J.W. Choi

5 mg/day finasteride treatment for normoandrogenic Asian women with female pattern hair loss.

Background  Various treatments have been attempted for female pattern hair loss (FPHL), including topical minoxidil, oral antiandrogen and finasteride. But, there is no consensus on the standard treatment options. Clinical efficacy of finasteride in treating FPHL is still in controversy, but there is a tendency to high dose finasteride, which is more effective than lower dose.

Combination therapy of cyclosporine and methylprednisolone on severe alopecia areata

Background: Although systemic cyclosporine appears to be one of the treatment options for chronic severe alopecia areata (AA), the high recurrence rates after discontinuation and side effects make cyclosporine a nominal agent for the treatment of AA. Objective: This study was designed to determine whether the combination therapy of cyclosporine and methylprednisolone could be an effective treatment for severe AA. Methods: A total of 46 patients with severe AA were treated with a combination of cyclosporine (200 mg twice daily, two 100 mg tablets) and methylprednisolone (24 mg twice daily for men, 20 mg twice daily for women, and 12 mg twice daily for children). The doses of methylprednisolone were diminished by 4 mg/day weekly, and the dose of cyclosporine was decreased gradually after cessation of administration of methylprednisolone. Results: Three (6.5%) of 46 patients discontinued the treatment due to side effects. Of the remaining 43 patients, 38 (88.4%) had significant hair regrowth and five (11.6%) were considered to be treatment failures. Nine (23.7%) relapsed during the observation period of 12 months. Conclusions: Although limited by its uncontrolled character, this study shows that combination therapy with cyclosporine and methylprednisolone may be a useful treatment for severe AA.

Facial sebum affects the development of acne, especially the distribution of inflammatory acne

Background  The increased sebum secretion has been considered as one of the pathogenic factors of acne.

Ultraviolet‐induced red fluorescence of patients with acne reflects regional casual sebum level and acne lesion distribution: qualitative and quantitative analyses of facial fluorescence

Background  The ultraviolet (UV)‐induced red fluorescence of patients with acne has been considered to be caused by Propionibacterium acnes.

Characteristics of subjective recognition and computer-aided image analysis of facial erythematous skin diseases: a cornerstone of automated diagnosis

Rosacea and seborrhoeic dermatitis are common diseases that cause facial erythema. They have common features and are frequently misdiagnosed.

Subjective facial skin type, based on the sebum related symptoms, can reflect the objective casual sebum level in acne patients

The relationship between the subjective skin type and the casual sebum level was not fully clarified.

The skin surface pH and its different influence on the development of acne lesion according to gender and age

Skin pH is one of the important physiological parameters of the skin. Changes in the pH play a role in the pathogenesis of several skin diseases, including acne.

Development of linear grey scale analysis of wrinkle image for the scoring of nasolabial wrinkle severity.

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Image Gallery: Myoepithelial carcinoma involving the skin

DEAR EDITOR, A 77-year-old woman presented with a 5-year history of a slowly growing mass involving the postauricular area of the left ear. Skin examination revealed a dusky red-topurple firm tender tumour measuring 7 9 5 cm (a). Axial magnetic resonance imaging showed a solid heterogeneously enhancing tumour of the parotid gland in the left infra-auricular region (b, red arrows). Haematoxylin and eosin staining of the specimen showed poorly defined sheets and strands of highly pleomorphic cells (c). Immunohistochemical analysis showed positivity for smooth muscle actin (d). The diagnosis of myoepithelial carcinoma was confirmed. Because of the aggressive behaviour of this carcinoma, it is important to perform radical surgery. However, the patient refused surgery and was lost to follow-up. J . -W. CHO I 1

Image Gallery: Complex regional pain syndrome with changes in the nail unit

DEAR EDITOR, A 13-year-old boy presented with nail changes of the last three digits of the left hand. Onycholysis, Beau’s lines and absent cuticle with nail fold hypertrophy were observed (a, c). Two months earlier, he had undergone an operation because of a forearm fracture with a severe ulnar displacement (b). A month after the surgery, he experienced burning pain in the left arm and uncomfortable cold sensation in his left hand. The pain relieved slightly after 6 weeks, but the nail unit changes persisted. Finally, a diagnosis of complex regional pain syndrome (CRPS) was made according to the criteria. CRPS is a rare disorder of the sympathetic nervous system and the cause is not fully understood. J . -W. CHO I 1