Molluscum contagiosum and warts are two very common viral-induced diseases of childhood. We report our 1-year experience with intralesional candida antigen therapy for both warts and molluscum contagiosum. A retrospective chart review was performed and a total of 217 patients were identified. Follow-up was obtained either through clinic visits or telephone interviews for 25/47 molluscum patients and 55/170 wart patients. Of the molluscum patients with follow-up, 14/25 (56%) had complete resolution, 7/25 (28%) had partial clearing, and 4/25 (16%) had no improvement. For the wart patients with follow-up, 48/55 (87%) had complete resolution, 3/55 (6%) had partial clearing, and 4/55 (7%) had no improvement. It is important to note that our clearance rate may be overestimated, as many patients were also treated concurrently with liquid nitrogen or other therapies. All wart and molluscum patients experienced some discomfort at the time of injection, but no serious side effects were reported. Our experience suggests intralesional candida antigen may represent a treatment option for warts and molluscum contagiosum that is safe and effective.

The present study indicates that the imminent change of tar yields in the European Union to comply with an upper limit of 12 mg/cigarette will not increase (and may somewhat decrease) the incidence of myocardial infarction, unless they indirectly help perpetuate tobacco use. Even low tar cigarettes still greatly increase rates of myocardial infarction, however, especially among people in their 30s, 40s, and 50s, and far more risk is avoided by not smoking than by changing from one type of cigarette to another.

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Background Paediatric cutaneous lupus erythematosus (LE) is uncommon and inadequately described in the literature. Similar to adults, children with cutaneous LE develop LE-specific and/or LE-nonspecific skin findings. Similarities and differences in demographics and clinical course between paediatric and adult cutaneous LE have not been sufficiently described. Objectives The purpose of this study is to detail the demographic and clinical features of paediatric cutaneous LE and then compare these findings to those reported in the adult literature. Methods A retrospective chart review was performed of 53 children seen in a paediatric dermatology clinic with cutaneous manifestations of LE. Results Patients presented with all five major subtypes of cutaneous LE, with some notable differences from adult cutaneous LE and previously published reports of paediatric cutaneous LE. Progression from discoid LE to systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) did not occur in our cohort. Patients with subacute cutaneous LE were more likely than adults to have lesions below the waist as well as concomitant SLE. Sex distribution for cutaneous LE in our study was equal prior to puberty and female-predominant in post-pubertal patients. Conclusions Children with cutaneous LE have variable clinical presentations and progression to SLE that may be different from adult disease. Specifically, children with acute and subacute cutaneous LE may be more likely than adults to have systemic disease; therefore, patients with these subtypes should be monitored closely for evidence of SLE. Study limitations included small patient numbers that may limit ability to generalize this data and relatively short follow-up intervals.

Background An inverse correlation between serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D concentration and atopic dermatitis (AD) severity has been suggested. Objective To determine if a statistically significant relationship exists between serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D concentration and AD severity. Methods A cross-sectional study was conducted of patients with AD aged 1–18 years. An objective Severity Scoring of Atopic Dermatitis (SCORAD) and a serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D concentration were measured for each subject. Statistical analysis was performed using appropriate univariate tests and multivariable models. Results Ninety-four of 97 enrolled subjects were included in the analysis. Vitamin D deficiency (25-hydroxyvitamin D <20ng/ml) was present in 37 (39%), insufficiency (25-hydroxyvitamin D 21–29 ng/mL) in 33 (35%), and sufficiency (25-hydroxyvitamin D ≥30 ng/ml) in 24 (26%). The correlation between 25-hydroxyvitamin D concentration and SCORAD was not significant (r=−0.001, p=0.99). A multivariate model showed that a lower serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D concentration was significantly associated with age ≥3-years (p<0.0001), black race (p<0.0001), and winter season (p=0.0084). Limitations Limitations of this study include the inability to control for natural sunlight exposure, vitamin D intake and AD treatment, and that only a single time point was captured. Conclusions Serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D concentration is not significantly correlated with AD severity in our pediatric population.