Pseudofolliculitis barbae (PFB) is a common hair disorder characterized by a pustular foreign body inflammatory reaction that is induced by ingrown hairs of the facial and submental (barbea) regions after regular shaving. It occurs predominantly in black males, while it is rather rare and usually far less severe in Caucasian males. Black individuals have a higher propensity of developing PFB due to their genetic predisposition for curly hair which inherently possesses a much higher risk of growing back into the skin than straight or wavy hair. The PFB process is, however, not gender dependent nor restricted to the face, but can occur in any skin region once regular shaving, plucking, or other traumatic means of hair removal are instituted. Through a family study and a large-scale investigation of randomly sampled PFB-affected and -unaffected individuals, this study demonstrates that an unusual single-nucleotide polymorphism, which gives rise to a disruptive Ala12Thr substitution in the 1A alpha-helical segment of the companion layer-specific keratin K6hf of the hair follicle, is partially responsible for the phenotypic expression and represents an additional genetic risk factor for PFB.
Although the healing time is longer with electrodessication, this modality represents an inexpensive practical ablative treatment method for actinic cheilitis.
Military dermatology encompasses all cutaneous manifestations that present to medical officers in a deployed situation, either in peacetime or in war. Medical officers in a field environment cannot avoid facing cutaneous quandaries. This article briefly highlights the omnipresent threat of cutaneous disease. It follows with a cost-effective look at periodically deploying a dermatologist to Bosnia. Volumes of historical data clearly justify the assignment of a dermatologist as a special consultant staff officer to every corps or theater medical staff. Despite this data, only two U.S. Army units in our present table of organization and equipment will have a dermatologist (60L) available for periodic direct-field consultation and teaching. After review of the historical data and the Stabilization Force-Bosnia statistics presented here, the table of organization and equipment restructuring that is required to meet the challenges of tomorrow will be clear. A dermatologist must be deployed as a theater or division consultant.
The dimpling of the skin with lateral compression or ‘Fitzpatrick’s sign’ is considered by many to be pathognomonic for dermatofibromas (DFs). Despite the description of this sign in all major textbooks, not all DFs dimple and all that dimple are not DFs. Other diagnostic investigations such as the use of dermatoscopy may help to confirm the clinical suspicion of DF.
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