes a rare heterogeneous group of chronic, inflammatory, mucous membrane-dominated, subepithelial blistering diseases that manifest a varying constellation of oral, ocular, skin, genital, nasopharyngeal, esophageal, and laryngeal lesions. Life-threatening airway obstruction and sight-threatening ocular scarring can occur in this condition, which is rarely reported in Indian literature. Vitiligo is another acquired autoimmune disorder characterized by loss of melanocytes. Vitiligo is associated with a number of disorders also considered to be autoimmune. Here we report a very rare coexistence of MMP and vitiligo, the first such report from India.

Gorlin-Goltz syndrome or nevoid basal cell carcinoma syndrome is characterized by multiple basocellular epitheliomas, keratocysts in the jaws, bifid ribs, palmar and/or plantar pits and ectopic calcifications of the falx cerebri. We describe a case of Gorlin-Goltz syndrome illustrating the importance of a thorough examination including the examination of palms and soles and detailed investigations in a patient having lesions suggestive of basal cell carcinoma and multiple naevi.

Sir,A 30-year-old male presented with roughness, ridging, flattening, and opacity of all the fingernails and six of the toenails since the last two years [Figure 1]. In the beginning, these changes appeared only in two fingernails; then other nails became involved and the degree of involvement increased in severity. On detailed examination of the patient, multiple violaceous flat papules and plaques were found on the left side of his trunk in a dermatomal distribution [Figure 2]. Similar lesions were not found anywhere else in the body. Oral and genital mucosa were normal. According to him, these lesions appeared around 3 months back. Routine hematological and biochemical examinations were within normal limits. A skin biopsy done from one of the skin lesions showed basal cell degeneration, interface lymphocytic infiltrate, and melanin incontinence. Therefore a diagnosis of segmental or zosteriform lichen planus in association with 20-nail dystrophy was made [Figure 3]. The patient was started on systemic corticosteroids and antihistamines.Twenty-nail dystrophy is characterized by a spectrum of nail plate abnormalities that leads to nail roughness or trachyonychia. It can be idiopathic or may be associated with lichen planus, psoriasis, alopecia areata, ichthyosis vulgaris, eczema, vitiligo, primary biliary cirrhosis, IgA deficiency, and graft-versus-host disease.