Retinoids are nonsteroidal hormonal compounds related to retinol. They were discovered more than 50 years ago and have various biologic effects. The oral retinoids currently used in dermatology have different indications and include isotretinoin, acitretin, bexarotene, and alitretinoin. We present the case of a patient who developed thrombocytopenia that was probably induced by acitretin. The p...

Retinoids Cyclosporin A Erythroderma Psoriasis A.L.A. Kuijpers, Department of Dermatology, University Hospital Nijmegen, PO Box 9101, NL-6500 HB Nijmegen (The Netherlands) Psoriatic erythroderma is a serious condition which requires a fast response to therapy, preferably during an in-patient treatment. Therapeutic options include various topical treatments and photo(chemo)-therapy, but in most ...

Natural and synthetic retinoids have proved to be effective in the treatment and prevention of various human cancers. In the present study, we investigated the effect of retinoids on Epstein-Barr virus (EBV)-infected lymphoblastoid cell lines (LCLs), since these cells closely resemble those that give rise to EBV-related lymphoproliferative disorders in the immunosuppressed host. All six compoun...

Retinoids Cyclosporin A Erythroderma Psoriasis A.L.A. Kuijpers, Department of Dermatology, University Hospital Nijmegen, PO Box 9101, NL-6500 HB Nijmegen (The Netherlands) Psoriatic erythroderma is a serious condition which requires a fast response to therapy, preferably during an in-patient treatment. Therapeutic options include various topical treatments and photo(chemo)-therapy, but in most ...

Case history A 42 year old woman presented at the outpatient rheumatology department with severe, incapacitating pain of her left leg. There was no previous trauma. The patient did not recall fever or malaise. Psoriasis had been diagnosed at age 17 years. Initially, topical drugs were prescribed. Periodically etretinate, a synthetic analogue of retinoid acid, and photochemotherapy were prescrib...

Despite, the fact that palmoplantar pustulosis is still widely known by this name, it is currently regarded as a disease distinct from psoriasis. The real cause is still unknown. Septic foci have been blamed, but their removal may not cure eruptions. A case series of de novo occurrence of palmoplantar pustulosis induced by tumor necrosis factor–alpha antagonist therapy has been reported. It has...

Case History A 67-year-old Sikh male was diagnosed with pemphigus vulgaris in 1996 when he presented with oral erosions. His disease remained controlled on long-term, low-dose prednisolone therapy. In 2004, he developed a verrucous keratotic plaque over the occipital region of his scalp and it had been gradually enlarging (Fig. 1). Biopsies were performed in 2004 and 2008 and histological featu...

A significant rise in plasma triacylglycerols from the control level of 0.89 mmovl to 1.88 mmom (P < 0.001) was observed in male Sprague-Dawley rats treated for 11 days with isomtinoin (oral dosing; 10 mg/day). This rise was due to an increased level of plasma very low density lipoproteins (VLDL). When VLDL from untreated rats were labeled with ‘251-labeled tyramine-cellobiose and injected intr...

Netherton syndrome (NS) is a rare autosomal reces-sive genodermatosis caused by SPINK-5 mutations. The SPINK-5 gene encodes the serine protease inhibitor LEKTI and is located on chromosome 5q32. Unopposed degradation of corneodesmosomes is the basis for a severely impaired skin barrier function in patients with NS. Effective treatments for patients with NS are limited. Some success has been ach...

Case history A 42 year old woman presented at the outpatient rheumatology department with severe, incapacitating pain of her left leg. There was no previous trauma. The patient did not recall fever or malaise. Psoriasis had been diagnosed at age 17 years. Initially, topical drugs were prescribed. Periodically etretinate, a synthetic analogue of retinoid acid, and photochemotherapy were prescrib...