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Background and Objectives: Blue light is effective for acne treatment, inducing photodynamic destruction of Propionibacterium acnes (P. acnes). This study was designed to investigate the efficacy of combined blue and red light-emitting diode (LED) phototherapy for acne vulgaris. Materials and Methods: Twenty-four patients with mild to moderately severe facial acne were treated with quasimonochromatic LED devices, alternating blue (415 nm) and red (633 nm) light. The treatment was performed twice a week for 4 weeks. Objective assays of the skin condition were carried out before and after treatment at each treatment session. Clinical assessments were conducted before treatment, after the 2nd, 4th, and 6th treatment sessions and at 2, 4, and 8 weeks after the final treatment by grading and lesion counting. Results: The final mean percentage improvements in noninflammatory and inflammatory lesions were 34.28% and 77.93%, respectively. Instrumental measurements indicated that the melanin levels significantly decreased after treatment. Brightened skin tone and improved skin texture were spontaneously reported by 14 patients. Conclusion: Blue and red light combination LED phototherapy is an effective, safe and non-painful treatment for mild to moderately severe acne vulgaris, particularly for papulopustular acne lesions.

BackgroundAtopic dermatitis (AD) is a common, complex disease that follows a chronic relapsing course and significantly affects the quality of life of patients. Skin barrier dysfunction and inflammatory processes induce and aggravate this skin condition. Proper use of an emollient for hydration is a keystone of AD treatment. Bee venom is known to have anti-inflammatory effects and has been widely used in traditional medicine to treat various inflammatory disorders.ObjectiveTo find out the beneficial effect of an emollient containing bee venom in the treatment of patients with AD.MethodsThis study included 136 patients with AD who were randomized to receive either an emollient containing bee venom and silk-protein or a vehicle that was identical except for the bee venom for 4 weeks. The patients were instructed to apply the emollient twice daily on their entire body and not to use other medications, including topicals, during the course of the study. The eczema area and severity index (EASI) score, transepidermal water loss, and visual analogue scale (VAS) score of itching were evaluated at the first visit and after 2 and 4 weeks. The investigator global assessment was evaluated at 2 and 4 weeks after the application of emollient containing bee venom or vehicle.ResultsPatients applying emollient containing bee venom showed significantly lower EASI score and VAS value compared to patients applying emollient without bee venom.ConclusionEmollient containing bee venom is a safe and effective option for patients with AD.

Dear Editor, Folliculosebaceous cystic hamartoma (FSCH) is a rare skin lesion comprised of follicular, sebaceous and mesenchymal elements. FSCH mostly involves the head and neck area but some cases involving the upper back, forearm and ear have been reported. However, FSCH located on the nipple is quite rare. Herein, we describe a case of FSCH on the nipple of a 32-year-old woman.A 32-year-old woman visited our clinic to evaluate a single pedunculated soft nodule on the nipple of her right breast. The nodule had been there for 5 years. It was asymptomatic and very slowly growing. The surrounding areola and underlying mammary ducts and breast tissue were unremarkable. There was no history of nipple discharge or bleeding. Her left breast was normal.On physical examination, the lesion was a 0.5 cm · 0.4 cm · 0.3 cm, light brown, soft tumor with a projecting and polypoid configuration, located on the superolateral aspect of the right nipple. There was no evidence of punctum or sinus opening and involvement of ductal orifice was not noticed (Fig. 1). Initial clinical diagnosis was fibroma of the nipple and accessory nipple, and an excisional biopsy was performed.The tumor was totally excised by a 6-mm punch. Histopathological examination revealed mild epidermal proliferation and hyperplasia. Within the dermis, there were multiple hyperplastic sebaceous glands forming nodules around a large, cysticallydilated, follicular infundibular structure lined with stratified squamous epithelium and filled with keratin material. Sebaceous lobules were attached to the cystic structure through sebaceous ducts. The surrounding stroma consisted of concentric, fibrillary bundles of collagen with numerous dilated capillaries and venules. The perifollicular part of the stroma contained large amounts of mucin. There was cleft formation between the perifollicular stroma and the adjacent dermis (Fig. 2). The final diagnosis was folliculosebaceous cystic hamartoma and the lesion has not recurred after total excision.Folliculosebaceous cystic hamartoma was first described in 1991 by Kimura et al.1 and was con-