A 70-year-old woman, who presented with pain and functional limitation of her right shoulder, wit... more A 70-year-old woman, who presented with pain and functional limitation of her right shoulder, without any previous traumatic incident, was evaluated in an emergency department. A shoulder x-ray was performed, and she received an intrajoint injection of an unspecified amount of triamcinolone. Forty-eight hours later, she noticed a papulovesicular and bullous eruption with a dermatomal distribution on her nape, supraclavicle, and left brachial and antebrachial regions (T1-T2-C5-C6-8). A diagnosis of herpes zoster (HZ) was made, for which she received valacyclovir 1 g every 8 hours for 10 days, pregabalin 75 mg every 8 hours, and topical acyclovir, with good response. The lesions and pain subsided, and results from general laboratory tests were normal or negative.
Pemphigus refers to a group of autoimmune blistering skin diseases, mainly identified as pemphigu... more Pemphigus refers to a group of autoimmune blistering skin diseases, mainly identified as pemphigus vulgaris and pemphigus foliaceus, both characterized by the presence of autoantibodies against keratinocyte adhesion molecules, leading to loss of cell-cell adhesion with consequent blister formation. Pemphigus vulgaris is reported to be associated with human leukocyte antigen DR4 and/or DR6 whereas no data are available on pemphigus foliaceus, except for the endemic Brazilian form (fogo selvagem), which is reported to be associated with DR1 and DR4. We here report human leukocyte antigen molecular typing on a total of 87 patients, 61 with pemphigus vulgaris and 26 with pemphigus foliaceus, versus 128 healthy matched controls. Generic typing showed an increase of DRB1*04 and DRB1*14 and a decrease of DRB1*07 in both pemphigus vulgaris and pemphigus foliaceus patients. Molecular subtyping of DR4+ and DR14+ subjects showed a highly significant association between the DRB1*1401 and both pemphigus vulgaris (p < 0.0001) and pemphigus foliaceus patients (p < 0.0001) together with a significant increase of the linked DQB1*0503 (pemphigus vulgaris p < 0.0001; pemphigus foliaceus p < 0.0001). Moreover, whereas the association between DRB1*0402 and pemphigus vulgaris (p < 0.0001) has been confirmed, no significant association between a specific allele of the DR4 group and pemphigus foliaceus, has been found. Therefore, at least in Italian patients, pemphigus vulgaris and pemphigus foliaceus share DRB1*1401 and DQB1*0503, as susceptible human leukocyte antigen alleles, whereas DRB1*0402 is only found associated with pemphigus vulgaris. The observation that both diseases, pemphigus vulgaris and pemphigus foliaceus, carry the same susceptible human leukocyte antigen alleles has been interpreted as a common genetic background predisposing to pemphigus as, like in other autoimmune disorders, it is not sufficient to explain the onset of the disease on the basis of the sole aforementioned alleles. Other linked genes and/or environmental factors should play a facilitating role in the outbreak of pemphigus, either pemphigus vulgaris or pemphigus foliaceus.
Ulcerative colitis may be associated with a number of skin lesions such as erythema nodosum and p... more Ulcerative colitis may be associated with a number of skin lesions such as erythema nodosum and pyoderma gangrenosum. We here describe an unusual case of a 33-year-old-caucasian male with ulcerative colitis and skin lesions diagnosed as leukocytoclastic vasculitis. An initial treatment with oral deflazacort led to little benefit, while treatment with oral mesalazine caused remission of the skin and intestinal manifestations in 2 weeks.
Pemphigus is an autoimmune disease that results from the interaction between predisposing genetic... more Pemphigus is an autoimmune disease that results from the interaction between predisposing genetic factors and exogenous agents, mainly drugs and viruses. Herein we report the case of a 66-year-old woman referred to our department for the onset of painful oral erosions and bullous lesions on the torso. Clinical, laboratory and histopathological investigations led to the diagnosis of pemphigus vulgaris. Two weeks before the outbreak of the lesions, the patient had suffered from a viral pharyngitis, subsequently diagnosed as herpangina, and had been taking an oral cephalosporin (cefixime) for 1 week to prevent possible bacterial complications. A relationship between the onset of pemphigus and coxsackievirus infection or cefixime administration or both was supposed. The case may represent a peculiar paraviral eruption, where a predisposing pemphigus-prone genetic background paved the way for the acantholytic autoimmune disorder as a consequence of the combined effect of the coxsackievirus infection and the cephalosporin treatment.
