Background: Classical Kaposi’s sarcoma (KS) is a sporadic disease that is particularly prevalent in Mediterranean countries. Objective: The aim of the study was to update clinical information about this rare condition. Methods: A survey of 163 cases observed in the period 1971-1990 in Bari, South Italy, was carried out. All records were reviewed and, when lost to follow-up for more than 6 months, patients were called back to update personal and family histories. The age at onset averaged 64 years (range 18-85). The male-to-female ratio was 3:1. No familiar occurrence was identified, and no significant association was found with other conditions (i.e. second primary malignancies and diabetes mellitus). Death from KS occurred in 16 cases, at the mean age of 71 years, an average of 5.7 years after the onset of the disease. To assess whether the different clinical patterns of the disease in its earlier stages may give any indication of its subsequent clinical course, all cases were re-classified into three groups (low-, moderate- and high-eruptivity group) on the basis of both the extent and the rate of spread of the disease before first admission; group-stratified survival function was evaluated using Kaplan-Meier’s life table method. Results: Highly significant (p < 0.0001) differences were found in survival profiles of the three study groups, also when only deaths due to KS were computed. Conclusion: These findings provide some support to the hypothesis that three subsets of classical KS exist that have different prognoses and, consequently, need different therapeutic approaches.

A staged histological study of skin changes induced in rabbits by daily application of five bases used for topical medicaments and cosmetics, namely glycols, petrolatum, Modulan, Acetulan and Amerchol L 101, over periods of 100 days, is reported. Sections obtained every 10 days were examined for changes in the epithelium, in the character of the dermal infiltrate and in the superficial collagen fibers. Glycols showed no particular effects on the skin; petrolatum produced acanthosis and vacuolization in the epidermis, and mononuclear cell infiltration of the dermis but evident collagen changes. Lanolin derivatives produced acanthosis and vacuolization of the epidermis, with lymphomonouclear infiltration of the dermis and with dissociation of collagen; examination around the 30th day showed a tendency to basal layer disorganization by the infiltrate.

Medicament-induced skin diseases accounted for 6.8% of 14,400 cases of skin diseases observed between 1967 and 1970. In only 0.4% of the patients was a non-allergic medicament contact dermatitis present. The remaining 6.4% of the patients had an allergic medicament eruption; in 5% this was due to an allergic contact dermatitis, in the remaining 1.4% immediate-type allergic reactions were involved. The incidence of allergic contact sensitivity in a group of eczematous patients was recorded for substances which can be used as constituents of vehicles in topical medicaments or as active drugs1. This included only 1 base, wool alcohol, but several ‘additives’. By patch-testing 50 healthy volunteers the highest non-irritant concentration of a number of substances, which can be used as constituents of topical medicaments, was ascertained. These concentrations are compared with the concentrations commonly in use in ready-made preparations available in Italy.

Summary. The authors report 16 cases of cutaneous sporotrichosis observed in the province of Bari, southern Italy, since 1978. While no more than 55 cases have been documented in other European countries in the last 30 years, in Italy 58 cases (present series included) have been recorded in the same time period. Furthermore, 42 of them (73.7%) originated from Apulia. This unexpectedly high incidence rate in Italy, and in Apulia in particular, provides evidence of the important role played by this area in the eco‐epidemiology of sporotrichosis in Europe. Zusammenfassung. Es werden 16 Sporotrichose Erkrankungen in der Provinz Bari, Süd‐Italien, seit 1978 beschrieben. In den letzten 30 Jahren wurden in anderen Ländern Europas nicht mehr als 55 Fälle beobachtet, in Italien allein dagegen 57 Fälle, die vorliegenden einge‐schlossen, davon 42 (73.7%) in Apulien. Diese unerwartete hohe Häufigkeit in Italien, und besonders in Apulien, unterstreicht die Wichtigkeit dieser Region in der Ökoepidemiologie der Sporotrichose in Europa.

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