Background: Androgens enhance the sebum production and follicular keratosis that plays the key role in the aetiology of acne. Objective: To find out the association between serum testosterone and acne vulgaris. Methods: A case control study was carried out for a period of two years in the outpatient department of Dermatology and Venereology, Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University (BSMMU), Dhaka, Bangladesh. Female patients having acne vulgaris were selected as case. Healthy control (age and sex matched) were enrolled from the community. Results: The study showed that the mean age of the cases was 22.43 with standard deviation 5.2 years and the mean age of the control was 23.23 with standard deviation 5.9 years. The mean duration of disease was 62.6 months ranging from 12 months to 300 months. All the patients had presented with comedones (blackheads and whiteheads) followed by 94.3% had papules and 58.6% had pustules. Considering the site of lesion, all the patients had acne in the face. Data analysis revealed that the percentage of serum testosterone above normal was found to be high among the cases with acne (10%) whereas below normal level of serum testosterone was found among the control and the difference was statistically significant (p<0.001). Conclusion:The study found a significant association between serum testosterone and acne vulgaris. As serum testosterone is associated with acne vulgaris, testosterone levels should be measured in patients presenting with acne vulgaris especially in treatment resistant cases and anti-androgen treatment may be indicated in cases with elevated testosterone level.DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.3329/bsmmuj.v5i1.10980 BSMMU J 2012; 5(1):1-5

Genital herpes clinically underestimated because symptoms or sign occur only in some infection detected serologically. Prevalence of HSV subtypes in microbial etiology of Genital Ulcer Disease (GUD) in men, their association with clinical sign, complex of GUD and high-risk behavior were assessed. One hundred men with first episodes of genital ulcers were prospectively studied for serological evidence of syphilis (RPR and TPHA; T.pallidum IgM and IgG antibodies) and Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) proven chancroid and herpes. Demographic and epidemiological data were obtained in a standard interview. Positive syphilis serology observed in 11 cases, H. ducreyi detected in 65 cases and Herpes Simplex Virus in 13 cases. Among the PCR proven infections HSV type-2 detected in 7 cases, HSV type-1 in 4 cases and both HSV type-1 & 2 in 2 cases. Most of the HSV infections (92.3%) found as mixed infection with H. ducreyi. There was one PCR detected genital herpes case that was clinically undetermined. Among the PCR proven HSV infections clinical sign complex of genital herpes observed in one case, which had mixed microbial etiology. HSV infection was more prevalent in married than unmarried men (25.0% vs. 8.3%; P<0.05) and associated with early age promiscuous activity, multiple sexual partner, and sex with commercial sex workers and past infection with STDs. Presence of underdiagnosed HSV infection in men with GUD stress on the need for clinical suspicion of multiple infections. Patient with GUD should be carefully evaluated for HSV infection. Medicine Today 2010 Volume 22 Number 02 Page 55-61 DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.3329/medtoday.v22i2.12430