Combination treatment with split-skin-thickness grafting and postsurgical exposure to 308-nm excimer laser in patients with stable focal or segmental vitiligo can lead to fast, cosmetically good, long-lasting results.

Psoriasis is a widespread skin disorder in which nail involvement can be seen in up to two-thirds of those affected. Childhood psoriasis is a distinct entity and the literature focused on nail changes associated with childhood psoriasis is scant. Our objectives were to evaluate the frequency of nail involvement in childhood psoriatic patients, assess the types of nail changes in childhood psoriasis, and compare our clinical findings with the few reports available in the literature. Two hundred and one consecutive new patients with childhood (age < or = 16 years) psoriasis of both sexes were selected for the study of nail changes. The diagnosis of psoriasis was made on clinical grounds. Each patient underwent a thorough dermatologic examination with special attention paid to the nail changes. If a clinical suspicion of fungal infection of the nails existed, further mycologic investigations were performed. We found the prevalence of nail changes to be 37.81% (boys > girls) in children who had psoriasis. Nail pitting was found to be the most common manifestation (61.84%) followed by onycholysis (30.26%), subungual hyperkeratosis (13.16%), and discoloration of the nail plate (7.90%). Nail involvement had no relationship to the type of psoriasis, patient's sex, or duration or extent of disease.

BACKGROUND. Minipunch grafting (MPG) and split-skin grafting (SSG) are common outpatient procedures for the surgical treatment of chronic stable vitiligo. However, there is a paucity of literature comparing the two procedures by the same group of investigators.

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Air-borne contact dermatitis caused by Parthenium hysterophorus is a serious problem in India. Patients with this condition have to use corticosteroids regularly in order to maintain clinical remissions, but prolonged usage causes serious side-effects. The weed cannot be eradicated. We have used 3 therapeutic regimens with azathioprine, which led to an effective control with minimal side-effects even when used for long periods. A total of 22 patients (group I) were given 50 mg azathioprine twice a day; 11 patients (group II) received 50 mg azathioprine per day and 300 mg azathioprine every 28 days, and 10 patients (group III) were given 50 mg azathioprine twice a day along with 300 mg azathioprine every 28 days. The duration of treatment varied from 6 months to 3 years. Twenty patients in group I and 9 patients each in groups II and III had complete remission. Nine, 7 and 6 patients in the respective groups needed additional oral betamethasone 1-2 mg per day for brief periods only during the peak season in order to maintain complete remission. One patient in each group had only partial relief. The need for oral betamethasone during the second and the third year was further reduced. One patient each in group I and group II could not continue azathioprine due to the side-effects of the drug.