Journal of

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Background and Aim: Tinea capitis is one of the most common fungal infections in dermatology. Although the new medications and development in social health have reduced its incidence, it is still common in Iran, especially in rural areas. The aim of this study was to describe the frequency of complications of kerion.

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Background and Aim: Acne is one of the most common skin diseases. One of the best treatments is systemic isotretinoin. Some studies link its use with depression, psychiatric problems and suicide, but it is still a matter of debate. So, this study was designed to determine the frequency of depression in acne patients, treated with isotretinoin.
Methods: Fifty-nine acne patients between 16 -30 years old were included. The patients received 0.5-1 mg/kg/day isotretinoin for 16 weeks. At the beginning and at the end of study, the Beck questionnaire was completed by the patients and the results were analyzed.
Results: The mean score of the Beck questionnaire was 13.19 at the beginning of the study and 14.80 after 4 months of treatment with isotretinoin (P=0.0001).
Conclusion: The results of this study showed that isotretinoin may have a small, but still noticeable increase in depression scores of acne patients. However, it is important to consider that various other parameters, such as individual’s psychological status at the time of completing the questionnaire, might influence the results. So, further studies with more patients and longer durations, and the use of other pertinent questionnaires, are recommended.

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Background and Aim: The standard treatment regimen for pemphigus is adminitration of systemic corticosteroids and adjuvant agents. Previous studies have shown that corticosteroid therapy may alter lipid profile and reduce the atherogenic index in some disorders. This study was conducted to evaluate the changes in lipid profile in pemphigus patients treated with oral corticosteroids alone or in combination with adjuvants.

Methods: In this retrospective corss-sectional study, medical records of 148 pemphigus patients admitted in Razi Hospital in Tehran were reviewed for serum levels of low-density lipoprotein (LDL), high-density lipoprotein (HDL), total cholestrol, and triglyceride on the day of admission till 3 weeks after initiation of the treatment.

Results: Fifty-eight percent of patients were female and the mean age of the patients was 47.1 years. 79.3% and 13.3% of patients had been treated with prednisolone plus azathiorine or prednisolone alone, respectively. The remainig patients were treated by administration of oral prednisolone and other adjuvants. Serum levels of LDL, HDL, total cholestrol and triglyceride were significantly higher 3 weeks after initiation of treatment compared to baseline (P<0.05). With the exception of the signifcantly higher level of triglycerides in women, there was no statistically significant association between the levels of other serum lipids at the end of 3 weeks treatment with gender, age, severity of the disease, use of statins, and the treatment regimen (P>0.05).

Conclusion: Although the level of different components of the lipid profile in Iranian patients with pemphigus changed after receiving treatment for 3 weeks, it seems that those changes were not associated with an increased atherogenic index of pemphigus patients.

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Background and aim: Cutaneous melanoma is one of the most aggressive skin cancers with high metastatic potential and considerable mortality. Prognostic factors such as tumor thickness, surgical margin status, and lymph node involvement play a decisive role in prognosis and treatment selection. Reports from Iran also indicate an increasing incidence of this disease, and providing epidemiological and clinical data at the regional level can help guide therapeutic policies.
 

Methods: In this retrospective cross-sectional study, all patients with cutaneous melanoma who underwent surgery at Shahid Faghihi Hospital, Shiraz, between 2019 and 2023 were evaluated. Demographic information, lesion site, tumor size and thickness, histopathological type, surgical method, margin status, and the need for reoperation were extracted from medical records and analyzed using descriptive and analytical statistical tests.
 

Results: A total of 84 patients were included (51.2% male and 48.8% female). The most common histopathological type was malignant melanoma (31%). Lesions were most frequently located on the hands (28.6%) and feet (21.4%). The majority of lesions measured between 2–5 cm (36.9%). Only 2.4% of patients had tumors thinner than 1 mm, while 11.9% had tumors thicker than 5 mm. Excision was the most common surgical method (54.8%). Surgical margins were free of tumor in 53.6% of cases, and 61.9% of patients required reoperation.
 

Conclusion: The findings indicate that cutaneous melanoma in southern Iran predominantly occurs in the extremities, and the high rate of reoperation underscores the need for more precise surgical planning and earlier diagnosis.