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Dermatology

Cutaneous lesions

Damola A. Adegbenro, MD, and Noah S. Scheinfeld, MD, JD September 02, 2010

Two patients present with similar cutaneous growths—one a series of ulcerative lesions on the lower leg, and the other a painless forearm lesion.

Exposure to moisture leads to palmar rash

Caroline Y. Winslow and Julia R. Nunley, MD September 02, 2010

A 24-year-old woman presented with a six-year history of a recurring, somewhat painful and pruritic palmar rash that developed on either hand within minutes of exposure to water.

Tender, edematous, red plaques on a woman's hands and feet

Jennifer Stead, DO, and Stuart Gildenberg, MD August 25, 2010

One month after starting a new chemotherapeutic drug, the patient sought treatment for painful peeling and redness on her hands and feet.

Hyperkeratotic plaques span from head to toe

Joshua Weingartner, Pamela S. Allen, MD, FAAD, and Heather Hennigan, PA-C August 10, 2010

Five months of treatment with corticosteroids and antibiotics did not relieve the scaly plaques on a man's scalp, cheeks, trunk, genitals, and legs.

Patches of hair loss

Sean D. Doherty, MD August 04, 2010

Two boys present with similar hair loss—one developed only months earlier, the other had been present since birth.

Pruritic hand lesions in a 25-year-old restaurant worker

Peter M.H. Cham, MD, and Erin M. Warshaw, MD, MS August 04, 2010

An otherwise healthy restaurant worker presented with pruritus, erythema, and wheals over the distal forearms and the dorsal...

Recurrent erosions on the neck and axillae

William Sargent Kaufman and Julia R. Nunley, MD July 15, 2010

A woman presented with erythematous plaques that waxed and waned throughout the year, but were more symptomatic in the summer.

Nonpitting edema in the pretibial area

June 30, 2010

A middle-aged woman with Grave's disease presented with asymptomatic, firm, nonpitting, flesh-colored nodules on her lower legs and feet.

Enlarging back and shoulder lesions

Stanley Chan, MD June 29, 2010

Two patients with enlarging lesions—one in a man with no history of skin cancer, and the other in a man with significant actinic damage.

When prescription and OTC hydrocortisone creams are ineffective against itchy lesions

June 15, 2010

Psoriasis can be tricky to treat, especially when topical steroids aren't making a dent. Where do you go next?

A pair of patients with purple lesions

Noah S. Scheinfeld, MD, JD June 08, 2010

Differing purple eruptions in two patients: one presents with a dimpled papule on the leg and the second with a pruritic, polished lesion on the penile shaft.

Atrophic rash in a patient with hepatitis C

Laura McGevna, MD, and Robert Scott Nelson, MD June 03, 2010

A 44-year-old man presented with a pruritic, occasionally painful rash of several months' duration. Atrophic, purplish plaques were visible on the face, anterior and posterior trunk, and dorsum of both hands. The plaques had initially...

Diagnosing two distinct red rashes

By Rachel Callenback and Noah S. Scheinfeld, MD, JD May 27, 2010

In our first patient, a leg rash developed after starting cefazolin. Our second patient presented with reddish papules and plaques on the legs. Skin biopsy confirmed hemosiderin deposits in the upper dermis. What's your diagnosis?

Rapidly growing tumor on the forearm

By Travis Vandergriff, MD May 05, 2010

Six weeks after it appeared, this small red bump on the patient's right forearm had become an erythematous, crater-shaped nodule.

Shiny, waxy patches on the shins

By Craig G. Burkhart, MD, MPH May 05, 2010

A woman with a history of type 2 diabetes presented with a recent onset of asymptomatic, shiny, waxy, round patches on her shins that turned from red to yellow.

Hypopigmented patches on the body

Sean D. Doherty, MD April 21, 2010

Two young girls presented with hypopigmented patches—one on the right buttock, the other on the knees, fingers, and ankles.

Biologic for treatment of plaque psoriasis

April 05, 2010

Ustekinumab (Stelara) is given by subcutaneous injection and targets the body's immune system by inhibiting the action of IL-12 and IL-23, two proteins that may be involved in plaque psoriasis.

White spots on the face of a teenager

Craig G. Burkhart, MD, MPH March 31, 2010

A black adolescent is brought by his mother to the dermatology clinic with a four-month history of white spots on his face. The 14-year-old patient denies any preceding...

Painful tightening of the skin on the legs

March 30, 2010

A 62-year-old man presented with a painful rash over both legs. He first experienced a problem three years prior when he developed painful erythema over his shins. Treatment for...

More than simply having cold hands

Travis W. Vandergriff, MD, Kinberly M. Neyman, MD, and Brian Dwinnell, MD March 29, 2010

Vasospasm in the fingers of a young woman exposed to cold temperatures causes pain, discoloration, and swelling

What to look for with drug-induced urticaria

Natasha Casie Chetty, MD, and Clive E.H. Grattan, MD March 10, 2010

The specific mechanism causing the allergic reaction may be difficult to pinpoint. But our experts tell you which drugs are the primary culprits and they provide alternative drug recommendations as well.

Pressure-induced bumps and erythema

Craig G. Burkhart, MD, MPH March 03, 2010

A patient presents with complaints of itchy and uncomfortable red bumps on his skin at sites of pressure, but the lesions typically dissipate after an hour.

Herpes zoster risk in an infant

Question asked by Daren Rauch, MD, Clinton, Ill., and answered by Jeffrey M. Weinberg, MD March 02, 2010

The 35-year-old father of a 5-month-old baby presented with a five-day history of painful herpes zoster and a number of questions: Is his child at risk...

Erythematous truncal plaques

Sean D. Doherty, MD March 02, 2010

Can you distinguish between similar plaques? Our dermatologic look-alike may stump you.

A venous stasis ulcer is aggravated in the course of treatment

Rajani Katta, MD, and Vijayalaxmi Anusuri, MBBS February 23, 2010

A commonly-used topical antibiotic is applied to...

Complications of intralesional corticosteroids

February 08, 2010

What potential complications are associated with cortisone shots to the scalp? Is there is any link to glaucoma?

Treatment of vulvar lichen sclerosus

February 05, 2010

My patient was diagnosed with lichen sclerosus on vulvar biopsy. What is the recommended treatment, and how long should it be used?

Severe pruritic rash, fever, and malaise

Amy McClung, MD February 03, 2010

A young girl presents with a rash accompanied by itching, fatigue, and malaise. Her past medical history included....

Nonhealing painless ulcer on the sole

Michael L. Sonabend, MD, Nicholas R. Snavely, MD, and Sylvia Hsu, MD February 03, 2010

For three years, the patient lived with an enlarging painless ulcer on the sole of his foot. The lesion....

Similar scalp nodules in two female patients

Deborah J. Yang, MD February 02, 2010

Two women present with growing scalp nodules. One patient had a nodule that was increasing in size, though not pruritic or painful. The other patient reported unintentional weight loss....