RESUMEN

BACKGROUND: Nevus of Ota is a rare disease most frequently found in Asians. It presents clinically as a bluish gray hyperpigmentation of one side of the face. Transformation into melanoma and glaucoma are the main risks. The appearance of vitiligo lesions with poliosis within a nevus of Ota is exceptional. PATIENTS AND METHODS: A 22-year-old female patient with a nevus of Ota consulted for depigmentation of the eyelashes. Physical examination revealed hyperpigmentation in the right orbitofrontal part of her face, achromic macules and eyelash poliosis. A diagnosis was made of vitiligo developing on a nevus of Ota. Ophthalmologic examination showed hyperpigmentation of the sclera. Regular dermatologic and ophthalmologic follow-up was instituted. DISCUSSION: Vitiligo is a condition characterized by the development of depigmented lesions secondary to chronic degradation of the melanocytes of the epidermis and the follicles. Its occurrence on congenital nevus and melanoma has already been reported. However, its appearance in dermal melanocytosis is very rare. Since the first observation of this association in 1979, only 4 other cases have been reported. The pathogenic mechanisms of this association are still poorly understood. Histopathological examination generally shows a loss of epidermal melanocytes, especially in the basal layer, while dermal melanocytes remain unaffected. In this context, vitiligo developed on dermal melanosis appears to result from the difference between the properties of normal (epidermal) melanocytes and ectopic (dermal) melanocytes. CONCLUSION: Association of vitiligo with nevus of Ota is rare. Herein, we report a new case in a dark-skinned subject.

Asunto(s)

Asunto(s)

RESUMEN

BACKGROUND: Buruli ulcer (BU) denotes a cutaneous infection by Mycobacterium ulcerans endemic in certain tropical and subtropical regions. Treatment may be either medical and surgical or else purely medical for early lesions. The literature contains reports of several cases of transient aggravation of BU following initiation of medical treatment. We report a case observed in the Ivory Coast, one of the areas with the highest prevalence of BU worldwide. The distinguishing features of our case are the early onset of this paradoxical reaction and the multiple cephalic site of lesions. PATIENTS AND METHODS: A 4-year-old child with no prior medical history was referred for two painless ulcerative cutaneous nodules. Incubation of samples from the edges of these lesions revealed the presence of acid-alcohol resistant bacilli (AARB), which were shown by PCR to be M. ulcerans, the causative agent in BU. Treatment consisted of levofloxacin (100mg/d) and rifampicin (150mg/d) for 8weeks. After 7days of medical treatment, seven painless nodules appeared on the patient's scalp. Further PCR for these lesions confirmed the presence of M. ulcerans. The same medical therapy was maintained and after 54days of treatment, all lesions had been healed. DISCUSSION: The originality of this case rests on two features: the bifocal aspect of the lesions, which is uncommon, and the early development of cephalic predominance that occurred after the start of drug treatment. While cases of lesions secondary to initiation of medical therapy have already been described, such lesions generally occurred after at least 2months of treatment and did not involve the head.

Asunto(s)

RESUMEN

BACKGROUND: Acquired ichthyosis usually reveals or is associated with an internal disease. The classical clinical aspect is vulgaris ichthyosis. We report a case of acquired ichthyosis, presenting original clinical features, revealing a lymph node tuberculosis. CASE REPORT: A 63-year-old male patient without past history of skin disease consulted for a generalized eruption. The eruption was composed of multiple erythemato-squamous plaques. The edge of the plaque was raised and circinated. Histologic examination of the edge and the centre of the lesion supported the clinical diagnosis of ichthyosis. The diagnosis of lymph node tuberculosis based on large inguinal nodes was confirmed by the fast acid-bacilli found in the lymph node. Initiation of antituberculosis therapy was followed by the rapid and complete disappearance of the skin lesions. DISCUSSION: We report a case of acquired ichthyosis with original clinical features and we propose to coin the term "acquired circinated ichthyosis". This entity was clinically distinct from ichthyosis vulgaris or pityriasis rotunda. This dermatosis was concomitant to lymph node tuberculosis and healed under antituberculosis therapy.

Asunto(s)

RESUMEN

Genital ulcers are common manifestations of infectious disease. The incidence of genital ulcers featuring a chronic course has increased since the beginning of the AIDS epidemic. The purpose of this 18-month cross-sectional study was to determine the main infectious causes of chronic genital ulcers (CGU) and their correlation with HIV infection. A total of 29 patients with CGU defined as an ulcer showing no sign of healing after more than one month were studied. Mean age ranged from 24 to 54 years. The male-to-female sex ratio was 1:5. The etiology was herpes in 19 cases (65.5 p. 100), chancroid in 6 cases (20.6 p. 100), streptococcal infection in 2 cases (6.8 p. 100), Pseudomonas aeruginosa infection in 1 case (3.4 p. 100) and cutaneous amibiasis in 1 case (3.4 p. 100). Twenty-two patients (75.8 p. 100) presented HIV infection including 16 with HIV1 and 6 with HIV1 and HIV2. All patients with herpes were HIV-positive. Eighteen of these patients were in stage C3 of HIV infection. Genital herpes was the main etiology of UGC in patients with HIV infection (p < 0.001). Conversely chancroid was the main etiology in patients without HIV infection (p < 0.05). This finding suggests that herpetic CGU is highly suggestive of AIDS whereas chancroid CGU is not. Although syphilis is widespread in Africa, it was not a cause of CGU in this study. Search for herpes simplex virus or Haemophilus ducreyi in patients with CGU is an important criteria for presumptive diagnosis of AIDS in Africa.

Asunto(s)

Asunto(s)