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Blastomycosis

Evidence Levels: A Double-blind study B Clinical trial ≥ 20 subjects C Clinical trial < 20 subjects D Series ≥ 5 subjects E Anecdotal case reports Mason, A.R., Cortes, G.Y., Cook, J., Maize, J.C. and Thiers, B.H. (2008), Cutaneous blastomycosis: a diagnostic challenge. International Journal of Dermatology, 47: 824-830. ; with permission. Open full size image Blastomycosis is a systemic, suppurative granulomatous fungal infection caused by…

Bites and stings

Evidence Levels: A Double-blind study B Clinical trial ≥ 20 subjects C Clinical trial < 20 subjects D Series ≥ 5 subjects E Anecdotal case reports Open full size image Management Strategy Bite Reactions DEET is effective against a broad range of arthropods, but despite many years of use there are still concerns about systemic absorption and safety. Picaridin is effective against mosquitoes and many other…

Behçet disease

Evidence Levels: A Double-blind study B Clinical trial ≥ 20 subjects C Clinical trial < 20 subjects D Series ≥ 5 subjects E Anecdotal case reports Open full size image Behçet disease (BD) is a chronic, relapsing, inflammatory, multisystem disease of unknown etiology characterized by oral ulcers (OU), genital ulcers (GU), cutaneous lesions (e.g., erythema nodosum [EN]-like lesions, papulopustular lesions [PPL], superficial thrombophlebitis, extragenital ulcers, pathergy…

Bed bugs

Evidence Levels: A Double-blind study B Clinical trial ≥ 20 subjects C Clinical trial < 20 subjects D Series ≥ 5 subjects E Anecdotal case reports Open full size image Human bed bugs ( Cimex lectularius ) are insects that require a blood meal to complete their life cycle, and this meal is typically acquired by biting sleeping humans. The bite can elicit an allergic reaction,…

Becker nevus

Evidence Levels: A Double-blind study B Clinical trial ≥ 20 subjects C Clinical trial < 20 subjects D Series ≥ 5 subjects E Anecdotal case reports Open full size image Becker nevus, also called pigmentary hairy epidermal nevus, is a cutaneous hamartoma that may have increased epidermal pigmentation (melanocyte), appendageal (hair follicle), and dermal (smooth muscle) components. Becker nevus is first noticed around puberty on the…

Basal cell carcinoma

Evidence Levels: A Double-blind study B Clinical trial ≥ 20 subjects C Clinical trial < 20 subjects D Series ≥ 5 subjects E Anecdotal case reports Open full size image Basal cell carcinoma (BCC) is a slow-growing, locally destructive keratinocyte carcinoma (KC) that rarely metastasizes. It is the most common type of skin cancer, with nearly 4.3 million new cases diagnosed annually in the United States…

Balanitis

Evidence Levels: A Double-blind study B Clinical trial ≥ 20 subjects C Clinical trial < 20 subjects D Series ≥ 5 subjects E Anecdotal case reports Open full size image Balanitis is a general term for inflammation of the glans penis, which may also extend to the foreskin (prepuce), in which case it is called balanoposthitis. It may be seen in all age groups and occurs…

Bacillary angiomatosis

Evidence Levels: A Double-blind study B Clinical trial ≥ 20 subjects C Clinical trial < 20 subjects D Series ≥ 5 subjects E Anecdotal case reports Open full size image First described in 1983, bacillary angiomatosis (BA) is a vasculoproliferative disorder caused by the intra erythrocytic bacteria Bartonella henselae and Bartonella quintana (previously Rochalimaea spp.). It typically presents in profoundly immunocompromised patients (e.g., advanced HIV infection,…

Autoimmune progesterone dermatitis

Evidence Levels: A Double-blind study B Clinical trial ≥ 20 subjects C Clinical trial < 20 subjects D Series ≥ 5 subjects E Anecdotal case reports Open full size image Autoimmune progesterone dermatitis (APD) is an uncommon, cyclical, pruritic dermatosis affecting women of childbearing age. The diagnosis is suggested by premenstrual flares and improvement during pregnancy. It can present in a variety of morphologies, including eczematous,…

Atypical nevi

Evidence Levels: A Double-blind study B Clinical trial ≥ 20 subjects C Clinical trial < 20 subjects D Series ≥ 5 subjects E Anecdotal case reports Open full size image The dysplastic nevus, first described in 1978, continues to fuel much clinical, histopathologic, and molecular research. Despite four decades of study, clinicians and pathologists still debate the validity for the existence of this entity. While today…

