Shereen Adel

Melasma is a common acquired hypermelanosis of variably successful therapies with frequent relapse. Platelet-rich-plasma (PRP) is a promising treatment in melasma, alone or combined with other treatments. We evaluated efficacy of autologous PRP in melasma treatment and the effect of combined intense pulsed light (IPL). Study included 20 Egyptian female melasma patients. PRP was injected in all melasma area and IPL was used on the right hemi-face. Melasma Area and Scoring Index (MASI) of melasma area, modified-MASI (mMASI) of PRP-IPL side and of PRP side significantly decreased after treatments (p-value < 0.05). There was no statistically significant difference between both sides regarding mMASI score or patient and physician satisfaction (p-value > 0.05). Our study provides the first comparison between PRP versus its combination with IPL in melasma treatment. We think the improvement of melasma with regression of melasma scores after PRP treatment is an important finding.

Background: Acne vulgaris is a multifactorial skin disease. A potential role for insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1) has been suggested in the pathogenesis of acne. Several studies have shown that elevated levels of serum IGF-1 correlate with overproduction of sebum and acne. Objective: Measurement of the serum level of IGF-1 in acne patients in comparison to normal controls and evaluating the relationship of these levels to severity of acne and body mass index (BMI), in order to investigate the role of this factor in the pathogenesis of acne. Methods: Fifty-four patients with acne vulagaris and 42 healthy controls were included. History taking, dermatological examination, clinical assessments of acne severity, calculation of BMI were performed for patients. Blood samples were collected from all participants for estimation of serum IGF-1 level using enzyme linked immunosorbant assay. Results: There was a significantly higher serum IGF-1 level in acne patients (p0.05). There was a significant positive correlation between serum IGF-1 level and age of the patients. Conclusions: There is a significantly higher serum IGF-1 in acne patients than controls not related to acne severity and BMI. That is adding to the scientific evidence of IGF-1 role in pathogenesis of acne vulgaris.

Background: Cutaneous manifestations can be found in many patients with hematologic disorders, including thalassemia.Methods: Patients with beta‐thalassemia major attending the pediatric department of Fayoum University Hospital from April 2016 to October 2016 (n = 100) were compared with controls (n = 100). Both groups underwent detailed history evaluation, clinical examination, and laboratory investigations, including complete blood count, liver and kidney function, serum ferritin, and thyroid profile. A single dermatologist conducted a clinical dermatologic examination for all participants.Results: Children with thalassemia had a greater prevalence of xerosis (72%), pruritus (52%), idiopathic guttate hypomelanosis (22%), urticaria (16%), ephelides (freckles; 13%), and scars (13%) than controls (P ≤ .001). We detected a significant relationship between serum ferritin and pruritus, xerosis, ephelides, idiopathic guttate hypomelanosis, urticaria, and age of patients with thalassemia (P < .05). Children without thyroid abnormalities were more likely to have xerosis, pruritus, idiopathic guttate hypomelanosis, urticaria, and ephelides (86%) than controls (P < .05). Although there was no significant difference in skin findings between patients who did and did not receive chelating agents (P > .05), a significant association was found between xerosis and the use of deferoxamine and deferiprone, whereas ephelides and urticaria were more common in patients receiving deferasirox.Conclusion: Because cutaneous manifestations are common in Egyptian patients with beta thalassemia major, regular dermatologic follow‐up is recommended for early management.