Objective: To compare the efficacy of tap water iontophoresis (TWI) versus aluminum chloride (AC) hexahydrate in the treatment of palmoplantar hyperhidrosis.Methods: The study was a randomized control trial performed at the dermatology department of Pakistan Navy Station (PNS) Shifa Hospital, Karachi from March 2022 to September 2022. A total of 70 palmoplantar hyperhidrosis patients were included in the study after getting approval from the ethical committee. Patients were divided into two groups. Group A patients were treated with TWI three times a week for four weeks. Group B patients were treated with a 20% AC topical solution applied at night to the affected areas for four weeks. The Hyperhidrosis Disease Severity Scale (HDSS) score for both groups was calculated at baseline, one, two, three, and four weeks. The final response was labeled at four weeks by comparing mean HDSS reduction in both groups. SPSS version 28 (IBM Corp., Armonk, NY) was used for data analysis.Results: Mean HDSS was compared for both groups at the end of the study, which showed a significant reduction in the mean score from 3.40 ± 0.65 to 1.48 ± 0.78 in group A, as compared to a decline in scores in group B from 3.28 ± 0.67 to 2.14 ± 0.94 (p = 0.002). In group A, zero, one, two, and three points HDSS improvement was 2.9%, 25.7%, 48.6%, and 22.9%, respectively. Whereas in group B, it was 34.3%, 22.9%, 34.3%, and 8.6%, respectively (p = 0.001). Conclusion:As compared to AC topical solution, TWI is an effective, safe, and inexpensive management option for palmoplantar hyperhidrosis. It causes more improvement in HDSS scores and has lesser side effects.

Objective: The main objective of this study is to assess different dermatoscopic features of common papulosquamous dermatosis including psoriasis, lichen planus, eczema, pityriasis rosea of skin in Fitzpatrick phototype IV and above and to correlate dermatoscopic features with histopathology. Methods: This descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted at Dermatology Department PNS Shifa hospital, Karachi for a period of 1 year from September 2021 to September 2022. A total of 235 patients of psoriasis, eczema, lichen planus and pityriasis rosea confirmed with histopathological diagnosis, were enrolled in the study via nonprobability sampling technique. Dermatoscopy was carried out using handheld dermatoscope (HEINE DELTA 20T) on 10x magnification. Descriptive and inferential statistical analysis was done using SPSS version 27.0 (IBM Corp., Armonk, NY). Results: Among total of 235 patients, significant dermatoscopic diagnosis was observed as 71 (88.7%) of psoriasis patients, 69 (92%) in eczematous dermatitis, 44 (88%) in lichen planus and 25(83.3%) in pityriasis rosea patients. Conclusion: Dermatoscope proved to play a significant role in diagnosing common inflammatory papulosquamous dermatosis like psoriasis, lichen planus, eczema and pityriasis rosea, to rule out similar differential diagnosis which can mimics these conditions and to evade the need of invasive procedure i.e., Histopathology, for making a definitive diagnosis.