Kindler syndrome is characterized by a generalized, progressive poikiloderma with cutaneous atrophy, congenital acral skin blistering, and photosensitivity. Since the first description, approximately 70 cases have been reported worldwide, but ultrastructural studies were performed in only five patients. In none of these patients were biopsies done at birth. In our patient ultrastructural studies were performed both of the blister at birth and of the poikilodermatous and atrophic skin at 6 years of age. Some ultrastructural features in the context of a bullous disease of the newborn that resembles epidermolysis bullosa, should alert investigators to the possibility of Kindler syndrome even in absence of the typical clinical signs.

Lyme borreliosis is an emerging zoonosis transmitted by infected hard-bodied ticks. The disease is multisystemic. In the initial stage its typical manifestation is the erythema migrans, a cutaneous lesion that occurs in up to 90% of patients. In order to investigate the presence of the specific agent, Borrelia burgdorferi, in the early stages of the disease, DNA from skin biopsies, urine and peripheral blood of 30 patients with clinically documented erythema migrans and without apparent systemic involvement was analysed by polymerase chain reaction. Borrelia DNA in both blood and skin biopsies was detected in 23 patients, while in 9 patients it was discovered in urine and skin biopsies. These results demonstrate that Borrelia DNA is detectable systemically also in patients with early Lyme borreliosis and strongly suggest a possible dissemination of the causative agents even when only a local infection is assumed.

No abstract

No abstract