Atypical fibroxanthoma

Evidence Levels: A Double-blind study B Clinical trial ≥ 20 subjects C Clinical trial < 20 subjects D Series ≥ 5 subjects E Anecdotal case reports Open full size image Atypical fibroxanthoma (AFX) is an uncommon cutaneous neoplasm arising from mesenchymal or fibrohistiocytic cells. AFX is found predominantly in sun-damaged skin, especially of the head and neck of elderly males, and comprises approximately 0.2% of all…

Atopic dermatitis

Evidence Levels: A Double-blind study B Clinical trial ≥ 20 subjects C Clinical trial < 20 subjects D Series ≥ 5 subjects E Anecdotal case reports Open full size image Atopic dermatitis (AD) is a chronic, relapsing, and intensely pruritic dermatosis that develops most commonly during early infancy and childhood and is, in most cases, associated with a personal or family history of atopy (allergic rhinitis,…

Aphthous stomatitis

Evidence Levels: A Double-blind study B Clinical trial ≥ 20 subjects C Clinical trial < 20 subjects D Series ≥ 5 subjects E Anecdotal case reports Open full size image Recurrent aphthous stomatitis (RAS) is the most common cause of oral ulceration, affecting 5–25% of the population. It is characterized by the recurrence of one or more painful, shallow, sharply marginated ulcerations with a fibrinous base…

Antiphospholipid syndrome

Evidence Levels: A Double-blind study B Clinical trial ≥ 20 subjects C Clinical trial < 20 subjects D Series ≥ 5 subjects E Anecdotal case reports Open full size image Antiphospholipid syndrome (APS; Hughes syndrome) is associated with recurrent venous and arterial thrombosis in the presence of circulating antibodies against phospholipid-binding proteins. Diagnostic criteria for APS require that patients experience clinical features such as vascular thrombosis…

Angular cheilitis

Evidence Levels: A Double-blind study B Clinical trial ≥ 20 subjects C Clinical trial < 20 subjects D Series ≥ 5 subjects E Anecdotal case reports With permission from Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research. All rights reserved. Open full size image Angular cheilitis is a chronic, reactive, inflammatory condition of the oral commissures characterized by atrophy, fissures, crusting, erythema, and scaling. The etiology is…

Angiolymphoid hyperplasia with eosinophilia

Evidence Levels: A Double-blind study B Clinical trial ≥ 20 subjects C Clinical trial < 20 subjects D Series ≥ 5 subjects E Anecdotal case reports Open full size image Angiolymphoid hyperplasia with eosinophilia (ALHE), also known as epithelioid hemangioma, is an uncommon disease. ALHE is a benign vascular proliferation of unknown etiology with a characteristic component of epithelioid endothelial cells. Recent literature review shows that…

Androgenetic alopecia

Evidence Levels: A Double-blind study B Clinical trial ≥ 20 subjects C Clinical trial < 20 subjects D Series ≥ 5 subjects E Anecdotal case reports Open full size image In androgenetic alopecia (AGA), genetically predisposed scalp hair follicles miniaturize in response to androgens. AGA manifests clinically as male pattern hair loss (MPHL) in men and female pattern hair loss (FPHL) in women. Men develop bitemporal…

Amyloidosis

Evidence Levels: A Double-blind study B Clinical trial ≥ 20 subjects C Clinical trial < 20 subjects D Series ≥ 5 subjects E Anecdotal case reports Open full size image Amyloid is an altered, insoluble protein folded in β-pleated sheets, which is deposited extracellularly. Amyloid can accumulate in one or many organs, thereby causing dysfunction. The common amyloid entities are AL (amyloid light chain), AA (amyloid…

Alopecia areata

Evidence Levels: A Double-blind study B Clinical trial ≥ 20 subjects C Clinical trial < 20 subjects D Series ≥ 5 subjects E Anecdotal case reports Photo courtesy of Dr Craiglow. Open full size image Alopecia areata (AA) is a common autoimmune disease characterized by non-scarring hair loss. Extent or severity of disease ranges from one or more patches of alopecia (involving the scalp and/or other…

Allergic contact dermatitis and photoallergy

Evidence Levels: A Double-blind study B Clinical trial ≥ 20 subjects C Clinical trial < 20 subjects D Series ≥ 5 subjects E Anecdotal case reports Open full size image Allergic contact dermatitis (ACD) is a delayed or type IV hypersensitivity reaction. It consists of a primary sensitization phase followed by secondary elicitation by haptens, leading to activation of T lymphocytes. ACD usually appears 24–48 hours…