BACKGROUND There is an increasing number of over-the-counter topical products that are said to prevent pathologic scar formation and improve scar cosmesis. However, robust clinical data are lacking to substantiate these claims and to guide selection of topical products. OBJECTIVE To determine the effectiveness of topical scar management products, including silicone gel, Allium cepa onion extract, vitamin E, trolamine, and microporous tape. METHODS AND MATERIALS A PubMed search (2005–2019) was performed to identify studies of topical scar management products. Randomized controlled trials (RCTs), quasi-RCTs, meta-analyses, and controlled clinical trials were included for analysis. RESULTS A total of 34 trials were included in this study. Of the 16 trials investigating silicone gel sheets, numerous high-quality RCTs found that silicone gel sheets and silicone gels significantly improved scar outcomes. Only a limited number of studies supported the effectiveness of onion extract, vitamin E, trolamine, and microporous tape products. CONCLUSION Silicone gel products are an effective noninvasive treatment to prevent formation of pathologic scars and improve mature scars. Further high-quality studies are needed to elucidate the long-term effectiveness of these therapies.

Discoid lupus erythematosus (DLE) is the most common variant of cutaneous chronic lupus erythematosus (CLE).Sun protection, topical corticosteroids, and antimalarials constitute the first-line options for treatment. In refractory cases, alternative antimalarials, methotrexate, retinoids, and thalidomide have been utilized. We present a case of an adolescent patient with generalized DLE responding rapidly to thalidomide.

Erythema multiforme (EM), Stevens-Johnson syndrome (SJS), and toxic epidermal necrolysis (TEN) comprise a family of mucocutaneous diseases associated with significant morbidity and mortality. Previous studies have confirmed the presence of autoantibodies to desmoplakin (Dp) I and II in patients with EM, SJS, and TEN. Truncated Dp production leads to characteristic changes visible on light microscopy: perinuclear clumping of keratin filaments and dyskeratotic keratinocyte. Based on these observations, the question arises as to whether a loss of Dp immunoreactivity in skin biopsies could serve as a diagnostic marker of EM, SJS, and TEN. This study analyzed Dp immunostaining patterns in 20 patients with EM or SJS/TEN. To assess the specificity of this approach, Dp immunostaining was also performed on specimens from patients with 5 potential histologic mimics of EM, SJS, and TEN. All of the samples from patients with EM, SJS, and TEN demonstrated absent or markedly diminished staining for Dp. A χ2 test demonstrated a statistically significant difference between the staining patterns in EM, SJS, and TEN and each of the other diagnostic groups that were investigated. This is the first report demonstrating statistically significant specificity of Dp staining patterns in EM/SJS/TEN as compared with other interface dermatitides.

Background: Pityriasis rubra pilaris (PRP) is a rare disease that is difficult to manage. Treatment options include corticosteroids, immunomodulatory drugs, and biologics. Available literature has primarily described the use of weekly dosing of methotrexate, but there is limited data investigating the effectiveness of daily low-dose methotrexate in PRP treatment. Methods: A retrospective cohort study was conducted from September 2010 to December 2019 to determine the effectiveness of daily low-dose methotrexate in treating PRP. Results: The average duration of follow-up was 13.5 months. 14 patients were treated with oral daily low-dose methotrexate. 13 patients (92.9%) showed improvement on oral daily low-dose methotrexate. Mean time to clinical response was 5.9 weeks. In seven patients (50%), complete response on methotrexate monotherapy occurred within an average of 11.9 months. 12 patients (85.7%) developed asymptomatic transaminitis that resolved in most patients (66.7%) after dose reduction. Conclusions: In this study, daily low-dose methotrexate was an effective treatment of PRP and may be considered in patients unresponsive to weekly dosing. Due to the high incidence of transaminitis, the authors recommend frequent lab monitoring and screening for risk factors. Further studies are warranted to elucidate the efficacy of daily low-dose methotrexate in the management of PRP.

Current instrumental technology in evaluating performance of skin care creams is still rather limited and there are no industrial standard testing equipment, method and performance specifications for it.  In this paper, we report our attempt in using an instrument called PhabrOmeter for this purpose. PhabrOmeter is a commercialized instrument for sensory performance evaluation of textiles, leather, paper and nonwoven and has been designated by American Association of Textile Chemists and Colorists (AATCC) as a standard test method for textiles, AATCC TM 202 in 2013.    By adopting artificial skin samples treated with skin care creams, we have developed a procedure to apply this instrument for evaluation of skin care creams from sample preparation, measurement to data analysis and interpretation. The results using commercial skin care creams to demonstrate the feasibility and advantages of this instrument are provided.