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BACKGROUND: SCORing for Atopic Dermatitis (SCORAD) is a tool developed by the European Task Force on Atopic Dermatitis (AD) which is used by physicians to assess AD severity during consultations with their patients. Patient-Oriented SCORAD (PO-SCORAD) is a self-assessment tool for use by patients which has been validated in a study performed in European countries. However, there is currently no adapted tool for evaluating AD severity in black skin. OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the performance of the version of the PO-SCORAD specifically adapted for black skin patients (children and adults) with AD. METHODS: In this multicenter, cross-sectional and non-interventional study, children and adults with AD were recruited during regular consultations. This international study was performed in seven sub-Saharan countries (Benin, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Ivory Coast, Gabon, Mali and Senegal). During the consultation, AD severity was assessed by the physician using SCORAD score and by the patients or parents using PO-SCORAD. RESULTS: One hundred and thirteen patients were included, 72 children and 41 adults, mainly females (61.6%). SCORAD assessed by physicians and PO-SCORAD assessed by patients/parents were well correlated (r = 0.66, P < 0.0001). Correlation coefficients for SCORAD and PO-SCORAD subscale scores were also good, except for symptom intensity criteria. CONCLUSION: Altogether, these data indicate that PO-SCORAD for black skin correlates well with SCORAD and is therefore a valuable tool, which requires no specific level of education, for use by black skin patients with AD.

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Melanoma is a malignant tumor rarely being described in sub-Saharan Africa. We reported an unusual and atypical clinical presentation. It was a 59-year-old patient who was hospitalized for a monomelic black tumor evolving for 10 years. Histopathological examination confirmed the melanocytic origin of this tumor. Paraclinical assessment did not find any visceral metastasis. A partial resection of the tumor was performed. The patient left the hospital against medical consent due to lack of technical facilities. The delay in the consultation and the lack of knowledge of melanoma by doctors and patients might contribute to the severity and the difficulties of its management.

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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.

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Buruli ulcer is a chronic and infectious skin disease, caused by Mycobacterium ulcerans. It leads to large skin ulceration and sometimes bone infection which is responsible for deformities. Here, we report a case of multifocal form of Buruli ulcer associated with secondary infection in a 46-year-old human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) positive woman. The antimycobacterial drugs combined to surgery allowed curing this multifocal case and rose up two relevant issues: the susceptibility of immune reconstitution inflammatory syndrome (IRIS) occurrence and Mycobacterium dissemination. The deep immune depression, the underline biological, and clinical disorders of the patient might contribute to IRIS occurrence and Buruli ulcer dissemination. Future investigations have to be conducted on the mechanism of IRIS on set and on Mycobacterium ulcerans dissemination after ARV drugs initiation and the patient related underline clinical or biological disorders.

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Histoplasmosis is a deep mycosis whose capsulatum variety is recognized as being an AIDS-defining infection. However AIDS associated with Histoplasma capsulatum var. duboisii is rarely reported. We report a case of cutaneous duboisii histoplasmosis associated with AIDS which has been mistaken for molluscum contagiosum for many months. The diagnosis has been confirmed by means of a biopsy of a nodule followed by an anatomo-pathological examination. The medical treatment was successfully based on combination Triomune (stavudine + lamividine + nevirapine) and itraconazole.

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Infection due to Mycobacterium ulcerans or Buruli ulcer usually occurs on the limbs (70%) or trunk (20%). Involvement of the head and neck region is less frequent but can lead to serious sequels. The purpose of this report is to describe 8 patients including 7 children who were treated for Buruli ulcers on the head in the dermatology department of the University Hospital Center in Abidjan, Cote d'Ivoire. Eye lesions and visual impairment were the most frequent sequels.

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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.

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The treatment of non-complicated or complicated (by a bubo) chancroid with 1 single i.m. injection of 250 mg ceftriaxone gave excellent results. Treatment is simple and economical. This is particularly profitable in countries where chancroid is endemic.

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