Localized bullous pemphigoid is a rare variant of bullous pemphigoid, and its exact etiopathogenesis is yet to be elucidated. We present a case of a 74-year-old Caucasian male with a 3-month history of skin lesions that appeared 9 months after he underwent a knee arthroplasty. Dermatological examination showed several pruritic tense bullae on the right knee, localized around the surgical scar, as well as erosions covered with crusts. The diagnosis of localized bullous pemphigoid was confi rmed by direct immunofl uorescence test (conventional and split-skin). The patient was treated with potent topical steroids, which led to complete resolution of cutaneous lesions. We suppose that the occurrence of localized bullous pemphigoid in our patient may be explained by the concept of "immunocompromised district" in which one disease (surgery) caused an immunological alteration which is a predisposing factor for the development of secondary disease such as localized bullous pemphigoid.

Introduction: Self-reported health status is considered one of the highly significant indicators of general health and overall quality of life. Aim: to examine whether there are gender differences in self-reported health status among the older population depending on the socioeconomic determinants. Methods: The analysis was carried out based on the data collected from the fourth National Health Survey of the population of Serbia, which was designed as a cross-sectional study. The research was conducted in accordance with the methodological guidelines and research instruments of the European Health Interview Survey. Results: A statistically significant correlation was observed between gender and the self-reported health status of the respondents. Women were significantly more likely to report poor self-rated health (27.8%), whereas men reported better self-rated health (21.3%). The results of the multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that poor self-rated health status among women was more likely to be affected by age, educational level, and region, whereas age and economic status were significant factors associated with poor self-rated health status among men. Conclusion: Taking into consideration the fact that the advantages of increased life expectancy will achieved only if these extra years of life gained through increased longevity are spent in good health, the importance of conducting additional research on gender differences is more than evident, particularly in terms of providing meaningful insight into the development of action plans devised to deal with gender differences in health status, simultaneously promoting healthy and active aging for both men and women.

Although qualitative research methods are increasingly used in medicine, PhD students in biomedical fields rarely choose these methods for their theses. In a two-session, unstructured meeting of professor and his 2nd year PhD students in the field of medicine the issue of using qualitative research methods for PhD thesis was openly discussed, and notes from the discussion were semantically analyzed. The students all agreed that they would not choose a qualitative research method for their PhD thesis, because they believed that qualitative research is more prone to bias, less reliable than quantitative research and with fewer chances to be accepted by the scientific community. If qualitative research methods are to be more utilized by PhD students of medicine in the future, much should be done on education of PhD students and on promotion of these methods among the academic staff.