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New lesions in a Pemphigus Vulgaris patient!

2K views 5 replies 5 participants last post by  drnrpatel 
#1 ·
A 40-year-old man with a long-standing history of pemphigus vulgaris is seen for a routine follow-up visit. He is currently fairly well controlled with 30 mg prednisone every other day and 150 mg azathioprine daily. In addition to that, he takes glyburide, hydrochlorothiazide, nifedipine, a daily multivitamin, and occasional acetaminophen for headaches. His family history is significant for hypertension and diabetes. On physical examination the patient is in mild distress due to oral lesions that are painful when he talks or eats. His vital signs are within normal limits, and a complete blood count and electrolyte panel show no abnormal values. Inspection of the oral mucosa reveals multiple ulcers in various stages of healing. The skin has no active bullous lesions, but you note the appearance of the lesions shown in the photograph, which were not present at his last checkup.

He should be told which of the following?

A. Daily topical steroid application is indicated to hasten resolution of these skin lesions
B. Losing weight will most likely result in the disappearance of these skin lesions
C. These skin lesions will resolve once he is weaned off prednisone
D. He will not get any new skin lesions unless the dose of prednisone is increased
E. The skin lesions are permanent and their number will most likely increase with time if he continues his current treatment regimen

Hair Eye Eyelash Human body Jaw

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#6 ·
The correct answer is E. This patient has developed striae distensae, or “stretch marks.” They represent linear dermal scars accompanied by epidermal atrophy. Striae distensae appear on skin that is subjected to continuous and progressive stretching, such as the abdomen and breasts in pregnancy, shoulders in bodybuilders, back and thighs in adolescents going through a growth spurt, and various body areas in overweight people. Prolonged use of oral or topical steroids, as well as Cushing's syndrome, will lead to development of striae. It is hypothesized that skin distension causes mast cells to degranulate, with subsequent destruction of collagen and elastin. The changes are irreversible, although the appearance of striae distensae does improve with time as their original violaceous color fades to become whiter. Striae distensae induced by prolonged systemic steroid administration, such as in pemphigus vulgaris, are usually larger and wider than other phenotypes of striae, and may include widespread areas of the body, including the face. Some cosmetic improvement of their visual appearance may be achieved with topical trichloroacetic acid peels or the flashlamp pulsed-dye laser. Multiple treatments are necessary.
Daily topical steroid application (choice A) would only worsen the already existing striae distensae and may cause development of new ones. Therefore, topical steroids are contraindicated in the treatment of striae distensae.
Losing weight (choice B) will not affect the course of the existing lesions because they, in fact, represent scars and are irreversible. However, weight loss may reduce the appearance of new lesions.
It is incorrect to say that these lesions will resolve once the patient is weaned off prednisone (choice C), because they present irreversible dermal and epidermal scars. Stopping the systemic prednisone would decrease the likelihood of new striae developing.
It is highly likely that additional new lesions would develop whether the dose of prednisone is increased or not (choice D). Systemic steroid administration is a major risk factor for the occurrence of striae distensae.
 
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