Hydroxyurea is an antimetabolite agent used in the treatment of myeloproliferative disorders and sickle cell anaemia. Although hydroxyurea is relatively well tolerated, adverse effects often involve skin and mucous membrane during long-term therapy. A group of 510 patients affected by chronic myeloid leukaemia from 1977 to 1998 has been considered. Only 158 patients were treated with hydroxyurea and fulfilled inclusion/exclusion criteria of this study. A spectrum of severe cutaneous and mucosal changes (inflammatory and neoplastic) was seen in about 13% of patients (21 patients out of 158) and was studied in detail. Cutaneous and mucosal atrophy were observed in all 21 patients. Skin atrophy was often characterized by numerous telangiectases, especially on legs and on sun-exposed sites (16/21). Cutaneous, mucosal and nail hyperpigmentation was evident, albeit with variable extent, in 10 of the 21 patients. Severe stomatitis and glossitis with flattening of papillae were another common finding. Five patients, who received a particularly long treatment with hydroxyurea, developed squamous-cell neoplasms on sun-exposed sites (both squamous-cell carcinomas and keratoacanthomas). Acral changes were characteristic and constant, including acral erythema (21/21), dermatomyositis-like changes on the dorsa of hands (7/21), ulcers localized on acral areas of legs, on genitalia and oral mucosae (20/21). The frequency and the variety of these muco-cutaneous changes are reported and the mechanisms by which hydroxyurea may induce this muco-cutaneous syndrome-like group of changes, are proposed.

Screening probands with clinically suspected AFD significantly increased diagnostic yield. The heart was the organ most commonly involved, independent of the clinical setting in which the patient was first evaluated.

No abstract

This NC1+NC2 ELISA can be a practical assay for the diagnosis of EBA. The correlation between autoantibody titres and disease severity suggests its usefulness as a marker of disease activity in EBA However, this should be confirmed by studies on larger series of patients.

The human severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) pandemic changed the usual care practice worldwide with the necessity to reorganize and postpone the majority of elective most planned medical and surgical activities. 1 Malignant melanoma is the most lethal form of skin cancer. The incidence of melanoma is climbing steadily and peaks at the seventh and eighth decades of life. 2 Old patients, with chronic comorbidities, belong to the same population with a higher risk of SARS-CoV-2 infection. 3 The lockdown period in Northern Italy, from 22 February to 3 May, witnessed a drastic reduction in the number of accesses in the Dermatology Department for evaluation of skin cancer screening. 4 The Fondazione IRCCS Policlinico San Matteo is a tertiary center and teaching hospital in Northern Italy and became a national SARS-CoV-2 referral center. During the lockdown period, many dermatologists were enrolled in coronavirus disease (COVID) departments and

Serum IgA eTG antibody determination can efficiently distinguish UDH from other dermatological itchy diseases and is highly sensitive to gluten-free diet.

Skin changes are the most common non-hematologic side effects to IM treatment and are usually dose dependent. In particular, patients with IM therapy reported a lightening and depigmentation of the skin, that may alter the skin protection against ultraviolet exposure, with a possible subsequent intolerance to sun exposure, as reported in our patient, and higher risk of skin cancer. They are frequently self-limited or easily managed; nevertheless, in some cases, the therapy needs to be discontinued or may only be continued with concomitant oral steroid.

During the lockdown period most planned visits have been postponed and the number of accesses to Emergency Department (ED) has dramatically reduced. The aim of our study is to analyze the impact of the lockdown on the number, type and severity of Dermatological ED diagnosis. We performed a retrospective review of all dermatological consultations in the ED of IRCSS San Matteo during the lockdown period in Italy (February 22nd ‐ May third 2020) and compared them with those from the same period in 2019. We noticed a sharply reduction in the number of dermatological consultations requested in the ED: from 164 patients in 2019 to 33 in 2020. Some diagnostic categories showed a significant difference with a higher incidence of vasculopathic lesions (0.6% vs 12.1%, P < 0.0001), urticarial rashes (8.5% vs 21.2%, P = 0.03) and scabies (3% vs 12.1%, P = 0.023). We observed an increase in the proportion of patients starting medications, before coming to the ED 26.2% in 2019 vs 66.7% in 2020 ( P < 0.001). Furthermore, we noticed a significant increase in the average complexity of cases presenting to the ED in 2020, as proven by the increased need for biopsies and systemic therapy. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.