Dermoscopic Assessment of Pityriasis Versicolor:A Cross-Sectional Observational Study

Objective:Pityriasis versicolor(PV)is usually a clinical diagnosis.In uncertain cases,PV is confirmed by microscopic examination with 10%potassium hydroxide(KOH).However,the KOH test is not 100%sensitive in diagnosing PV.Dermoscopy of PV is still an unexplored area with very little data reported.This study was planned to study the various dermoscopic features and their utility in the diagnosis of PV.Methods:This cross-sectional observational study was carried out over a 1-year period(September 2020-September 2021)among 57 patients with KOH-confirmed PV.All patients underwent dermoscopy using a handheld dermoscope(DermLite DL4;DermLite LLC).The chi-square test or Fisher’s exact test was used to analyze the data.Results:Of the 57 patients,43(75.44%)had the hypopigmented type,followed by the hyperpigmented type(n=12,21.05%)and the perifollicular type(n=2,3.51%).Nonuniform pigmentation was the most common dermoscopic finding observed in both patients with hypopigmented PV(n=42,97.67%)and hyperpigmented PV(n=12,100%)(P=0.001).Scaling was the second most commonly observed finding;patchy scaling(n=25,58.13%)and perifollicular scaling(n=13,30.23%)were commonly seen in hypopigmented PV,while hyperpigmented PV showed more diffuse scaling(n=6,50.00%)(P=0.04)followed by patchy scaling(n=5,41.66%).Dermoscopy showed unique“double-edged scales”in all lesions with furrow scaling(n=11,19.30%)after eliciting a positive evoked scale sign.Other interesting features seen in hypopigmented PV were hypopigmentation around the hair follicle(n=24,55.48%)(P=0.001)and perilesional hyperpigmentation(the halo sign)(n=15,34.88%)(P=0.04).Conclusion:We observed several dermoscopic findings in PV that can serve as useful clues for differentiating PV from other similar disorders.

Efficacy and Tolerability of 0.1%Adapalene With 1%Clindamycin Versus 0.1%Adapalene With 2.5%Benzoyl Peroxide on Acne Vulgaris:A Case Control Study

Objective:Combination therapy is currently the preferred acne treatment.We conducted this study to compare the efficacy and tolerability of 0.1%adapalene with 1%clindamycin versus 0.1%adapalene with 2.5%benzoyl peroxide(BPO)in the treatment of acne vulgaris.Methods:This study was conducted over a period of 1 year from September 2014 to September 2015.One-hundred patients aged 14 to 30 years with mild to moderate acne vulgaris were included.The patients were randomly allocated to 2 equal groups(n=50 in each group),and received a topical combination of 0.1%adapalene with 1%clindamycin andtopical combination of 0.1%adapalene with 2.5%BPO,respectively).The efficacy and tolerability of two treatments were compared.The unpaired studentt test was used to compare the difference in continuous variables between 2 groups,while the chi-square test or Fisher exact test was used for categorical variables.Results:One-hundred patients with mild to moderate acne vulgaris were randomly allocated to 2 equal groups(n=50 in each group).After 12 weeks of treatment,there were no significant differences between the adapalene-clindamycin and adapalene-BPO in the mean reductions in the numbers of non-inflammatory lesions(11.16±8.01 and 11.12±8.62,respectively),inflammatory papules(49.78±37.57 and 50.48±36.57,respectively),and total lesions(67.50±44.59 and 70.12±46.83,respectively).The incidence of a burning sensation was significantly greater in the adapalene-BPO group than the adapalene-clindamycin group(32%vs.6%;P=0.002).Conclusion:Topical adapalene plus clindamycin and adapalene plus BPO had similar efficacies in the treatment of acne.Adapalene with clindamycin was better tolerated than adapalene with BPO.