BackgroundNeonatal lupus erythematosus is an autoimmune disease acquired during fetal life as a result of transplacental passage of maternal anti-Sjögren’s-syndrome-related antigen A (anti-SSA/Ro), anti-Sjögren’s-syndrome-related antigen B (anti-SSB/La) or anti-U1 ribonucleoprotein (anti-U1-RNP) antinuclear autoantibodies.ContentsClinical manifestations include skin lesions, congenital heart block, hepatobiliary involvement and cytopenias. Most of the disorders disappear spontaneously after clearance of maternal antibodies. Cardiac symptoms, however, are not self-resolving and often pacemaker implantation is required. Diagnosis is based on clinical presentation and the presence of typical antibodies in the mother’s or infant’s serum.OutlookNeonatal lupus erythematosus may develop in children born to anti-SSA/Ro or anti-SSB/La women with various systemic connective tissue diseases. However, in half of the cases, the mother is asymptomatic, which may delay the diagnosis and have negative impact on the child’s prognosis. Testing for antinuclear antibodies should be considered in every pregnant woman since early treatment with hydroxychloroquine or intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIG) has proven to be effective in preventing congenital heart block.

Radiotherapy is one of the treatment methods available for cancer patients. More than half of all cancer patients treated with radiotherapy will experience radiodermatitis during their treatment. There are two commonly used scales to evaluate clinical manifestations: Common Terminology Criteria for Adverse Events (CTCAE) and the Radiation Therapy Oncology Group (RTOG) scale. According to them, the severity of radiation dermatitis ranges from mild erythema to moist desquamation and ulceration. Prevention methods for radiation dermatitis include proper skin hygiene, the use of topical corticosteroids, other non-corticosteroid agents and systemic drugs. Treatment of radiation dermatitis is guided by the severity of skin damage. In grade 1 it can be limited to moisturising the irritated skin field but in more severe reactions (grade 2-4) the use of dressing is essential. There is still a need to investigate new products, techniques or novel approaches to minimize, prevent or treat radiation dermatitis in patients undergoing radiotherapy.

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Background Treatment of dermatological diseases in patients with concomitant cardiovascular is difficult due to reported interactions between antimycotic and cardiac drugs. The aim of the study was to assess the prescription frequency of drugs, causing potential interaction with antifungal drugs of superficial mycoses in patients with cardiovascular disease. Methods The study consisted of 166 consecutive men discharged from a tertiary cardiac department who were screened for topical fungal infections and were analyzed for drugs prescribed at discharge, with possible interference with typically used antimycotic treatment. Results The mean age of the study population was 62.8 ± 12.1 years. 57 (49.1%) of patients had a clinical suspicion of superficial mycosis and were referred for further dermatological investigation. The use of cardiovascular drugs was frequent, with 24.5% taking NOACs, 54.8% receiving diuretics and 76.5% receiving statins. No difference in the use of any drug was noted according to the mycosis status. Conclusions Polypharmacy with drugs exhibiting a potential for drug-to-drug interaction with antifungal agents is common in patients with cardiovascular disease. When choosing the appropriate option for superficial mycoses treatment, the knowledge of potential interaction is crucial in dermatologists and cardiologists to avoid their harmful consequences including serious bleeding or live threatening arrhythmias.