Pemphigus vegetans (P Veg), the rarest form of pemphigus, is thought to be a variant of pemphigus... more Pemphigus vegetans (P Veg), the rarest form of pemphigus, is thought to be a variant of pemphigus vulgaris (PV). Classically, two subtypes of P Veg are recognized: (1) Neumann P Veg, which usually begins as PV with vesicles and bullae that rupture to form hypertrophic granulating erosions, then evolving into vegetating exuding masses; (2) Hallopeau P Veg, initially characterized by pustular lesions that, after rupturing, merge and gradually evolve into vegetating erosions with a centrifugal expansion. The disease typically affects the big folds (axillary, inframammary, inguinocrural, intergluteal), where semiocclusion, maceration, and mixed infections continuously incite exudation and granulation tissue formation (wet P Veg). In nonintertriginous locations, the vegetating buttons can dry out to change into warty, fissured, painful, seborrheic keratosis-like lesions (dry P Veg). Histologic examination indicates hyperplastic epidermis with intramalpighian leukocyte microabscesses and indistinct traits of suprabasal acantholysis. Immunofluorescence findings are similar to those of PV. Diagnosis is straightforward when PV lesions coexist. Difficulties can arise in cases with nonflexural location. Cytology (Tzanck test), histology, immunofluorescence, and ELISA search for anti-desmoglein antibodies are the diagnostic laboratory tools. Systemic treatment is similar to that for PV, high-dose steroids being the first choice therapy. Immunosuppressive agents and etretinate may allow a steroid-sparing effect. Topical treatment is aimed at countering the granulation tissue formation by means of several strategies (sublesional steroid injection, application of medicated gauzes in the involved flexures, chemical cautery or surgical excision of vegetating lesions).
Granulomatous disorders are chronic cell-mediated immune responses histologically characterized b... more Granulomatous disorders are chronic cell-mediated immune responses histologically characterized by collections of macrophages, epithelioid cells, and multinucleated giant cells. This disease spectrum often has an infectious origin, but sometimes neither an infective agent nor an inciting antigenic stimulus can be identified. The skin may be a preferential target for these disorders, especially in the areas that have been damaged by various forms of skin injury (eg, herpetic infections, trauma, thermal or solar burns, vaccinations, tattoos). These damaged skin sites frame the new concept of an immunocompromised cutaneous district (ICD), which defines a skin area with acquired immune dysregulation that can pave the way for the local onset of opportunistic disorders, such as infections, tumors, and granulomatous disorders. Sarcoidosis, granuloma annulare (GA), and forms of granulomatous vasculitis, such as Churg-Strauss syndrome (CSS) and Wegener's granulomatosis (WG), are the most common granulomatous disorders that occur in an ICD and may share common pathogenic mechanisms. Recent studies have found clinical and pathologic overlapping features across noninfectious granulomas. Although no unifying etiology exists, the development of granulomatous processes in the ICD has often been reported and the literature contains various hypotheses to explain it: (1) overactive immune response in a previously injured region with or without loss of immune tolerance; (2) overall reduced immune response; (3) retention of an exogeneous antigen or foreign body; (4) altered neural signaling; and (5) a combination of all the aforementioned processes. T helper cells, T regulatory cells, and macrophages, as well as a number of antigenic proteins, have been identified as potential contributing factors. In addition, a genetic predisposition and an intact systemic immune system are both instrumental for the persistence of local granuloma formation in the ICD.
