BackgroundAcne vulgaris is a pilosebaceous follicle disorder affecting over 85% of adolescents to some degree. It frequently causes psychological distress that may persist into adulthood due to scarring. Little information about post-acne scarring epidemiology is available.ObjectivesTo describe prevalence, distribution patterns and associated factors of acne scarring in young males, drawing on a representative population sample from a southern Brazilian city.MethodsA cross-sectional study was undertaken during presentation for military service, which is compulsory for all 18-year-old males. A questionnaire was applied, covering topics like diet, smoking habits, ethnicity, family structure, socio-economic level, as well as specific questions about active acne and resulting scars. Dermatologists conducted the clinical examination.ResultsA total of 2,201 male adolescents were interviewed and examined. The overall prevalence of acne scarring was 22%. The malar region was the most frequently involved, present in 80% of affected individuals, followed by the frontal region (31.5%), back (17%), anterior chest (8.2%) and mentonian region (6.4%). Correlation between the intensity of clinical acne and the presence of scars was found, but no association was observed with educational level, smoking, ethnicity, obesity or socio-economic status.ConclusionsThere is a high prevalence of acne scars among this population. This is the first study to ascertain a correlation between acne scarring and factors such as socio-economic status and educational level. The direct relation between acne severity and scarring indicates that prompt and effective treatment is the best way to reduce scarring.

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Background: Prevalence of acne varies worldwide. Several factors (age, skin color, body fat, diet, and smoking) have been investigated as risk factors. Objective: A total of 2,201 18-year-old males living in Pelotas, South Brazil, were evaluated in order to examine the prevalence of acne and associated factors. Methods: A cross-sectional population-based study was conducted. A dermatologist performed the clinical examination of the face and trunk for identification of acne lesions. Acne was evaluated as clinically noninflammatory, inflammatory, and acne with both types of lesions. Skin color, schooling, height, smoking, skinfolds, waist circumference, BMI, and dietary dairy intake were the independent variables used. Results: A response rate of 97.2% was obtained. Individuals without any acne lesion were 241 (10.9%); 161 (7.3%) only had noninflammatory lesions, 404 (18.4%) only inflammatory lesions; and 1,395 (63.4%) presented both types of lesions. In multivariate analysis, the type of lesions was different in light and dark skin phototype adolescents, with more common inflammatory lesions in the light phototype and noninflammatory ones in the dark phototype patients. Height was directly associated with the occurrence of all types of acne, whereas lower fat mass was associated with the occurrence of noninflammatory acne. While daily consumption of whole milk or yogurt was found to be associated with inflammatory acne in crude analysis, the association with milk was not detected and that with yogurt was low in multivariate analysis. Conclusion: Our results suggest that future studies should explore determinants of noninflammatory and inflammatory acne separately, especially if mixed populations are studied.

Infections caused by dermathophytes in the scrotal skin are uncommon especially due to Microsporum gypseum, which may form scutular or favus-like lesions. We report two patients with this type of tinea: one immune suppressed by HIV infection and another immunocompetent without comorbidity. In the literature we found only two reports in immunocompetent patients and some in immune suppressed with similar symptoms.

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A 47-year-old white man, with antecedents of alcoholism and diabetes mellitus, complained of pain and edema on his left knee. Seven days later vesicobullous lesions appeared over the erythematous base on the hands and right leg. Papular and purpuric lesions were also found on the dorsal of the patient's hands.Aspiration of joint fluid on the left knee was performed. The complete blood count revealed the following results: hemoglobin 7.5 g /dl; hematocrit 22.4%; leukocytes 19,730/ mm 3 with 68% neutrophils; hepatitis B and C serology were negative; and three blood and two joint fluid cultures in aerobic and anaerobic media gave negative results. Neoplasia and autoimmune diseases were ruled out.Five days later, cutaneous lesions were localized predominantly on the dorsal of the hands (Figs 1 and 2).Dermatohistopathology revealed epidermis with acanthosis, intraepidermal and subcorneal microabscesses; areas of diffuse infiltrate of mature neutrophils in the dermis with leukocytoclastic vasculitis, and hemorrhage, mainly in the subepidermal area (Fig. 3).During 1 month the patient did not present any systemic manifestations, and the skin lesions underwent spontaneous regression. DiscussionNeutrophilic dermatosis constitutes a group of diseases histologically characterized as a neutrophilic infiltration of the dermis, without findings of infectious agents and /or defined etiology.In 1995, Strutton described the cases of six women with eruption involving the dorsal of the hands.1 The lesions

Primary localized cutaneous nodular amyloidosis is a rare plasma cell dyscrasia in which an amorphous material consisting of light chain amyloid is produced and deposited in the dermis, with varied clinical presentation. We describe the case with unusual and tumor lush clinical presentation in the face with no progression to systemic disease and no evidence of extracutaneous commitment.

Prevalence of scalp SD in our survey of male adolescents was 11%. The occurrence of scalp SD was associated with white skin and a higher body fat content.