The naevus of Ota (naevus fusculocoeruleus ophthalmomaxillaris) was first described by the Japanese dermatologist M. T. Ota in 1939. It has a reported incidence of 0.2% to 1% in the Japanese population. It usually occurs in the skin innervated by the first or second branch of the trigeminal nerve. The naevus comprises dermal melanocytes and is congenital or acquired during adolescence. Commonly associated lesions include scleral melanocytosis and other ocular manifestations as well as lesions of the tympanic membrane, oral and intranasal mucosa and leptomeninges. Diseases associated with Ota's naevus in rare cases are open-angle glaucomas and melanoma. The naevus of Ota in Europeans is a rare manifestation. We report the very rare case of a bilateral naevus of Ota associated with enoral melanocytosis in a white European person.

Linear IgA dermatosis presented with erythema annulare centrifugum lesions in three elderly women. Search for underlying malignancy revealed low-grade B-cell lymphoma in one case. In addition to subepidermal blistering, histology showed a typical mixed infiltrate of granulocytes and eosinophils and, occasionally, papillar microabsesses in one case. In the two other subjects, characteristic subepidermal lining with granulocytes was observed. Immunofluorescence studies confirmed the diagnosis, while autoantibodies characteristic for dermatitis herpetiformis were absent. To our knowledge this is the second report of adult linear IgA dermatosis in association with erythema annulare centrifugum lesions. Our observations concord with several other reports of figurate erythema associated with autoimmune blistering disease and other immune disorders. Common antibody-related immunological mechanisms indicate that the two distinct clinical pictures are probably stages of the same pathogenic entity.

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UV-exposition is considered as the main reason for the development of cancers of the skin. However, 90 to 100% of the Vitamin-D reqirement is formed within the skin through the action of sunlight. Considering the results of epidemiological studies, that have detected an association of Vitamin-D deficiency with various types of cancer (e.g. colon-, prostate-and breast cancer), this is a real dilema. The cancer protective effect of vitamin-D is contributed to the extra renal, local production of 1a,25(OH) 2 D 3 by the 25-hydroxyvitamin D-1a-hydroxylase, which has been detected in various tissues. In respect of the novel functions of vitamin-D and the risk of adverse consequences in case of deficiency we have screened sun deprived risk groups (A: patients with genodermatoses connected with defects in sun-induced DNA repair: n ¼ 4: 3 patients with xeroderma pigmentosum and 1 patient with basal cell nevus syndrome; and B: non vitamin-D substituted renal transplant recipients under immunosuppressants: n ¼ 33) for their vitamin-D status. As measure of the vitamin-D store and as substrate for the 25-hydroxyvitamin D-1a-hydroxylase basal 25(OH)D 3 serum levels (Nichols Institute Diagnostika GmbH, Bad Nauheim, Germany) have been analysed. In both groups decreased basal 25(OH)D 3 serum levels were detected. Therefore we demand a monitoring of vitamin-D status in patients practising sun protection, in case of vitamin-D deficiency an oral substitution should be recommended.Effect of UVB radiation emitted from the narrowband TL-01 lamp (311 nm) on the calcitriol synthesis in organotypic cultures of keratinocytesThe skin is the only tissue yet known in which the complete UVB-induced pathway from 7-dehydrocholesterol (7-DHC) to hormonally active calcitriol (1a,25-dihydroxyvitamin D 3 ) occurs under physiological conditions. It is well known that both calcitriol and UVB radiation exert potent antipsoriatic effects. We speculate that the therapeutic effect of UVB radiation can be