... Bullous pemphigoid initially localized around a urostomy. Daniele Torchia MD,; Marzia Caproni... more ... Bullous pemphigoid initially localized around a urostomy. Daniele Torchia MD,; Marzia Caproni MD,; Sheyda Ketabchi MD,; Emiliano Antiga MD,; Paolo Fabbri MD. Article first published online: 24 OCT 2006. DOI: 10.1111/j.1365-4632.2006.03118.x. Issue. ...
Sarcoidosis is a systemic granulomatous disease characterized by the presence of non-caseating gr... more Sarcoidosis is a systemic granulomatous disease characterized by the presence of non-caseating granulomas. Its etiology remains obscure. A plausible hypothesis suggests that a complex interplay of host factors, infectious processes, and non-infectious environmental factors, matched with a susceptible genetic background, results in a pathway that leads to systemic granulomatous inflammation. Although presentations of sarcoidosis vary enormously, multi-organ involvement is a common feature. Cutaneous involvement occurs in about 25% of patients with protean manifestations and variable prognoses. Skin manifestations are divided into specific lesions with histopathologically evident non-caseating granulomas and nonspecific lesions arising from a reactive process that does not form granulomas. A peculiar form of cutaneous sarcoidosis is represented by sarcoidal lesions at sites of trauma that has caused scarring. The pathogenesis of scar sarcoidosis remains unknown. Scar sarcoidosis is also associated with herpes zoster infection, surgery, and tattooing. Such heterogeneous events, along with those at the sites of chronic lymphedema, thermal burns, radiation dermatitis, and vaccinations, occur on areas of vulnerable skin labeled "immunocompromised districts". Numerous options are available for the treatment of cutaneous sarcoidosis. Although corticosteroids remain the treatment of choice for initial systemic therapy, other nonsteroidal agents have proven effective and therefore useful for long-term management. Tumor necrosis factor-α antagonists such as infliximab may have a role in the treatment of cutaneous sarcoidosis, especially in refractory cases that are resistant to standard regimens. Elucidation of the relationship of sarcoidal granulomas with malignancy and immunity may facilitate a better understanding of some pathomechanisms operating in neoplastic and immunity-related disorders.
A 70-year-old woman, who presented with pain and functional limitation of her right shoulder, wit... more A 70-year-old woman, who presented with pain and functional limitation of her right shoulder, without any previous traumatic incident, was evaluated in an emergency department. A shoulder x-ray was performed, and she received an intrajoint injection of an unspecified amount of triamcinolone. Forty-eight hours later, she noticed a papulovesicular and bullous eruption with a dermatomal distribution on her nape, supraclavicle, and left brachial and antebrachial regions (T1-T2-C5-C6-8). A diagnosis of herpes zoster (HZ) was made, for which she received valacyclovir 1 g every 8 hours for 10 days, pregabalin 75 mg every 8 hours, and topical acyclovir, with good response. The lesions and pain subsided, and results from general laboratory tests were normal or negative.
Pemphigus refers to a group of autoimmune blistering skin diseases, mainly identified as pemphigu... more Pemphigus refers to a group of autoimmune blistering skin diseases, mainly identified as pemphigus vulgaris and pemphigus foliaceus, both characterized by the presence of autoantibodies against keratinocyte adhesion molecules, leading to loss of cell-cell adhesion with consequent blister formation. Pemphigus vulgaris is reported to be associated with human leukocyte antigen DR4 and/or DR6 whereas no data are available on pemphigus foliaceus, except for the endemic Brazilian form (fogo selvagem), which is reported to be associated with DR1 and DR4. We here report human leukocyte antigen molecular typing on a total of 87 patients, 61 with pemphigus vulgaris and 26 with pemphigus foliaceus, versus 128 healthy matched controls. Generic typing showed an increase of DRB1*04 and DRB1*14 and a decrease of DRB1*07 in both pemphigus vulgaris and pemphigus foliaceus patients. Molecular subtyping of DR4+ and DR14+ subjects showed a highly significant association between the DRB1*1401 and both pemphigus vulgaris (p < 0.0001) and pemphigus foliaceus patients (p < 0.0001) together with a significant increase of the linked DQB1*0503 (pemphigus vulgaris p < 0.0001; pemphigus foliaceus p < 0.0001). Moreover, whereas the association between DRB1*0402 and pemphigus vulgaris (p < 0.0001) has been confirmed, no significant association between a specific allele of the DR4 group and pemphigus foliaceus, has been found. Therefore, at least in Italian patients, pemphigus vulgaris and pemphigus foliaceus share DRB1*1401 and DQB1*0503, as susceptible human leukocyte antigen alleles, whereas DRB1*0402 is only found associated with pemphigus vulgaris. The observation that both diseases, pemphigus vulgaris and pemphigus foliaceus, carry the same susceptible human leukocyte antigen alleles has been interpreted as a common genetic background predisposing to pemphigus as, like in other autoimmune disorders, it is not sufficient to explain the onset of the disease on the basis of the sole aforementioned alleles. Other linked genes and/or environmental factors should play a facilitating role in the outbreak of pemphigus, either pemphigus vulgaris or pemphigus foliaceus.
