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Background: Acquired perforating dermatosis (APD) comprises an uncommon group of skin disorders that develop in adulthood in association with systemic diseases. The aim of this study was to characterize clinicopathologic features and treatment outcomes in a series of patients diagnosed with APD. Methods: Retrospective study of all patients diagnosed with an APD over a 10‐year period (2009–2018) at a tertiary teaching hospital in Lisbon, Portugal. Results: Fifty‐seven patients with APD were identified. Thirty‐five patients presented lesions in multiple anatomic areas (61.4%), and the lower limbs were the most common location. Forty‐six patients reported pruritus (80.7%), which was classified as severe in 21 of them (36.8%). An underlying systemic disease was identified in 53 patients (93.0%). Diabetes mellitus (DM) and chronic kidney disease (CKD) were the most common associated systemic diseases, but psychiatric disorders, malignancies, and chronic infections were present in a significant number of patients. The combination of topical steroids with antihistamines was the most prescribed initial treatment, but only 37.8% of the patients had a complete response. Acitretin, systemic steroids, and phototherapy were the treatments associated with the best outcome. Conclusion: Acquired perforating dermatosis can be associated with many systemic disorders that have pruritus as a common factor. Chronic viral infections and an occult malignancy should be sought, particularly in the absence of DM and CKD. The management of APD is challenging and is best achieved with the control of the underlying systemic diseases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The differential diagnosis of long-lasting erythematous skin nodules in patients living in Africa is broad. We report a clinical case of a 65-year-old Caucasian male, living in a Southern African Country, presenting to our department with an eight- -month history of erythematous skin nodules on the trunk and limbs. The diagnosis was B-pseudolymphoma and we discuss its aetiology and differential diagnosis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Lyme disease is the tick-borne disease with highest incidence in Europe and North America. Climate change seems to be modifying its geographic distribution, with spreading of endemic areas. Simultaneously, an increasingly number of cases is being diagnosed as the knowledge of its clinical presentations is growing. Most individuals come to the Dermatology visit after a tick bite or with lesions diagnosed as erythema migrans. Other cutaneous clinical presentations, like borrelial lymphocytoma and acrodermatitis chronica atrophicans, are rare. In the presence of a tick bite, doctors should remove it from the body surface and perform clinical vigilance for a period of at least 30 days. Prophylactic antibiotic therapy is not recommended in Europe. Preventive measures as the use of protective clothing in endemic areas should be promoted. The diagnosis of erythema migrans is clinical and first line antibiotic therapy is doxyxycline, which has a high success rate. Serologic tests are essential for the diagnosis of less common cutaneous presentations. Histopathologic examination of skin biopsies also supports the diagnosis. Prompt treatment allows faster and greater improvement, with less irreversible lesions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Genital herpes is a sexually transmitted infection with high global prevalence. Atypical clinical presentations of herpetic infection are rare but are becoming increasingly frequent due to the growing number of immunosuppressed patients. Therapy is challenging, with a longer treatment duration being frequently needed and an important resistance rate to the common anti-viral agents. Foscarnet and cidofovir are effective alternatives. In this article we review three atypical cutaneous presentations of herpetic infection, selected by their relevance in clinical practice: hypertrophic lesions, chronic ulcers and herpetic folliculitis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Trichomonas vaginalis and Mycoplasma genitalium: age-specific prevalence and disease burden in men attending a sexually transmitted infections clinic in Amsterdam, the Netherlands. Comparative prevalence of infection with Trichomonas vaginalis among men attending a sexually transmitted diseases clinic. From our clinic, TV infection in men seems to be less frequent than in the published literature.2,5 This is not related to diagnostic methods, as we routinely conduct multiplex PCR for STI diagnosis and screening. [Extracted from the article]

Introduction: Herpes zoster (HZ) is caused by the varicella zoster virus, with an estimated incidence in the general population of 3.64 cases per 1000 person-years. Its incidence increases in older age and immunosuppression states such as infection with the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and malignancy. Material and methods: The authors reviewed the literature in order to study the correlation between the diagnosis of HZ and occult malignancy or HIV infection. Results: In most of the studies, the evidence clearly points to the existence of an association between HZ and occult malignancy, however, the flaws of the study designs preclude the extrapolation of guidelines for clinical practice. In developed countries, data suggests that HZ has a predictive value for HIV infection only in individuals belonging to high risk groups. In countries with limited resources for HIV screening, HZ may serve as a sentinel disease to help in the decision of taking the exam, especially in endemic areas. Conclusion: There are few practical recommendations for what complementary investigation should be offered to patients with HZ. It is necessary to conduct more studies to ascertain if the implementation of sometimes complex or invasive complementary examinations is cost-effective. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Dermatomyositis (DM) is a multisystemic inflammatory disease that has been associated with neoplastic disease. Objectives: To assess the clinical/laboratory data in a series of patients with DM and identify association with malignancy. Material and Methods: Retrospective study of DM in-patient files between 1965 and 2011. All patients with DM diagnosis, admitted to our department were only included if they fulfilled at least four of the five Bohan and Peter diagnostic criteria. Malignancy was considered associated with DM only if its diagnosis had preceded or followed the DM diagnosis by up to three years. Data were analyzed with a significance level of 5%. Results: 33 patients fulfilled the inclusion criteria for DM, with a median age of 56 years old (s= 14.329) and female to male ratio of 1.36:1. Neoplastic disease was associated with DM in 30%, predominantly colorectal and prostatic cancer (each one representing 30% of the malignancies) and the majority of these patients were men (p=0.042 in Fisher s exact test). In the group of DM associated with malignancy, the patients tended to be older than in the group not associated with malignancy. In 70% of these patients, malignancy was diagnosed simultaneously or in the first year after DM diagnosis. Conclusions: This study emphasizes the association between malignant disease and DM within a short period of time around the diagnosis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]