D. Devliotou‐Panagiotidou

Skin cancer: preventive photodynamic therapy in patients with face and scalp cancerization. A randomized placebo-controlled study.

Background  Patients with a previous medical history of nonmelanoma skin cancers (NMSCs) often develop multiple or recurrent malignant lesions around the site of the primary tumour. This finding led to the field cancerization theory, which suggests that the entire epithelial surface of the regional skin has an increased risk for the development of malignant lesions. Management of field change is challenging, taking into account the high impact of NMSCs on public health and healthcare costs.

Epidemiology of dermatomycoses in children living in Northern Greece 1996–2000

In the 5‐years period, 1996–2000, 1045 children under 13 years old were examined for suspected dermatomycosis. In 611 cases fungi were isolated. Male children were mainly affected on the scalp and body area. Girls were more affected in the location of the arms and legs. There was a greater proportion of cases in the age range 2–12 years. The most prominent fungus was Microsporum canis (515 cases) followed by Trichophyton rubrum (34) and Candida albicans (20). Tinea capitis (280 cases) mainly caused by M. canis (276 cases) was the most common clinical form. Tinea corporis (109 cases) mainly caused by M. canis (88 cases), C. albicans (10 cases) and T. rubrum (seven cases) was the second most frequent clinical form.

Dermatophytosis in northern Greece during the decade 1981–1990

Summary. Dermatophytic infections are very common in Greece. In the Mycological Laboratory of the Venereal and Skin Diseases Hospital in Thessaloniki, 6572 isolates of different dermatophytes were obtained from 17 120 patients examined. It is suggested that 5% of the people who present with skin problems in Greece suffer from dermatophyte infections. They are frequent causative agents of tinea pedis, tinea cruris, tinea corporis, tinea capitis and tinea unguium. In this paper, the species, the number and the prevalence of the dermatophytes were studied according to location and sex of the patients. The contribution of dermatophyte infections to the overall incidence of superficial fungal infection over 10 years was also studied.

Dermatophytosis due to Trichophyton rubrum in Northern Greece during the decade 1981–1990

Zusammenfassung. Im Jahrzehnt 1981‐1990 war Trichophyton rubrum der häufigste Erreger von Dermatophytosen in Nordgriechenland, insbesondere von Tinea pedum, inguinalis, corporis, unguium und Tinea manuum. Beim Befall der Füße und Zehennägel war das weibliche Geschlecht bevorzugt betroffen. Männer hatten Effloreszenzen häufiger im Inguinalbereich, an den Händen und im Gesicht. Frauen zeigten auch chronische follikulär‐noduläre Dermatophytosen in der Schienbeinregion. Bei Tinea corporis und Tinea unguium der Fingernägel gab es keine bedeutenden Differenzen zwischen den Geschlechtern. In der Studie wurden das Alter der Patienten, die Art der Entzündungsreaktion und die Morphetypen der T. rubrum‐Isolate berücksichtigt.

Phosphodiesterase-5 inhibitors and rosacea : report of 10 cases

1 British Photodermatology Group. British Photodermatology Group guidelines for PUVA. Br J Dermatol 1994; 130:246–55. 2 British Photodermatology Group. Guidelines for topical PUVA: a report of a workshop of the British Photodermatology Group. Br J Dermatol 2000; 142:22–31. 3 Ibbotson SH, Farr PM. The time-course of psoralen ultraviolet A (PUVA) erythema. J Invest Dermatol 1999; 113:346–50. 4 Behrens-Williams S, Gruss C, Grundmann-Kollmann M et al. Assessment of minimal phototoxic dose following 8-methoxypsoralen bath: maximal reaction on average after 5 days. Br J Dermatol 2000; 142:112–15. 5 Grundmann-Kollmann M, Leiter U, Behrens S et al. The time course of phototoxicity of topical PUVA: 8-methoxypsoralen cream-PUVA vs. 8-methoxypsoralen gel-PUVA. Br J Dermatol 1999; 140:988– 90. 6 Man I, Dawe RS, Ferguson J et al. An intra-individual study of the characteristics of erythema induced by bath and oral 8-MOP photochemotherapy and TL-01 UVB. Photochem Photobiol 2003; 78:55–60. 7 Man I, McKinlay J, Dawe RS et al. An intra-individual comparative study of PUVA erythema induced by bath 8-methoxypsoralen and 4,5¢,8-trimethylpsoralen. J Am Acad Dermatol 2003; 49:59–64.

Coexistence of pityriasis versicolor and erythrasma.

We describe a 53‐year‐old woman with pityriasis versicolor together with erythrasma that was localized in the axillary and genitocrural region. The coexistence of these infections is rare and we propose the use of methylene blue stain for the diagnosis of both diseases.

Tinea capitis in children in northern Greece during the period 1981–1995

In our 15 years of investigation in northern Greece, the predominant organism producing tinea capitis in children was found to be the zoophilic Microsporum canis (494 strains) which is a common saprophyte of the hair of pets, especially cats. The high percentage of cases with M. canis (97%), in contrast to zoophilic fungi (3%), is probably due to the increased contact of children with pets. The small number of infections with anthropophilic fungi (41 strains) is attributed to good hygienic conditions. The fluorescence of infected hair under Woods light seems to be a major diagnostic criterion in the hands of dermatologists who are not served by a mycological laboratory.

Does halo nevus without halo exist

1394 JEADV 2006, 20, 1328–1399

Pemphigus vulgaris affecting 19 nails

A 60‐year‐old woman presented with painful erosions in the oral mucosa, pharynx, perineum and perianal area, and multiple plaques with thick adherent crusts on the scalp. Most (nine) of the patient’s fingernails had alterations in colour, affecting more than half of the nail plate, and all the toenails had severe inflammation of the nail folds, haemorrhagic paronychia and subungual or intraungual haemorrhage. A diagnosis of pemphigus vulgaris (PV) was made based on histology and on direct and indirect immunofluorescence findings. Groups of acantholytic cells were also observed in a Tzanck smear obtained from a subungual lesion. Onychomadesis in most of the fingernails and in all the toenails developed gradually. The patient was hospitalized and treated with oral corticosteroids. Complete recovery without residual damage to the nails and persistent remission was achieved. Nail involvement in PV is rarely described and is always of interest, as its presentation varies widely.

Medication history of a series of patients with bullous pemphigoid from northern Greece – observations and discussion

Background  Bullous pemphigoid (BP) is an autoimmune bullous disease that mainly affects elderly patients. In this retrospective study, in a series of patients with BP, data on systemic medications were collected in order to investigate a possible association with active BP.