Ulcerative colitis may be associated with a number of skin lesions such as erythema nodosum and p... more Ulcerative colitis may be associated with a number of skin lesions such as erythema nodosum and pyoderma gangrenosum. We here describe an unusual case of a 33-year-old-caucasian male with ulcerative colitis and skin lesions diagnosed as leukocytoclastic vasculitis. An initial treatment with oral deflazacort led to little benefit, while treatment with oral mesalazine caused remission of the skin and intestinal manifestations in 2 weeks.
Pemphigus is an autoimmune disease that results from the interaction between predisposing genetic... more Pemphigus is an autoimmune disease that results from the interaction between predisposing genetic factors and exogenous agents, mainly drugs and viruses. Herein we report the case of a 66-year-old woman referred to our department for the onset of painful oral erosions and bullous lesions on the torso. Clinical, laboratory and histopathological investigations led to the diagnosis of pemphigus vulgaris. Two weeks before the outbreak of the lesions, the patient had suffered from a viral pharyngitis, subsequently diagnosed as herpangina, and had been taking an oral cephalosporin (cefixime) for 1 week to prevent possible bacterial complications. A relationship between the onset of pemphigus and coxsackievirus infection or cefixime administration or both was supposed. The case may represent a peculiar paraviral eruption, where a predisposing pemphigus-prone genetic background paved the way for the acantholytic autoimmune disorder as a consequence of the combined effect of the coxsackievirus infection and the cephalosporin treatment.
Pemphigus vegetans (P Veg), the rarest form of pemphigus, is thought to be a variant of pemphigus... more Pemphigus vegetans (P Veg), the rarest form of pemphigus, is thought to be a variant of pemphigus vulgaris (PV). Classically, two subtypes of P Veg are recognized: (1) Neumann P Veg, which usually begins as PV with vesicles and bullae that rupture to form hypertrophic granulating erosions, then evolving into vegetating exuding masses; (2) Hallopeau P Veg, initially characterized by pustular lesions that, after rupturing, merge and gradually evolve into vegetating erosions with a centrifugal expansion. The disease typically affects the big folds (axillary, inframammary, inguinocrural, intergluteal), where semiocclusion, maceration, and mixed infections continuously incite exudation and granulation tissue formation (wet P Veg). In nonintertriginous locations, the vegetating buttons can dry out to change into warty, fissured, painful, seborrheic keratosis-like lesions (dry P Veg). Histologic examination indicates hyperplastic epidermis with intramalpighian leukocyte microabscesses and indistinct traits of suprabasal acantholysis. Immunofluorescence findings are similar to those of PV. Diagnosis is straightforward when PV lesions coexist. Difficulties can arise in cases with nonflexural location. Cytology (Tzanck test), histology, immunofluorescence, and ELISA search for anti-desmoglein antibodies are the diagnostic laboratory tools. Systemic treatment is similar to that for PV, high-dose steroids being the first choice therapy. Immunosuppressive agents and etretinate may allow a steroid-sparing effect. Topical treatment is aimed at countering the granulation tissue formation by means of several strategies (sublesional steroid injection, application of medicated gauzes in the involved flexures, chemical cautery or surgical excision of vegetating lesions).
