Author Archives - Cristo Rey
A Possible Use of Cholinergic Drugs in Pemphigus Vulgaris
02 Jan 2013 (Around the Globe & News and Information)Human epidermis shows a non-neuronal cholinergic system including keratinocyte (kc) acetylcholine (Ach) axis which is composed by enzymes and two families of Ach receptors (muscarinic and nicotinic receptors). The activity of these two receptors can regulate the interkeratinocytes and kcs-extracellular matrix adhesion modifying the regulation of intercellular adhesion molecules like cadherins and integrins. Some authors demonstrate that acantholysis in pemphigus…
Recognizing Pyoderma:
29 Dec 2012 (Around the Globe & News and Information)Although bacterial pyoderma is among the most commonly encountered dermatologic conditions in dogs, some cases present diagnostic challenges even to experienced clinicians. This article presents several unusual manifestations of pyoderma, including bullous impetigo, superficial spreading pyoderma, mucocutaneous pyoderma, and post-grooming furunculosis. Conditions mimicking pyoderma, including juvenile cellulitis, immunomodulatory-responsive lymphocytic-plasmacytic pododermatitis, and pemphigus foliaceus are also described. Diagnostic techniques used for…
Study of apoptosis in oral pemphigus vulgaris
27 Dec 2012 (Around the Globe & News and Information)Pemphigus vulgaris (PV) is an autoimmune mucocutaneous disease presenting clinically with blisters or erosions of the skin and mucous membrane. The main histopathologic characteristic of this disease is suprabasal vesicles due to loss of cell–cell adhesion between keratinocytes named acantholysis. Studies have shown that apoptosis is increased in PV. The purpose of this study is to investigate the role of…
Meeting of interest
25 Dec 2012 (Around the Globe)A small, but perfectly formed group of PEM Friends braved the floods in the UK on Monday 26th November 2012 to have a sociable lunch together and share their experiences of Pemphigus and Pemphigoid. Even though it was a low turnout of just seven patients, there was a wide diversity of the diseases represented and a great deal of empathy and…
Inspiration and hope for pemphigus
23 Dec 2012 (Around the Globe)Pemphigus can be a tough disease to live with but many patients now in remission have found inspiration, this is Sally’s story: I have been in remission now for over 1 year (YES!!!). That is complete remission with no symptoms and no meds. I was diagnosed in 2004 and rode the roller coaster of varying doses of prednisone coupled with…
Paraneoplastic pemphigus associated with dendritic cell neoplasm and Castleman’s disease: report of a new case and review of the literature
21 Dec 2012 (Around the Globe)We report on a patient with longstanding multicentric Castleman’s disease, hyaline-vascular type, who developed a follicular dendritic cell sarcoma, and finally presented a fatal paraneoplastic pemphigus. We review all four cases of such a triple association described in the literature so far. Full article available here: http://link.springer.com/article/10.2478%2Fs11536-012-0097-6
Prison Dermatology
19 Dec 2012 (Around the Globe)Experience in the Texas Department of Criminal Justice Dermatology Clinic In this article, the authors review the skin conditions seen in a dermatology referral clinic for inmates in the Texas Department of Criminal Justice system at the University of Texas Medical Branch. A database search of dermatology visits over a 34-month period yielded 3,326 adult outpatient encounters for analysis. Psoriasis,…
A Case of Pyodermatitis-Pyostomatitis Vegetans.
17 Dec 2012 (Around the Globe & News and Information)Pyodermatitis-pyostomatitis vegetans (PD-PSV) is a rare disorder characterized by mucocutaneous involvement and associated with inflammatory bowel disease. A 42-year-old woman with ulcerative colitis who manifested verrucous and pyogenic lesions on her scalp, neck, axillae, inguinal areas, umbilicus, trunk and oral cavity for about 11 months is described. She also experienced general fatigue and swelling in her lower extremities. Histology revealed…
Oral aphthosis: management gaps and recent advances.
15 Dec 2012 (Around the Globe & News and Information)Introduction: Though oral aphthosis is common, it has a significant impact on the quality of life in the patients. It is the most common oral ulcerative condition encountered in clinical practice. This study describes the characteristics and patterns of oral aphthosis seen at a tertiary dermatological centre in Singapore, with emphasis in evaluating the management gaps and in identifying underlying…
Oral pemphigus vegetans: A case report.
13 Dec 2012 (Around the Globe & News and Information)Pemphigus is a rare vesiculobullous autoimmune disease that exhibits blistering of the skin and oral cavity. It is caused by autoantibodies directed against antigens on the surface of keratinocytes. All forms of pemphigus are associated with the presence of circulating and skin-fixed autoantibodies. Pemphigus vegetans is a rare clinical variant of pemphigus vulgaris and comprises up to 5 percent of…