Biological therapy has revolutionized moderate to severe psoriasis treatment.
However, despite being more effective than conventional systemic treatments,
some patients do not respond or lose response to biotechnological treatments or
develop drug-antibodies, interfering with its safety and efficacy. There are
also clinical forms of the disease and patient profiles for which is pending
further scientific evidence for more sustained therapeutic interventions. The
continuous and more detailed knowledge of psoriasis pathophysiology has allowed
identifying new therapeutic targets, which is expected to help overcome the
challenges of individualized psoriasis treatment.
Nearly half of the patients analysed had at least one cutaneous extraintestinal manifestation. The fact that certain lesions tend to be more common among patients with defined characteristics should alert the physicians and allow an early diagnosis and, when pertinent, a reference to dermatology.
Intracellular protozoan of the genus Leishmania, endemic in the Mediterranean basin, are the cause of cutaneous (CL), mucocutaneous (MCL), and visceral leishmaniasis (VL). A 75-year-old woman was admitted nine years after a second kidney transplant (KT), due to persistent pancytopenia and fever. She presented edema and erythema of the nose in the last two years and an exophytic nodular lesion located on the left arm, with areas of peripheral necrosis and central ulceration in the last 18 months. A bone marrow biopsy revealed features compatible with Leishmania amastigotes, and polymerase chain reaction test (PCR) for Leishmania infantum was positive. Moreover, biopsy and PCR for L. infantum of the cutaneous lesion on the patient’s left arm and nose and PCR from peripheral blood were positive. Thus, a diagnosis of CL, MCL, and VL was made, and liposomal amphotericin B was initiated, but the patient had an unfavorable outcome and died. This is the first report of a KT recipient presenting with the entire spectrum of leishmaniasis. In Portugal, this infection is rare—so a high degree of clinical suspicion is required for its diagnosis, especially in endemic regions, as visceral leishmaniasis is a potentially life-threatening infection.
In order to exclude neurological disorders, we requested a neurologist's evaluation. She had an inconsistent neurological exam. Her electromyography revealed signs of acute partial denervation of the hand muscles, and magnetic resonance imaging showed no abnormalities, raising the possibility of a psychiatric condition.
AbstractDermatitis neglecta is a condition affecting the skin caused by a lack of hygiene. It may be related to psychiatric and neurological disturbances. The appearance of skin lesions results from neglect, which helps distinguish this condition from other similar clinical entities. Resolution of the lesions with adequate cleansing aids a definitive diagnosis.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.