Arun Joshi

Acute allergic contact dermatitis due to para-phenylenediamine after temporary henna painting.

The use of temporary natural henna painting for body adornment and hair dyeing is very common in several countries of the Indian subcontinent, Middle East, and North Africa, and the fad is spreading in other parts of the world. Several cases of para‐phenylenediamine (PPD) contaminated, temporary traditional/natural henna induced sensitization and acute allergic reaction have been reported, along with occasional serious long term and rare fatal consequences. We report here a 17‐year‐old girl with blisters over her hands of five‐days duration that appeared within 72 hours of applying a temporary henna paint to her hands during a social occasion. Similar lesions were noted on her face. She had previously applied black henna only once, a year earlier without developing any lesions. Clinical diagnosis of acute allergic contact dermatitis (ACD) was made. After a short course of oral corticosteroids, topical mometasone furaote 1.0% cream, and oral antihistamines, the lesions healed completerly over the next four weeks leaving post‐inflammatory hypopigmentation. Patch testing done with standard European battery, PPD 1% in petrolatum, and commercially available natural henna powder revealed a 3+ reaction to PPD at 48 hours. No reaction was seen at the natural henna site. Awareness of the condition among physicians and the public and regulation regarding warnings of the risks of using such products is urgently warranted.

Clinical patterns of sexually transmitted diseases, associated sociodemographic characteristics, and sexual practices in the Farwaniya region of Kuwait

Background  Sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) are common worldwide, but there are few studies available on STDs from the Gulf countries, including Kuwait. Our goal was to determine the clinical patterns, sociodemographic factors, and sexual practices of patients with STDs who attended a government hospital in the Farwaniya region of Kuwait.

Treatment of Old World cutaneous leishmaniasis with dapsone, itraconazole, cryotherapy, and imiquimod, alone and in combination

Background  Cutaneous leishmaniasis (CL) is a major public health problem. The currently available therapies are expensive, not freely available, toxic, and not always curative. A simple, effective, noninvasive therapeutic approach is required for the treatment of CL.

Bilateral Extensive Periorbital Milia en Plaque Treated with Electrodesiccation

Background: Milia en plaque (MEP) is a rare form of milia. Only 25 cases of this rare condition have been reported to date (MEDLINE search). Only one previous case of MEP has been treated with electrodesiccation. Objective: To report a new case of this rare condition and present the outcome with electrodesiccation. Conclusion: The case is being reported here to highlight the features of this rare but now well-recognized dermatologic condition, which has been reported increasingly in the recent past, to discuss the various treatments tried, and to share our experience of treating patients with the simple, inexpensive, easily available, and nonsophisticated office procedure of electrodesiccation.

Penile self-injections: an unusual act

A 42‐year‐old healthy Thai male presented with a 1‐week history of painful swelling of the penis following self‐injection of two tablets of vitamin A dissolved in 10 mL of tap water with an unsterilized syringe, in order to achieve a more prolonged erection for sexual intercourse, on a friends advice. He injected himself all around the penile shaft “just under the skin.” Eight hours after injection, the penis started to become progressively swollen and painful, but it was a further 2 days before he presented to our clinic. He denied a history of any urinary obstructive or irritative symptoms. There was no history of genital ulceration or urethral discharge or any similar acts of self‐injection in the past.

Co-occurrence of chancroid and gonorrhea.

Background: Gonorrhea and chancroid are common sexually transmitted infections in many parts of the world. Still, cooccurrence of these two conditions is uncommonly reported. Objective: We present here a patient who presented with painful genital ulcers and urethral discharge simultaneously acquired from a single exposure, which turned out to be chancroid and gonorrhea, respectively. Both conditions responded well to a single intramuscular dose of ceftriaxone 250 mg. Conclusion: This report describes the uncommon occurrence of gonorrhea and chancroid in a patient. Clinical features, relevant investigations, treatment options of these two sexually transmitted infections, and possible implications in view of the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) pandemic are briefly discussed.