BACKGROUND Localized scleroderma (LS) comprises a spectrum of sclerotic autoimmune diseases primarily affecting the dermis. Various treatment modalities have been recommended for the management of LS, but only a few studies exist regarding the efficacy of bath PUVA photochemotherapy in the treatment of LS. OBJECTIVES To evaluate the efficacy of bath PUVA photochemotherapy in the management of...

OBJECTIVE To assess the risk of lymphoma in patients with psoriasis. DESIGN Prospective cohort study that spans 30 years and a systematic review of the literature. SETTING Sixteen university medical centers. PATIENTS A total of 1380 patients with psoriasis who were initially treated with psoralen-UV-A (PUVA) from 1975 through 1976 and who underwent periodic interviews and physician examin...

Personal Digital Assistants (PDAs) have become a part of everyday life. DermaMan is a freely available, Java-based, dermatology-specific calculator for handheld devices. It includes modules to compute PASI, MASI, SCORAD, and for calculations related to topical PUVA and Botox (R) administration.

BACKGROUND Psoriasis is difficult at times to treat and treatment failures are not uncommon regardless of approach. With the advent of expensive biologic therapies for psoriasis there is increasing discussion on the cost efficacy of a given systemic or biologic agent. An alternative and overlooked aspect of cost efficacy is the cost that accrues from treatment failures. METHODS We review the ...

Sézary syndrome is a cutaneous T-cell lymphoma characterized by the triad of erythroderma, generalized lymphadenopathy, and the presence of Sézary cells in skin, lymph nodes and peripheral blood. A 59-year-old Chinese female presented with erythroderma, palmoplantar keratoderma and enlarged right axillary and epitrochlear lymph nodes. Staging investigations showed extensive involvement of perip...

Vitiligo is an acquired cutaneous disorder of pigmentation, with an incidence of 0.5% to 2% worldwide. There are three major hypotheses for the pathogenesis of vitiligo that are not exclusive of each other: biochemical/cytotoxic, neural and autoimmune. Recent data provide strong evidence supporting an autoimmune pathogenesis of vitiligo. As vitiligo can have a major effect on quality of life, t...

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...