BackgroundCellulitis is a common bacterial infection of the superficial skin. Procalcitonin is one of the precursor proteins of calcitonin, its levels are elevated in bacterial infection, and it has been established as a diagnostic marker for severe bacterial infections.ObjectiveThis study evaluated the clinical usefulness of procalcitonin for predicting disease severity and prognosis of cellulitis.MethodsWe reviewed the medical records of 160 patients diagnosed with cellulitis in the past 3 years. Body temperature, procalcitonin, white blood cell (WBC), erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR), and C-reactive protein (CRP) levels were measured on their first day of admission. The associations of procalcitonin, WBC, ESR, and CRP with the body temperature and the number of hospitalized days were assessed.ResultsProcalcitonin, WBC, and CRP showed a positive correlation with body temperature. In addition, procalcitonin, WBC, ESR, and CRP showed a positive correlation with number of hospitalized days (p<0.05).ConclusionIn patients diagnosed with cellulitis, proclacitonin was a helpful parameter to indicate the severity of disease and also a useful predictor of prognosis.

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Background: Pincer nail deformity and its causes can pose a therapeutic challenge. Ill-fitting shoes and subungual exostosis of the toes may be attributed to pincer nail formation. However, in some cases, the causes of pincer nail deformity could not be determined. The role of mechanobiology in nail configuration and deformities has rarely been considered. Objective: The present study investigated the effectiveness of surgical procedures to correct pincer nail deformity, in terms of anatomical changes measured by radiographs. Methods: Two surgical procedures, nail bed widening with matrixectomy or a dermal graft, were used on 30 nails in 20 patients with pincer deformity. Changes in the width, height, and curvature indices were assessed. Radiographs were obtained to evaluate the presence of osteophytes and measure the interphalangeal angle in terms of mechanobiology in nail configuration. Results: Preoperative and postoperative assessment results revealed marked improvement objectively and subjectively. The mean width index was greater after surgery than that before surgery (84.4% vs. 64.8%). Both mean height and curvature indices were smaller after surgery than before preoperative (23.0% vs. 76.7% and 1.3% vs. 2.2%, respectively). Conclusion: Nail bed widening with matrixectomy, which corrects anatomical alterations in pincer nails, is suggested to be suitable for patients with pincer nail deformity. (Ann Dermatol 31(1) 59∼65, 2019

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