Background As the coronavirus 2019 (COVID‐19) pandemic persists on a global level, the chronic daily use of face masks within the healthcare system remains an important component of disease prevention and transmission. Increased use of personal protective equipment (PPE) may result in increased rates of occupational dermatoses and adverse skin reactions. Objectives The purpose of this study is to explore how chronic, prolonged use of N95 masks or simple surgical masks affects the prevalence of adverse skin reactions in Healthcare Workers (HCWs). Methods An optional, quantitative, web‐based survey was administered to patient‐facing HCWs across six network hospitals in a large metropolitan city. Data were analysed to assess the types and sites of adverse skin reactions, and to evaluate correlations between single mask use duration and adverse skin reactions. Results A total of 230 HCWs responded with 192 endorsing occupational dermatoses. Among the healthcare responders, ( n = 192, 83.5%) experienced at least one adverse skin reaction. The most common occupational adverse skin reactions were acne ( n = 133, 57.8%), dryness ( n = 108, 47.0%) and redness ( n = 105, 45.7%). Anatomical areas most commonly affected included the nasal bridge ( n = 92, 40.0%), cheeks ( n = 92, 40.0%) and chin ( n = 91, 39.6%). Acne ( P = 0.002), dryness/scaling ( P = 0.002), increased pore size (0.003), itch ( P = 0.003), nasal bridge scarring ( P < 0.001), redness ( P < 0.001), frictional erosions ( P = 0.001) and ulcerations ( P = 0.002) showed a positive correlation to duration of mask use. Conclusions Prolonged, daily usage of PPE is associated with numerous adverse skin reactions among HCWs with acne being the most commonly seen adverse reaction. Many adverse reactions are associated with prolonged use of single mask.

Cutaneous metastases of prostate cancer are a rare entity and mimic many other common cutaneous conditions such as cellulitis, zosteriform lesions, and many others, making it easy to misdiagnose. Recognition of this condition is vital to prevent delays in treatment, as lesions usually appear in late stages of the disease and are associated with a high fatality rate. Here we describe a case of a 64-year-old man with a history of diffuse metastatic prostate carcinoma, who presented with a suprapubic rash that was initially diagnosed as cellulitis but was later determined to be cutaneous metastasis. Clinical characteristics of this metastasis and common dermal lesions with similar clinical presentations are discussed. Clinicians should be aware of the characteristics of this cutaneous metastasis and consider it when evaluating skin lesions that mimic soft tissue infections.

Introduction. Pyoderma gangrenosum (PG) is an uncommon inflammatory skin disease that is characterized clinically by the development of painful pustules that subsequently progress to large cutaneous ulcers. There is no universally effective treatment for PG, and a combination of local and systemic therapies is often used to manage it. Biologically active, cryopreserved human skin allograft (BSA) has become a standard part of the treatment algorithm for complex nonhealing wounds. These allografts facilitate the wound healing cascade by delivering the essential biologically active compounds of fresh skin to the wound bed and promoting wound bed revascularization. Objective. The purpose of this case series was to illustrate how the use of human split-thickness allografts positively contributes to wound healing in patients with PG. Case Presentations. Five cases highlighting the efficacy of a BSA in achieving clinical wound healing in patients with complex PG ulcerations are presented. Clinical findings appear to indicate that the positive effect of BSA in combination with systemic therapies on wound beds in patients with PG is because of a combination of both the unique alterations in the patient’s immune system in addition to the possible delays in clearance of cellular components of the allograft, which promote the strong inosculation and revascularization necessary for wound healing. Conclusions. The BSA studied herein appears to aid in wound healing because it has natural components found in human skin that facilitate wound healing, and it eliminates the potential for pathergy because no graft harvesting from the host is performed. These allografts can be applied numerous times, and each has the major essential components of human skin wound healing for a more rapid and complete epithelialization.

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