Suzana Ljubojević

Pemphigus vulgaris: a review of treatment over a 19-year period

Background Pemphigus vulgaris is an autoimmune blistering disease of the skin and mucous membranes with a high mortality if left untreated.

Demodex folliculorum in development of dermatitis rosaceiformis steroidica and rosacea-related diseases.

During investigations with rosacea, demodex folliculits and dermatitis rosaceiformis steroidica patients some interesting questions appeared. Why Demodex is found in several situations where the sebum secretion is low ? Why infestations with Demodex is increasing with age and reach up to 100% in elderly people, 5 when sebum excretion rate reach a maximum between the age of 16 and 40, and thereafter declined in both sexes, particularly in females? The higher Demodex density observed in papulopustular stage of rosacea, demodex folliculitis and dermatitis rosaceiformis steroidica suggest, although it does not prove, that the mite plays a role in formations of papules and pustules what is common in some of the stages of all these diseases.

The role of Malassezia furfur in dermatology

Yeasts of the genus Malassezia have been recognized as members of the microbiologic flora of the skin for over a century. Under certain conditions, they can cause superficial infection of the skin and associated structures, and they can become an opportunistic pathogen in patients with catheters.

HPV-associated diseases

Nearly 200 distinct human papilloma viruses (HPVs) have now been recognized, and each is associated with a specific set of clinical lesions. They are associated with a spectrum of diseases, from benign verrucae vulgares and condylomata acuminata to the malignancies of the cervix, vulva, anus, and penis. Disease associated with HPV can be divided into skin and mucosal lesion of the genital and extragenital regions. The relationship between HPV and nonmelanoma skin cancer (NMSC) is important clinically, because NMSC is the most common form of malignancy among fair-skinned populations. HPVs have also been detected in skin tags, lichen sclerosus, seborrheic keratoses, actinic keratoses, epidermal cysts, psoriatic plaques, and plucked hairs, but cutaneous HPV can be found on healthy skin.

Autoimmune bullous diseases associations

The presence of one autoimmune disorder helps lead to the discovery of other autoimmune conditions. It is thought that diseases in which autoimmunity is a feature tend to be associated together more often than one can ascribe to chance. A variety of diseases have been implicated in the onset of intraepidermal and subepidermal autoimmune diseases. The presence of one autoimmune disease should alert the physician to watch for a second immunologic disorder. A list of autoimmune bullous diseases associations includes autoimmune bullous diseases, pemphigus, pemphigoid, epidermolysis bullosa acquisita, dermatitis herpetiformis (Duhring), linear immunoglobulin A disease, and multiple autoimmune syndrome.

Occupational skin diseases: actual state analysis of patient management pathways in 28 European countries

Work‐related skin diseases (WSD) are caused or worsened by a professional activity. Occupational skin diseases (OSD) need to fulfil additional legal criteria which differ from country to country. OSD range amongst the five most frequently notified occupational diseases (musculoskeletal diseases, neurologic diseases, lung diseases, diseases of the sensory organs, skin diseases) in Europe.

Unusually low prevalence of Mycoplasma genitalium in urine samples from infertile men and healthy controls: a prevalence study

Objective To detect Mycoplasma genitalium in urine samples of infertile men and men without any signs of infection in order to investigate whether M. genitalium and other genital mycoplasmas (Mycoplasma hominis and Ureaplasma spp) are found more often in urine samples of infertile men than in asymptomatic controls and to determine resistance to macrolides. Methods The study included first void urine samples taken from 145 infertile men and 49 men with no symptoms of urethritis. M. genitalium, Chlamydia trachomatis and Neisseria gonorrhoeae were detected by commercial PCR. Trichomonas vaginalis was detected by microscopy and culture. M. hominis and Ureaplasma spp were detected by culture. M. genitalium was detected by in-house conventional and real-time PCR. Results Two M. genitalium positive samples were found among samples obtained from infertile men. All asymptomatic men were M. genitalium negative. Macrolide resistance was not found in either of the two positive samples. Conclusions In comparison with reported data, an unusually low prevalence of M. genitalium was found in infertile men. The reasons for this unexpected result are not known; possibly, local demographic and social characteristics of the population influenced the result. Further studies to investigate M. genitalium in infertile and other groups of patients are needed.

Contact allergy to corticosteroids and Malassezia furfur in seborrhoeic dermatitis patients

Background  Seborrhoeic dermatitis (SD) is a chronic skin disease, requiring long‐term treatment, which might promote sensitization. Malassezia furfur (Mf) plays an important role in seborrhoeic dermatitis.

Baboon syndrome/SDRIFE due to sulfamethoxazole-trimethoprim.

trimethoprim Dear Sir, Baboon syndrome was first described in 1984 by Andersen et al. as a particular type of systemic contact dermatitis, characterized by exanthema with involvement? of the buttocks and flexures after ingestion or systemic absorption of a contact allergen in a sensitized individual. Recently, it has been proposed to replace this term by the acronym SDRIFE (symmetrical drug-related intertriginous and flexural exanthema) for those reactions occurring after exposure to systemic drug. The term SDRIFE was proposed in order to differentiate the cases of Baboon syndrome caused by systemic exposure to drugs from the cases caused by systemic absorption or ingestion of contact allergens such as mercury and nickel. A 64-year-old Caucasian female was examined in our Allergology outpatient department a few days after developing pruritic symmetrical macular erythematous rash of the intergluteal, pubic, inguinal, axillary, and submammary region with a mild madidation in the intergluteal and inguinal region (Figs. 1 and 2). The palms, soles, face, and mucosal sites were not involved, and systemic symptoms were absent. The exanthema appeared two days after she had taken sulfamethoxazole + trimethoprim systemically, which she had been taking periodically for recurrent urinary infection. Immediate discontinuation of sulfamethoxazole + trimethoprim and a short course of systemic treatment with prednisone and loratadine and betamethasone cream led to complete remission within a week. There is no family or personal history of atopy. Medical history includes thyroid disease, hypertension, and hyperlipidemia. Her current medications included levothyroxine-sodium, ramiprilum, bisoprolol fumarate, and simvastatin, which she had been taking for many years. Routine laboratory tests revealed no abnormalities, except for the urine sedimentation examination, which revealed 35–40 leukocytes. Allergological investigations were done three months later. Patch tests were carried out with the baseline series, obtained from the manufacturer Immunological Institute (Zagreb, Croatia), and with sulfamethoxazole + trimethoprim (Sinersul , Pliva, Zagreb, Croatia; 5% in aqueous solution) using Finn Chambers on Scanpor tape left on the skin of the back for two days. The patch tests were read at Days 2 and 3, and also at Day 7. Reactions were scored as recommended by the International Contact Dermatitis Research Group (ICDRG). The patch test to the baseline series gave positive results to the balsam of Peru and the