Granulomatous disorders are chronic cell-mediated immune responses histologically characterized b... more Granulomatous disorders are chronic cell-mediated immune responses histologically characterized by collections of macrophages, epithelioid cells, and multinucleated giant cells. This disease spectrum often has an infectious origin, but sometimes neither an infective agent nor an inciting antigenic stimulus can be identified. The skin may be a preferential target for these disorders, especially in the areas that have been damaged by various forms of skin injury (eg, herpetic infections, trauma, thermal or solar burns, vaccinations, tattoos). These damaged skin sites frame the new concept of an immunocompromised cutaneous district (ICD), which defines a skin area with acquired immune dysregulation that can pave the way for the local onset of opportunistic disorders, such as infections, tumors, and granulomatous disorders. Sarcoidosis, granuloma annulare (GA), and forms of granulomatous vasculitis, such as Churg-Strauss syndrome (CSS) and Wegener's granulomatosis (WG), are the most common granulomatous disorders that occur in an ICD and may share common pathogenic mechanisms. Recent studies have found clinical and pathologic overlapping features across noninfectious granulomas. Although no unifying etiology exists, the development of granulomatous processes in the ICD has often been reported and the literature contains various hypotheses to explain it: (1) overactive immune response in a previously injured region with or without loss of immune tolerance; (2) overall reduced immune response; (3) retention of an exogeneous antigen or foreign body; (4) altered neural signaling; and (5) a combination of all the aforementioned processes. T helper cells, T regulatory cells, and macrophages, as well as a number of antigenic proteins, have been identified as potential contributing factors. In addition, a genetic predisposition and an intact systemic immune system are both instrumental for the persistence of local granuloma formation in the ICD.
... Bullous pemphigoid initially localized around a urostomy. Daniele Torchia MD,; Marzia Caproni... more ... Bullous pemphigoid initially localized around a urostomy. Daniele Torchia MD,; Marzia Caproni MD,; Sheyda Ketabchi MD,; Emiliano Antiga MD,; Paolo Fabbri MD. Article first published online: 24 OCT 2006. DOI: 10.1111/j.1365-4632.2006.03118.x. Issue. ...
Sarcoidosis is a systemic granulomatous disease characterized by the presence of non-caseating gr... more Sarcoidosis is a systemic granulomatous disease characterized by the presence of non-caseating granulomas. Its etiology remains obscure. A plausible hypothesis suggests that a complex interplay of host factors, infectious processes, and non-infectious environmental factors, matched with a susceptible genetic background, results in a pathway that leads to systemic granulomatous inflammation. Although presentations of sarcoidosis vary enormously, multi-organ involvement is a common feature. Cutaneous involvement occurs in about 25% of patients with protean manifestations and variable prognoses. Skin manifestations are divided into specific lesions with histopathologically evident non-caseating granulomas and nonspecific lesions arising from a reactive process that does not form granulomas. A peculiar form of cutaneous sarcoidosis is represented by sarcoidal lesions at sites of trauma that has caused scarring. The pathogenesis of scar sarcoidosis remains unknown. Scar sarcoidosis is also associated with herpes zoster infection, surgery, and tattooing. Such heterogeneous events, along with those at the sites of chronic lymphedema, thermal burns, radiation dermatitis, and vaccinations, occur on areas of vulnerable skin labeled "immunocompromised districts". Numerous options are available for the treatment of cutaneous sarcoidosis. Although corticosteroids remain the treatment of choice for initial systemic therapy, other nonsteroidal agents have proven effective and therefore useful for long-term management. Tumor necrosis factor-α antagonists such as infliximab may have a role in the treatment of cutaneous sarcoidosis, especially in refractory cases that are resistant to standard regimens. Elucidation of the relationship of sarcoidal granulomas with malignancy and immunity may facilitate a better understanding of some pathomechanisms operating in neoplastic and immunity-related disorders.
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