Vol 13, No 4 (2010)

Systemic diseases as a cause of pruritis are recorded in 10-50% of patients seeking medical advance for itch. When pruritis appears in the presence of a systemic disease (renal, hepatic, hematological, and endocrine diseases, malignancies), the patient's skin exhibits only secondary morphological elements, such as excoriations, that may be secondarily infected, and dyschromia. Screening laboratory tests and instrumental and additional studies are used to reveal causes of pruritis. Its various causes in systemic diseases are assumed, which makes it difficult to search for adequate and effective medical measures to reduce pruritis.

The paper considers some mechanisms that are common to lipoid necrobiosis (LN) and endocrine pathology. It gives two examples of successful treatment for LN developing long before diabetes mellitus and thyroid disease.

The paper describes a clinical case of the rare dermatosis folliculitis et perifolliculitis capitis abscedens et suffodiens (Hoffmann) in a 25-year-old man and its treatment using high-intensity laser irradiation in combination with topical agents - gel containing 10% epigallocatechin-3-gallate (Galaderm). A positive result has been first obtained as complete clinical resolution.

The paper considers the epidemiology, etiopathogenesis, clinical manifestations, current methods for the diagnosis and treatment of angiokeratoma corporis diffusum (Fabry's disease) and presents the authors' clinical observations.

According to investigators' data, about 2% of the world's population suffers from allergic contact dermatitis (ACD) now. The incidence of contact allergy reduces at the age of over 40 years, i.e. the most socially active portion of the population is afflicted by this condition, sensitization to a few provoking factors occurs in every 6 patients. The pathogenesis of ACD has been currently inadequately studied; however, ACD is a delayed allergic reaction. As of now, indications for allergy tests have not defined in dermatological practice due to the fact that there are neither clear clinicoanamnestic criteria nor a unified systemized diagnostic approach, which in turn affects the timely choice of a correct treatment method. To study the etiology and pathogenesis of allergic dermatosis and to improve therapy methods remain one of the most urgent tasks for modern dermatology.

The paper gives data on a 42-year-old female patient with vulvar pseudocondyloma (VP), who have been invited to be examined due to her husband having giant condyloma of Buschke-Loewenstein. Polymerase chain reaction of pseudocondyloma tissue has revealed no human papillomavirus DNA. It is emphasized that VP is a variant of the norm.

The paper presents a currently approach to eximer laser therapy for alopecia areata. It shows changes in the microcirculatory bed in this disease and their trends under the action of eximer laser.