EO is an excellent sclerosing agent for treating reactive vascular lesions, and it may be an alternative therapy for vascular lesions in dermatology.

This study was to determine which immunologic factors contribute to the prognosis of patients with alopecia areata (AA) who were receiving oral cyclosporine A and methylprednisolone. Patients with >25% hair regrowth were defined as responders, and patients exhibiting £25% regrowth were poor-responders. The serum levels of IL-18 and soluble IL-2 receptor (sIL-2R) were measured at baseline in 21 patients with AA and 22 control subjects. The mean serum level of IL-18 in the patients with extensive AA was significantly higher than that in the control subjects. The mean serum concentration of sIL-2R in the AA patients significantly decreased after 1 month of treatment. The mean basal serum level of IL-18 was highest in the responder, whereas the baseline level of sIL-2R was significantly higher in the poor-responder group than other groups. In conclusion, increased serum sIL-2R level and lower IL-18 level at baseline was associated with a poor prognosis in patients with AA.Key words: alopecia areata -IL-18 -prognostic marker -soluble IL-2 receptor Accepted for publication 5 June 2009. Please cite this paper as: Serum levels of IL-18 and sIL-2R in patients with alopecia areata receiving combined therapy with oral cyclosporine and steroids.

No abstract

Fig. 1. (A)A 54-year-old woman had skin-colored or yellowish tiny papules on her periorbital areas and forehead. (B) After 8 sessions of treatment, there was a marked reduction in the size and number of lesions without adverse effects.

Steatocystoma multiplex (SM) is an uncommon disorder of the pilosebaceous unit characterized by the development of numerous sebum-containing dermal cysts which rarely involves the scalp. Here, we report a case of a 50-year-old man with multiple cystic nodules and alopecic patches on his scalp. On histopathological examination, the folded cyst was found to be lined by stratified squamous epithelium, while flattened sebaceous gland cells were identified in the cystic wall. Pigment casts were present in the hair papillae and perifollicular regions, suggesting trichotillomania as a possible cause of the observed alopecia. This case appears to represent an unusual clinical manifestation of SM.