Short term and long term issues are described Short-term: Exogenous ochronosis. It is a possible side effect from prolonged use of hydroquinone, especially at concentrations higher than 4% It has also been described for resorcinol, phenols (such as rhododenol), oral antimalarials. It is due to inhibition of homogentisic acid by hydroquinone. On histology, the following…
In some societies, skin colour is seen as important in social positioning. It is a common problem in darker skin types (IV to VI). The lighter the skin the better. In India it can determine the perceived “caste” to which an individual would belong. As a historical feature of interest, in Victorian times it was…
Vitiligo affects 2 to 3% of the population. Although useful treatments exist (topicals, phototherapy, grafting) it doesn’t always response and segmental vilitgo if particularyl challenging. In resistant cases it might be useful to fully integrate the importance of camuouflaging: it can be temporary (make up, self tanning creams…) or permannt (tattoos…) In a study…
Thyroid dysfunction comprises hypothyroidism and hyperthryoidism. Autoantibodies against thyroglobulin and thyroperoxidase are found and the thyroid can still remian functional (normal levels of TSH + F4) 4-21% of patients have these autoantibodies The prospective study (626 patients) found that: 21% had thyroid stigma (n=131) subclinical hypothyroidsism was found in 51 patients Results suggest that…
Does food have an impact on sebeaceous glands ? Sebacous glands appear to play another role: They concentrate and metabolize food stuffs More precisely, they concentrate exogeneous compounds (xenobiotics) from foods The liver appears not to play its role of the liver which would normally be expected to metabolize these foodstuffs. The sebocyte would therefore…
Bleomycin is a chemotherapeutical cancer treatment generally for soft cell neoplasia Incidence of bleomycin-induced hyperpigmentation would reach 20% of all patients taking bleomycin The authors describe the case of a 23 year old woman who had ovarian dysgerminome. Treatment of bleomycin was given at a dosage of 30mg every week. 4 weeks after beginning the…
The study compares trichloroacetic acid (TCA): treatment applied every 2 weeks up to 8sessions vs double frequency Q-switched Nd;YAG laser (1064nm and 532nm): treatment done once a month up to 6 sessions Methods (and comments) 65 adult female patients were included Wood’s light to determine depth (sometimes unreliable) Evaluation through MASI: not reliable (Link) Follow…
The authors introduce the “DP-3 unifying concept”: acts on melanogenesis and melanosome transfer Study Formulation was applied twice daily in 33 women aged 31 to 68 Methods used and comments MASI: unreliable (Link) Physician global assessment (PGA) Photographic assessment: although it is claimed that a “significant depigmenting effect was demonstrated”, the pictures are not very…
Axillary hyperpigmentation is a common complaint among darker skin types. After having excluded postinflammatory hyperpigmentation (PIH), acanthosis nigricans (and pseudo-acanthosis nigricans), and done the necessary investigations there comes the time when a treatment option is asked by the patient. Study from India. Effect of topical 2% kojic acid + desonide 0.05%. Method: Double blind (triple…
In the study use of either pimecrolimus 1% cream on one lesion twice a day or mometasone furoate 0,1% ointment on a second lesion in the evening or pimecrolimus 5 days a week and 2 days with mometasone furoate on a third lesion Randomized control study: included 50 children aged 2 to 18 treatment was…
